IMPACT OF E-GOVERNANCE

PRABHAT KUMAR PANDEY

Student of BBA, RAJ SMS,Babatpur, Varanasi

Ph. No. 8577997707, Email- Prabhatpandey.7n@gmial.com

Abstract

E-governance is nothing but a mediator between government and citizens, it is the use of a range

of modern information and technologies by government to improve efficiency, services etc. Or

E-governance = Transparency+Accountabilty+Efficiency- (Monopoly + Discretion).

which make Government more accountable by increasing the opportunity for citizens

participation in the governance process & bringing citizens closer to elected officials , as the

result is positively related to improved government citizens relationship & corruption reduction ,

and also playing an important role against corruption in modern governance, which opens up

the door to vast opportunities for transforming governance, to solve the social as well as

economic problems exit in the developing countries like India.The need of E-governance is to

take cautious step to ensure better reach and access otherwise dispatches in access & only

increase problems of corruption and social & economic injustice. CARD is one of the major

success stories of E-governance in Andhra Pradesh. This paper reveals the performance of E-

governance to increase, efficiency, responsiveness, accountability and bring transparency in the

working of the government system & reduction corruption and then the Impact of E-governance

is faster Processing, & promoting social welfare.

Key Words: Accountability, E-Governance, Transparency.

1. INTRODUCTION

CONCEPTUALIZATION OF E-GOVERNANCE

Before moving on to defining what e-Governance comprises of, it is important to realize

what e-Governance is not. Misconceptions lead to baseless fear and unfounded resistance. That

is why it is important to first realize what e-Governance is not.

1.1 What e-Governance is Not?

a) It is not about changing government processes and inter-agency or inter-personal

relationships

b) It is not limited to computerization of government offices

c) It is not just about being able to type documents using computers

d) It does not put government security and confidentiality at risk

1.2 E-Governance

E-Governance is composed of three major components:

1. G2C (Government-to-Citizen) involves interaction of individual citizens with the

government. Examples include payment of utility bills or downloading government forms

from the Internet. The e-Citizen Portal of Singapore is one of the most highly acclaimed

G2C sites. The portal has relevant information organized according to topics and has

specific entry points for teenagers, working adults, senior citizens and foreigners. It also

has scope for citizen feedback and questions.

2. G2B (Government-to-Business) involves interaction of business entities with the

government. Examples include corporate tax filing or government procurement process

through the Internet. One primary success story of online government procurement

is Malaysia’s e-Prohelan web-site which has about 3,500 government procurement

centers and about 30,000 suppliers.

3. G2G (Government-to-Government) involves interaction among government officials,

whether within a government office or within government offices.Examples

includes using e-mail for internal government communication or a customized software

for tracking progress of government projects. A popular G2G service is e-Police System

in Karnataka, India, which has an electronic searchable database of various types of

police records.

It is G2G which is generally referred to as being e-Government. Therefore, e-

Government may be perceived as being a sub-component of overall e-Governance. Although it

needs to be kept in mind that in some literature, the terms ‘e-Government’ and ‘e-Governance’

are used interchangeably. In this paper, e-Government refers to G2G only, not the other

components of e-Governance, namely G2C and G2B.

1.3 PROCESSES AND METHODOLOGY

In developing countries, ICT is being used to

streamline governments and connect them more closely with the people they are supposed to

serve. My aim is to summarize the related information, which can provide guidance to

government officials and others in the developing world on e-government models and resources.

The whole e-governance content has been divided into three segments as:

• Segment I examines the three phases of e-government, which is defined as publish, interact and

transact

• Segment II focuses on the actual process of achieving e-government policy goals, focusing on

the transformation of government through ICT. This segment covers five key determinants of e-

governance success.

• Segment III takes a different look at e-government, addressing ten challenges and opportunities

that arise in developing and implementing e-government projects.

Segment-I THE THREE PHASES OF E-GOVERNMENT

E-government utilizes technology to accomplish reform by fostering transparency, eliminating

distance and other divides, and empowering people to participate in the political processes that

affect their lives. Governments have different strategies to build e-government. Some have

created comprehensive long-term plans. Others have opted to identify just a few key areas as the

focus of early projects,

To better understand the e-governance implementation into three phases. These phases are not

dependent on each other, nor need one phase be completed before another can begin, but

conceptually they offer three ways to think about the goals of e-government.

Phase-1 : Publish-Expand Access to Government Information

Phase -2: Interact-Broadening Civic Participation In Government

Phase-3: Transact : Marketing Government Services Available Online

Segment-II: Transforming Governments Through E-Government Projects

E-government is about transforming the way government interacts with the governed.

The process is neither quick nor simple. It requires a coherent strategy, beginning with an

examination of the nation’s political will, resources, regulatory environment, and ability of the

population to make use of planned technologies.The success of e-government requires

fundamentally changing how government works and how people view the ways in which

government helps them. There is no “one size fits all” strategy in implementing e-government,

but I have identified five essential elements in the transformation process.

