Amit Sharma
“It is not that simple as it seems when it comes to conceptualization and implementation and acceptance of eGovernance in the nation is concerned” this was recent comment of a high-ranking officer when someone was talking about resolve of present Central Government for moving towards a complete eGovernance regime in the near future.
Actually, eGovernance is a much hyped and overstated word when it comes to official and bureaucratic circles. People either misconceive it or think that eGovernance will be a GenNext technical jargon. Let me explain today in simplest form and words what eGovernance means and what it does not.
Whenever we are talking about eGovernance, we are simply talking about bringing simplification, transparency, accountability and swiftness in Government functioning or services. It involves all models such as Government to Government (G2G) services, Government to Citizens (G2C) services and Citizen to Government (C2G) services.
Government functions were performed in past times as well but the quantum and quality differed probably because of many reasons. There was sufficient human resources, less number of stakeholders, less quantum of services, quality in disposal, efficient work culture and many-a-times, there were very good inter-personal relations.
Now-a-days, all such things have vanished and rather, a reversal of these things have happened. Due to population expansion at exponential growth rate, big basket in terms of service offerings, lack of work culture, disproportionate ratio of human resource vs public expectations and overall, a feeling of alienation or professional approach amongst stakeholders.
All such and many more reasons have forced to streamline the Government systems and functioning. With the advent of Information Technology, Communications and Entertainment (ICE) revolution in late nineties, the perspective towards providing Governance to the citizens changed. Computers came into picture and took the advanced role than mere advanced typing machines, networking became the focal point, information dissemination became the key thing with the help of emails and internet and electronic database creation became such an important ingredient of banking, public offices and similar service industries.
Nobody thought in eighties and nineties that Doordarshan would become a thing of the past and All India Radio would have to face a stiff competition from Private FM Channels. Similarly, Government-run institutions like LIC, Indian Airlines, BSNL, Maruti Udyog Limited, etc. never imagined that their dominance would vanish in the wake of Private-Sector national and international players offering better products and services in respective segments.
Similar was the fate of Government services when they entered into modern Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode or Outsourcing Mode as it led to drastic improvement in terms of deliverance, infrastructure, public behavior and even exhibition of professional ethics. It gave jitters to the Babus of the old eras of seventies, eighties and even nineties to come out of slumber of Inspector Raj when they used to rule the roost.
So, with this background, here comes the role of eGovernance so as to take over from traditional governance models. This is not a big complex thing to switch over to eGovernance based services and Government functions.
What we need to understand is that there are two major steps involved in eGovernance. First step involves overhauling of existing internal systems and records by introducing automation of databases and processes involved in the organization or Government department. Once completely done with this step, the next and most important step is the introduction of eGovernance based solutions to the citizens or public through usage of computers, mobile phones, kiosks, etc. But both the steps have in a progression manner.
How step of eGovernance does not necessarily mean introduction of drastic 360* turnaround and throwing away of old traditional functions altogether but it means all systems are streamlined with the usage of simplistic model of above-mentioned two-step model. It involves Government Process Re-engineering (GPR) with the usage of modern techniques so that time involved in present Government functions is cut-down to bare minimum and public inconvenience is minimized.
When eGovernance is to be introduced in a Government organization is to be decided by simple parameters. Whenever we feel that the quantum of workload is beyond prepositions in spite of increasing the number of working hands and linking-up works or networking is required, it is the right time to switch over to eGovernance based administration. Also, when the overall industry has switched over to automation of databases, modernization of operations, digitization of complementary and supplementary functions, I think, it is the apt time to plan a switch-over to eGovernance based services.
Where part of eGovernance can be answered by a simple thing that almost every Government function involves lot of steps wherein receipts and payments are involved. So, there are many chances of lapses and human errors. Morever, it involves wastage of lot of human resource by involving them in such petty-level services. Today, lot of softwares are available to perform such functions and human intelligence can be better utilized for decision-making and analytical steps. So, eGovernance should especially be introduced in services like Railways, Passport, Income-Tax, etc. wherein we are finding huge success stories already in place with the successful introduction and implementation of eGovernance models.
Lastly, Why part of eGovernance can be answered with the fact that in today’s fast moving era, if we don’t keep up with the pace of modernizing administration and governance, then, we will lag far behing vis-à-vis Private Sector who have edged far ahead with the introducing of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) based SAP-like services, utilizing AGILE and swift models of eGovernance implementation, using Social Networking Services (SNS) as a major tool of reaching-out to last mile customer, etc.
The state governments should not forget that it is not only internal competition from the private sector they have to counter but they have a stiff challenge from other state governments as well in implementation of eGovernance reforms thick and fast. Moreover, the international standards of eGovernance set-up by advanced nations and developed world expects that third world countries like ours must come upto this challenge and the Central Government must introduce several layers of eGovernance based services to citizens through web portals, mobile applications, CSC-based services like Me-Seva, Mission-Mode Projects like e-Distrcit, e-Panchayat, AADHAAR Unique ID of every resident, etc.
To sum-up, I must admit that we are on-course towards introduction, implementation and successful provision of eGovernance-based services to our citizens although not at such a fast pace. The introduction of a hybrid model of one single rail reservation ticket of travel from Srinagar to Delhi wherein it involves dual travel of rail and bus incorporated within it, is a clear-cut example of Government’s focus and will towards a complete switch over towards eGovernance-based era in times to come.
We all must try to understand eGovernance properly and try to become agents of this positive change in the society which is inevitable. The earlier we all adapt to it, the better it is as eGovernance is the basis and future of governance and administration in times to come just as mobile phones of the present are the future erstwhile telephone services of the past era.
(The author is a senior KAS Officer and an e-Governance expert of J&K Government who has recently specialized through Post-Graduation in e-Governance at IIM Indore.) He can be reached at amit1kas@gmail.com or amit1kas (Facebook ID)
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