Benefits of E-Governance and E-Governance Initiatives in India

3. Benefits of E-Governance and E-Governance Initiatives in India

Benefits of e-Governance. Delivering governance electronically brings real advantages to citizens, to businesses and to the administration itself:

1. Convenience and better access to services. Services become available online, often round the clock, so a citizen can obtain a certificate, pay a bill or file a return from home or a nearby centre instead of travelling to a distant office during working hours.
2. Speed and saving of time. Electronic processing is far faster than moving paper files by hand; applications are submitted, tracked and disposed of much more quickly.
3. Transparency. Because rules, forms, application status and records are visible online, decisions are open to view and the working of the government becomes more transparent.
4. Reduction of corruption. By reducing face-to-face contact between the citizen and the official, and by leaving an electronic record of every step, e-Governance narrows the scope for bribery, favouritism and unofficial delays.
5. Lower cost. Over time, electronic delivery reduces the cost of paper, storage, travel and manpower for both the citizen and the government.
6. Accountability. Every electronic transaction is time-stamped and traceable, so it is easier to fix responsibility for delay or error.
7. Wider reach and inclusion. Through the internet and shared service centres, services can reach rural and remote areas that a physical office network could not serve well.
8. Better decision-making. The data collected electronically helps the government plan, target schemes and make informed policy decisions.
9. Citizen participation. Online platforms let citizens give feedback, lodge complaints and take part in consultations, making governance more participative.

E-Governance initiatives in India. India has launched a wide programme of e-Governance, guided over the years by national plans for electronic delivery of government services and, more recently, by the government's broad Digital India programme, whose aim is to make government services available to citizens electronically and to improve digital infrastructure and literacy across the country. In a general way, the kinds of initiatives that have been taken include:

• Citizen-service portals and mobile applications that bring many government services together at a single electronic point, so a citizen can access several departments' services through one website or app.
• Online tax and financial services, such as the electronic filing of income tax returns and the online registration, filing and payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST), which lets individuals and businesses meet their obligations without visiting an office.
• Digital document storage, allowing citizens to keep and share official documents (such as certificates, licences and mark-sheets) securely in an electronic locker, removing the need to carry physical copies.
• A unique digital identity system that gives each resident a verifiable identity number, used to authenticate citizens for many services and to deliver benefits directly.
• District and local service delivery through common service centres, which act as electronic access points in towns and villages where citizens without their own internet can obtain online services with help.
• Government e-marketplace and e-procurement / e-tendering systems, through which government departments buy goods and services online in an open and competitive way (a G2B application).
• Sector-specific portals for services such as passports, railway reservation, land and property records, electricity and other utility bills, pensions and public grievances. …