They are as follows:

Five Elements of Successful E-Government Transformation

Process Reform

Leadership

Strategic Investment

Collaboration

Civic Engagement

Segment-III Challenges And Opportunities – For the Design of E-Government Programs

Once governments commit to strategies transforming their governance processes,

significant challenges and opportunities will arise during their implementation. I have identified

ten considerations that must be addressed by the e-government initiatives of developing nations.

They are as follows:

1. Infrastructure Development

2. Digital Divide

3. Accessibility

4. Trust

5. Privacy

6. Security

7. Transparency

8. Education and Marketing

9. Public/Private Competition/Collaboration

10. Benchmarking/Qualitative Methods

1.4 SOME COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING E-GOVERNANCE

There are many who are resistant to e-Governance due to lack of awareness and fear of

the unknown. This section attempts to respond briefly to a few common queries regarding e-

Governance:

Will e-Government Change Government Processes?

The objective of e-Government is not to change existing government processes but more

to strengthen and make existing processes more efficient.

Will e-Government Force New Hierarchical Structure?

e-Government does not necessitate change of existing hierarchical structures. It however

encourages new dimensions of cooperation and relationship among different government offices

due to improved communication systems.

Will Sensitive and Confidential Data Get Lost or Stolen?

Digitally converted government information needs to be carefully stored and sometimes

guarded against unauthorized access. There are ways of keeping back-ups and ensuring security

by digital authentication of users. Digital storage is not riskier than filing of paper documents.

Will People Lose Jobs if e-Government is Implemented?

There is fear that people will become redundant and may even lose jobs if e-Government

is implemented. Although some manual tasks will become redundant, computers can never

replace humans on many occasions. Continual re-training of officials and staff need to be

arranged that their tasks and responsibilities are in tune with the changing dynamics of e-

Government.

Will Government Officials be Positive Towards IT?

Much of the resistance to IT comes from high-level government officials. The young

officials are more positive towards IT and are more open to change and re-learning. However,

computer access is largely limited to high-level officials. The scenario of attitude towards IT will

change as more and more useful applications are developed and the junior officials move up the

hierarchy.

1.5 WHY E-GOVERNANCE?

Benefits from successful implementation of e-Governance are numerous. It is no longer a

matter of debate whether citizens will be adequately benefited or not through e-Governance. The

countries that have been able to fruitfully implement e-Governance are now able to reap these

benefits. However, more and more public Internet service centers will have to be built to serve

citizens.

Some of those benefits are outlined below:

Increases Government Efficiency

e-Government can enhance government efficiency in innumerable ways. For example,

through video-conferencing facilities, important meetings can be held without physical

movement of officials. With today’s traffic situation, this can save a great amount of time and

money for government officials. With electronic exchange of data and other information,

communication among officials can be much faster than before. Instant electronic access to data

and automated report generation facilities from complex databases can enhance government

decision-making in a way unimaginable with conventional methods of analysis.

Cuts Down Costs to Society

Faster and more informed government decisions can contribute to avoiding huge amounts of

economic loss. Also, if government forms and other procedural information are made available

online, then time and money wasted to get these from government offices can be vastly reduced.

Power to the People

One of the most important benefits of e-Governance is that it empowers citizens. Through

transparent information about government procedures and responsibilities, citizens become more

aware of their rights. The government machinery should not be an inaccessible behemoth, but a

transparent provider of services to citizens. e-Governance allows the government to serve better,

and allows the citizens to demand more from the government.

Better Relation with Private Sector

Relationship between the private sector and the government has a definitive influence on

the business environment of a nation. e-Governance encourages that relationship to be more

friendly and more interactive. Through e-Governance, one-stop services for businesses can be

provided, important information such as policy changes can be disseminated quickly, among

other benefits.

Encourage Private Sector Towards Use of IT

The government can have an influential role in encouraging the private sector to

effectively move towards the use of IT. For example, if government tenders and announcements

are brought online, it will automatically encourage suppliers to interact through the Internet. e-

Governance is a very important instigator to modernizing businesses in a nation.

Encourage Citizen Awareness About IT

For a society to prepare itself for the new century, its citizens must be attuned to use of IT

in all aspects of daily life. e-Governance produces a major thrust in making citizens aware of IT

as an everyday tool, not just as a luxury item. For example, when citizens can get bills and see

exam results online, they will look at the power of the Internet in a new light.

Enhance National Image

With current global political situation, enhancement of national image is more important

than ever before. Modern system of governance is representative of a nation’s maturity. e-

Governance is the most visible and effective tool of modernization and transparency in the

government.

2. IMPACT OF E-GOVERNANCE

The major Impact of E-governance is faster Processing,

Shorter wait , Shorter queues, lesser corruption more transparency and etc

The following impact of e-governace are as follows:

2.1 POSITIVE IMPACT OF E-GOVERNANCE

To make use of latest technologies that makes work sophisticated, easy and accurate.

To increase transparency in the functioning of various departments.

