E-Governance

1.INTRODUCTION:World economies haveoffered by district administration at Fatehgarh
recognized Information Technology as anSahib in Punjab. It provides web-based interface
effective tool in catalyzing the economic activity into citizens seeking services from district
efficient governance and in developing humanadministration and provides complete workflow
resource. They have made significant investmentsautomation in District Commissioners office. It is
in it and successfully integrated it with theinformation dissemination system designed to
development process, thereby reaping thefacilitate public to get information about various
benefits to their society. In India also, thesegovernment schemes such as eligibility criteria,
developments have impacted the industrial,procedures, contact addresses, downloadable
education, service and Government sectors andforms etc. These include issuance of certificates
their influence on various applications is increasinglysuch as death/birth, caste, rural area etc.,licenses
being felt ofsuch as arms license, permission for
late.As the era of digital economy is evolving, theconferences/rallies etc., benefits from
concept of governance has assumed significantsocioeconomic schemes etc. The information
importance. The e-Governance has consequentlyabout
become an accepted methodology involving thevarious schemes and procedures, status of an
use of Information Technology in improvingapplication etc. can be found through the web
transparency, providing information speedily to allInterface available at the intranet counters at
citizens, improving administration efficiency anddevelopmental block/revenue tehsil and kiosks.3.10
improving public services such as transportation,DrishteeDrishtee is a unique socio-technological
power, health, water, security and municipaleffort towards creating an Information backbone
services.India has been harnessing the benefitsin Indian Villages. Drishtee is a public limited
provided by the Information & Communicationcompany providing IT enabled, fee based services
Technologies to provide integrated governance,to villagers through community owned kiosks. It is
reach to the citizens faster,provide efficienta platform for rural networking and marketing
services and citizen empowerment throughservices for enabling e-governance, education,
access to information. The aim is to redefinehealth and allied IT based services. The services it
governance in the ICT age to provide Smartenables include access to government programs
Governance. Several significant initiatives have& benefits, market related information and private
been taken at the Centre and the State level ininformation exchanges & transactions.4.
this direction. At the Central level, the governmentE-GOVERNANCE IN TAMILNADU:Government has
has extensively promoted the use of IT intaken as a policy to promote e-governance
managinginitiative to
its internal processes and has drawn up aensure transparent, speedy and responsive
'Minimum Agenda of e-Governance'. Thedelivery of government services to the
Ministries/Departments have provision of 2 to 3citizens. E-governance initiatives were taken in
percent of their annual budgets to be spent on ITmajor departments like Registration,
related activities.The Government has enacted ITRevenue, Transport, etc. The Electronic Delivery
Act 2000, which provides legal status to theof Services (EDS) is receiving a lot
information and transactions carried on the net.of thrust. The payment of utility payment
Several State Governments have also takenservice charges of TNEB, Metrowater and
various innovative steps to promoteChennai Corporation can be effected through the
e-Governance and have drawn up a roadmap forEDS centres. To promote egovernance
IT implementation and delivery of services to thein the Government during 2004-05, a sum of
citizens online. The applications that have beenRs.2357.52 lakhs has
implemented are targeted towards providing G2B,been provided in the State Budget under Part-II
G2C and B2C services with emphasis on use of(new) schemes for 2004-05 of which
local language.2.DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATIONRs.1836.52 lakhs is provided under Plan schemes
TECHNOLOGY'S INITIATIVES:As part of theand Rs.521 lakhs under Non-
increased thrust on e-Governance, Ministry ofPlan towards hardware and software for the
Communications &Departments of Commercial Taxes,
Information Technology, Department ofRegistration, Treasuries & Accounts, Survey &
Information Technology, Government of IndiaSettlement, BC & MBC, Town and
has set up a Centre for e-Governance (CEG) atCountry Planning & Adi-Dravida Welfare, etc.4.1
its premises - Electronics Niketan in New Delhi.TheTamil Nadu e-governance Mission:As part of the
Centre, first of its kind in the country,increased thrust on e-governance, IT department
showcases several e-Governance applications andis setting up
solutions that have been successfullyan e-governance Directorate exclusively to work
deployed in various states and offers such otheron the Policy and Planning of
services like technical consultation, proof ofInformation & Communication Technology
concept and thematic presentations. Conductinginitiatives of the Government and also to
