Meaning and Scope of E-Governance

Government at the citizen's fingertips

E-governance (electronic governance) means the use of information and communication technology — computers, the internet and mobile devices — by government to deliver services, share information, and interact with citizens, businesses and its own departments in a fast, transparent and convenient way. In simple terms, it is the application of e-commerce ideas to the work of government: instead of selling goods, government delivers public services and information electronically.

With e-governance, a citizen can pay a tax, apply for a certificate, check a land record, book a government appointment or file a complaint from home, instead of visiting an office and standing in a queue. The government office comes to the citizen through a screen.

Objectives of e-governance

• To make government services easily and quickly available to citizens.
• To bring transparency into government working, reducing the scope for corruption and favouritism.
• To improve efficiency and speed in delivering services and processing applications.
• To reduce cost, paperwork and repeated visits for both citizens and government.
• To improve accountability, since electronic records show who did what and when.
• To enable wider participation of citizens in governance.

Governance vs. e-governance

Governance is the whole process by which a government makes and carries out decisions and delivers services. E-governance is that same process carried out with the help of electronic technology. E-governance does not change what the government does; it changes how it does it — faster, more openly, and with less paperwork.

The scope — from information to transaction …