To provide citizens access to information.

To make efficient use of resources and time.

To enlighten people about the government’s role in social and economic development.

To strengthen the inner flaws in the working system.

To improve the communication between government and citizens, and government and

business.

To benefit rural India and bridge the digital divide to build a digital community.

To get the productive and efficient work from the people.

To reduce corruption & differences among communities.

According to World Bank

“Corruption is the misuse of public offices for private

use”. Public life in today’s India is dominated with concerns about corruption &

inability of politicians to tackle it efficiently. Different scandals in India are not

exceptions but it is a regular feature of Indian politics.

World Bank definition: “E-governance refers to the use by government agencies

of information technology that have to transform relations with citizens,

businesses, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a variety

of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens,improve

interactions with business and industry, citizen’s empowerment through access of

information, or more efficient government management. The resulting benefits

can be less corruption, increase transparency, greater convenience, revenue

growth, and cost reduction.” To define the level of corruption just discusses the

statement of Mr. Rajiv Gandhi (ex. prime minister of India). He said if one rupee

begin to spent on such plans only 15 paisa reached the beneficiary with 40 paisa

being spent on overheads and 45 paisa lost due to corruption.

2.2 E-governance policies against corruption:

Corruption considered To the extent that increased transparency, accountability and

predictability (of rules and procedures) are made priorities, e-government may offer a weapon

against corruption. There are different action can be taken by e-governance to reduce corruption.

Many governments chosen the entire department must be on-line like customs, income tax, sales,

Every services of government must be delivering online to every citizen all over the country. E-

government can lead to centralizes data which can be used for improving audit and analysis.

Each decision can be traceable that is useful to exposure of wrong doing things and fear of

embarrassment can be a deterrent to corrupt practices. E-government introduces competition

which improves service level and reduces corruption. Take strict actions for complains of

citizens that submitted against corrupt practices. The information present in a

manner that leads to transparency of rules and their application in specific decisions,

increasing accountability by building the ability to trace decisions, actions to individual civil

servants represent the successive stage to counter corruption.

E-government, however, does not guarantee the end of corruption. Officials who master

technology-empowered processes can find new opportunities for rent seeking. Under such

circumstances, e-government may simply cause an inter-generational shift in corruption

toward younger, more tech-literate officials. One especially sensitive issue, right from the

start, is whether fighting corruption should be part of the e-government vision. Each society

must answer that question for itself. If fighting corruption is included in the vision, the next

key question is when to announce the anti-corruption goal to the public. If fighting corruption

is publicly announced as a major part of the e-government agenda, it could help build

coalitions and public pressure for anti-corruption results. However, publicity too early in the

e-government process runs the risk of causing fear and resistance from corrupt officials, who

are likely to exert negative pressure even upon their uncorrupt colleagues. Another option is

to not publicize the anti-corruption goals of an e-government program but rather “sell”

e-government(especially within the government) as a program to accomplish other goals such

as improving government services, increasing attractiveness of the country for investment,

reducing costs to the public/business or improving the competitiveness of the local private

sector. Given the sensitivity of these issues, involvement of non-government stakeholders in the

discussion is important.

2.3 E-governance: anti-corruption strategies

E-government introduces transparency in all its decisions, actions, performance, rules

and all kind of data.

Build accountability for access the information through internet.

Entry point for simplification of rules & reengineering processes.

Makes decision traceable.

Provide documentation to citizens for follow up.

Automates processes to take away discretion.

Introduces competition among different department of government services.

3. Suggestions:

At last I would like to suggests that while E-governance initiatives can make

important contribution to improving public services they can best do so by helping

improve overall relationship between government & citizens and also help to reduce

corruption.

How does E-governance help to reduce the corruption?

E-governance polices are used to provide the best services to the citizens, create more

transparency and reduce the corruption. Now the governments have to chosen to go online in

departments such as customs, income tax, sales tax and property tax which are highly corrupt

and citizens have interface with these departments. E-governance introduces competition which

improves services level and reduce the corruption. All the Egovernance application focuses on a

single objective that is to reduce corruption.

There are five tools to reduce corruption:

Education

Change the government process

By increasing direct contact between government and citizens

Take strong action against corrupt person and institutions

Increasing transparency and professional accountability

4. Conclusion

I have made an attempt to summarise the impact of E-governance , which

solves the social as well as economic problems existing in the developing countries like India. E-

government plays an important role against corruption. E-government, however, does not

guarantee the end of corruption. Policies of e-government increase transparency, accountability

and close the opportunity of middleman. As we know Corruption plays an important negative

role all over the world that can never be ignored, It is not the responsibility of only government

but also the citizens, who want to see the country clean and corruption free. The awareness is

necessary; media plays an important role in this. The public must be made aware of all the

government policies and online services.

5. REFERENCES:-

a. Www.Transperancy.Org

b. Www.Worldbankgroup.Org

c. Www.Google.Com

d. Www.Experts123.Com

e. Www.Wikipedia.Org