programmes for creating awareness amongaugment the e-Governance initiatives and
decision makers in the Centre and Stateprojects of the Government of Tamil
Governments and helping them in defining andNadu. As a first initiative, e-governance cell at
implementing process and policy changes forELCOT in the name
effective e-Governance are other importantand style of "TN e-governance Mission", is
objectives of the Centre.The primary activitiesformed which will form a part of the
of the Centre are:o To showcase the bestDirectorate later. TN e-governance Mission, from
practices in the area of Electronic Governance,its inception has been
which wouldscouting around for the best e-governance
encompass technology, processes as well aspractices world over for adoption in the
public policiesConduct programs for creatinge-governance project initiatives of the
awareness among decision makers in the CentralGovernment to provide electronic delivery of
and state GovernmentsDemonstrate theservices to the citizen at a reasonable cost and
feasibility of Electronic Governance to decisionfor improvement of Government -
makers throughCitizen Interface.The Tamil Nadu Government
workshops, demonstration programs,videohas decided to give a major push to its
teleconferencing, etc.Help the Central and Statee-governance initiatives. Besides constituting panels
Governments in defining and implementing processat three different levels for implementation of
and policy changesTo enrich the repository ofNational e-Governance Action Plan (NeGAP), it is
best practices through continuous interaction withalso planning to appoint a consultant to conduct a
subject matter experts from India andstudy and prepare an information and
abroad.The Centre also draws upon leadingcommunication technology (ICT) roadmap for
companies, technical institutions and businesse-governance.Besides floating a global tender for
partners in India and abroad and help initiateappointment of the consultant, the government
projects to address specific needs. The Centrehas constituted a State Apex Committee (SAC)
continuously strives to establish strong links withthat will oversee and provide policy direction to
similar institutions worldwide to enrich theNeGAP and ensure inter-ministerial
repository of best practices through interactionco-ordination.There will be a State e-Governance
andGroup (SeG) to provide overall direction,
participation.3. SOME E-GOVERNANCE PROJECTSstandardisation and consistency through
APPLICATIONS OPERATIONAL ACROSSprogramme management of e-governance
INDIA:3.1 Bhoomi (Land Records)Bhoomi is ainitiatives of the state.The SAC will be headed by
self-sustainable e-governance project for thethe Chief Secretary, with Information Technology
computerized delivery of 20 million rural landsecretary as the Chief Information Officer and
records to 6.7 million farmers through 177the Managing Director of Electronics Corporation
Government owned kiosks in the Indian state ofof Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) as the member
Karnataka, which has eliminated red tape andsecretary.The SeG will have the Development
corruption in the issue of land title records, and isCommissioner and Principal Secretary (Finance) as
fast becoming the backbone for crediblethe chairman and the director of the to-be
IT-enabled Government services for the ruralcreated directorate of e-Governance as the
population.3.2 Stamps Registration and Archivingmember secretary. The IT secretary, who will
(SARITA)The Stamps and Registrationalso be a member of the SeG, will have the lead
Department of a State is typically one of the toprole in advising the government on IT trends and
revenue earners for any Government. Stamp &also coordinating technology utilizationThe deputy
Registration software provides efficientdirector general of the National Informatics Centre
government citizen interface, and also enables(NIC) will also be a member of the SeG to
enhanced revenue earnings for the Stamps andprovide technology expertise and to monitor new
Registration operation. The heart of this applicationtechnologies, besides assessing their potential to
consistsuse in the e-governance programme.The SeG will
of the Registration and Valuation module. Otherfunction as a permanent advisory body to
modules are the Networking and Scanningdevelop and implement processes for
modules that enable exchange of informationmanagement of programmes like conflict
securely across departments, and "electronicmanagement, audits, knowledge management,
copying" of the registered documents therebyfinancial management, risk management, and
enabling return of the original document within fewproject planning and monitoring, besides
minutes of presentation.3.3 Versatile Onlineinstitutionalizing e-governance processes and
Information for Citizen Empowermenttools.The e-governance groups will also be set up
(VOICE)Municipalities have a challenging task ofat state government department levels, with the
providing various kinds of citizen services.VOICEsecretary of the department concerned as the
caters to these challenges through the use ofchairman, to help the departments prepare
state-of-the-art information Technology.In additiondetailed project reports, business process
