Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Start your answer by briefly explaining the concept of e-governance.
• Discuss the impact of e-governance initiatives on citizens.
• Conclude accordingly.

Introduction

• E-governance refers to the use of electronic means, such as the internet and mobile devices, to provide government services and information to citizens.

Body

• E-governance in India has been implemented in various forms over the years, with the goal of making government services more accessible and efficient for citizens.
• The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) was launched in 2006, taking a holistic view of e-Governance initiatives across the country, integrating them into a collective vision, a shared cause.
• Examples of E-Governance Initiatives in India:
  • The National Portal of India: This portal provides a single point of access to information and services from the Indian government. Citizens can access a wide range of services such as passport application, PAN card application, and birth/death certificate registration on this portal.
  • Indian Government's e-District project: This project aims to provide all government services to citizens through a single window, in order to make them more accessible and efficient. The services include land records, caste certificates, marriage certificates, and more.
  • Digital India: This initiative aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
    • It includes a wide range of initiatives such as Digital Locker, which allows citizens to store and access their important documents digitally, and eSign, which allows citizens to sign documents electronically.
  • Jan Dhan Yojana: This scheme aims to provide financial inclusion to the citizens of India by opening bank accounts for them.
  • UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance): This App provide over 1000+ Government services in central, state and local domains.
• Impact of E-Governance on Government Functions and Citizen Engagement:
  • Improve transparency and accountability: E-governance initiatives have made it easier for citizens to access government services, track the status of their applications, and obtain information about government policies and programs.
    • This has increased transparency and accountability in the government, as citizens can now more easily hold government officials and agencies accountable for their actions.
  • Increased efficiency and cost savings: By using technology to automate processes and improve communication, e-governance has helped to streamline government operations and reduce costs. This has led to significant time and money savings for both citizens and the government.
  • Promotes Ease of Living: E-governance initiatives have made it easier for citizens to access government services and information. They have also made the process of availing these services more efficient and transparent.
  • Improved citizen engagement: By reducing the need for citizens to physically visit government offices, e-governance initiatives have helped to bring the unprivileged and far-flung areas of the country closer to the government's reach, which was not possible to do so earlier.
    • This has increased the participation of citizens in governance and has also helped to increase the transparency and accountability of the government.
  • Improve government functions: A report listed the advantages of e-Governance as the improvement of services to citizens, control over the organization and management, the efficiency of resource distribution, an increase of autonomy through self-service, and a reduction of time and costs of management.
  • Improve Cybersecurity: With the adoption of e-governance, India has been increasing its cybersecurity measures to protect its citizens' data and keep their information safe from cyber threats.
• Further, there are several potential negative impacts as well of e-governance that includes:
  • Digital divide: Not all citizens have equal access to technology, which can lead to unequal participation in e-governance initiatives.
  • Data privacy and security concerns: The collection and storage of personal information through e-governance initiatives can raise concerns about data privacy and the potential for cyberattacks.
  • Dependence on technology: E-governance can create a dependency on technology, which can lead to problems if systems fail or there is a lack of reliable internet access.

Conclusion

E-governance initiatives in India have had a significant impact on the way that government functions and interacts with citizens. They have made government services more accessible and efficient for citizens and have helped to bridge the digital divide in the country.