What is E-Governance?
- “E-governance” or “electronic governance” refers to the idea of using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve and streamline government service delivery, boost productivity, and raise transparency in how the government operates.
Benefits of E-Governance
- 24/7 Access
- The necessity for physical presence is diminished because citizens can access government information and services from anywhere at any time.
- Example – Income Tax e-Filing Portal, UMANG App.
- Automation
- By automating procedures, paperwork and service delivery times can be decreased.
- Example – FASTag for Toll Collection, Ration Card Automation (ePDS).
- Simplified Procedures
- E-Government facilitates the streamlining of procedures, the cutting down of red tape, and the general improvement of efficiency.
- Example – Passport Seva Portal, GST Portal.
- Operational Efficiency
- Electronic processes are typically faster than traditional manual processes, which leads to faster service delivery to citizens.
- Example – Aadhaar-Enabled Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), e-Hospital Platform.
- Transparency
- By offering a transparent and accountable system, e-governance helps to reduce opportunities for corruption within government processes.
- Example – Government e-Marketplace (GeM), RTI Online Portal.
- Feedback Mechanisms
- E-Government platforms often include mechanisms for citizens to provide feedback, fostering greater engagement.
- Example – MyGov Portal.
Applications of E-Governance
- Government to Citizen (G2C)
- Attempt to establish a single point of contact between the people and the government.
- Example
- Computerization of Land Records – Bhoomi Project Karnataka
- Gyandoot (Madhya Pradesh) – Started with the twin objective of providing relevant information to the rural population and acting as an interface between the district administration and the people.
- Government to Government (G2G)
- The government system processes information and makes decisions on a wide scale. G2G projects contribute to the efficiency of internal government processes.
- Example – Khajane Project in Karnataka.
- Government to Business (G2B)
- G2B initiatives cover all government actions that affect business organisations. Among these are registrations made following certain laws licenses under various laws and information sharing between the public and private sectors
- Example – E-Procurement Project in Andhra Pradesh