e-Governance: an Indian perspective

In: Policy and society: an interdisciplinary journal of policy research, Band 24, Heft 3, S. 142-169

Abstract

Much has been written about the applications of the advances in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to the field of Governance or public management. This application of ICT has brought about a new ray of hope, that of the potential benefits accruing out of these applications. India, even while carrying on with its stiff bureaucracy and a rigid governance structure, has been strangely at the forefront of this new development, especially among the South Asia nations. This paper attempts to showcase some projects that have taken off in the area of e-governance in India in the past few years. It not only analyses projects that have won accolades in the world forum but also smaller and relatively unsung initiatives that deserve attention at the both national and international levels. An attempt is made to address issues particularly relevant to Indian e-governance scenario, like relevant barriers, digital divide and above all implementation issues and challenges. This paper seeks to put in perspective the relatively less prominent issues such as paucity of multilingual content, standoff/stand-alone experimentation, and advocates the greater role for use of Open Source software in this arena.