to computerisation of the day-to-dayre-engineering, change management, financial
operations,VOICE also provides a powerfulsustainability, technology expertise and manage
Community and empowers the citizen. Thisimplementation of the project.5. SOME OF THE
application ensures a quick, transparent andIMPORTANT E-GOVERNANCE PROJECTS IN
efficient administration at a lower operating costTAMILNADU:5.1 TamilNadu InfoSystem on Land
with increased revenue collections.3.4Administration and Management (Tamil
e-SevaeSeva is the first-of-its-kind of service inNILAM):TamilNILAM is an important e-governance
the country, providing a wide spectrum ofinitiative of Government of TamilNadu. All the
citizenfriendly services that save citizen thetaluk offices in TamilNadu have been provided
bother of running around various departments.with computers under this programme.The major
The services offered are Payment of Utilitiesapplications on these systems are,§ Land
Bills,Registration of Birth/Death, Issue of BirthRecords
Death certificates, Permits/Licences, Reservations§ Old Age Pension Management
etc.§ Certificates Management
There are 35 eSeva centres (with 280 service§ Public Grievances Redressal
counters) spread over the Twin Cities and§ Personnal and Payroll systemAt present
Ranga Reddy District.3.5 GyandootGyandoot is antwenty nine taluks were provided with the touch
intranet in the tribal district of Dhar in Central Indiascreen for the public use. The services offered by
connecting rural Cybercafes catering to theit are,Land owners can view their own Land
everyday needs of the masses. It is aownership and can also obtain a copy of Chitta
community-based, highly costeffective andExact.Birth and Death certificate particulars can be
financially self-reliant approach to bringing theviewed and a copy of the certificate can also be
benefits of Information Technology to theobtained.Old age pension details can also be
doorsteps of tribal villagers. The objective of themaintained in it.The welfare Scheme of the
Gyandoot project has been to establish aRevenue Department are explained with the
community-owned, innovative and sustainabledetails for availing these services and the
information technology project in the mostbenefits.5.2 Simplified and Transparent
poverty stricken and tribal dominated ruralAdministration of Registration(STAR):
areas. The project is designed to cater toSimplified and Transparent Administration of
social,economic and development needs of theRegistration is a Citizen-centric application which
villagers through an innovative G2C model.Therehas been implemented at 300 sub registrar office
are around 1600 villages in Dhar district and 80in TamilNadu. With the computerized system the
information kiosks/cyber offices(Soochanalayas).issue of Encumbrance certificate has become
Each kiosk caters to about 25 to 30 villages. Thequicker and easier. The documents are scanned
entire network of 31 kiosks covers 311and archived. The Data will be maintained in
Panchayats (village committees),over 600 villagesTamil.The Application software was developed by
and a population of around half a million (nearlyNIC TamilNadu state Unit with the active
50% of the entire district).3.6 e-ChoupalStarted byinvolvement of the team from Registration
ITC's international Business Division as aDepartment. The hardware procurement and
cost-effective alternative supply chain system toinstallation has been carried out by the ELCOT.5.3
deal directly with the farmer to buy products forTreasury Computerization:The Treasury
exports is getting transformed into a metacomputerization is one of the earliest
market for rural India. The tobacco giante-governance project developed for the
has already set up over 700 choupals coveringGovernment of TamilNadu. Now the system is
3,800 villages in four states- which include Madhyaused in the following offices,§ 29 District
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka andtreasuries§ 205 sub treasuries§ 7 pay
AndhraPradesh - dealing with products rangingand accounts office§ Pension Pay office,
from soya bean, coffee, aquaculture andChennaiThe Daily transaction is captured in batch
wheat.3.7 VidyaVahiniThis portal provides themode at sub treasuries and consolidated at the
opportunity for schools,teachers and students alldistrict treasuries. The monthly account prepared
across the nation to express and share theirusing the system by the district treasuries, pay
creative and academic potential via the internet.and accounts department are submitted to the
The portal aims at creating such an environmentAG's office.6. Conclusion:Although e-government
by providing facilities for content development,has been around since the 1990s, many
content deployment and collaboration. Shikshadeveloping countries have not fully reaped its
India - abenefits because they lack the key conditions for
non- profit organisation - is working in partnershipit to thrive:· healthy political and regulatory
with the Ministry of Informationenvironments,· well-developed IT
Technology in the project Vidya Vahini andinfrastructure, and· a large pool of Internet
Ministry of Human Resources under the CLASSusers.Skeptics believe that e-government is not
scheme, which aims to connect 60.000 schoolsan appropriate tool for low-income countries with
(approximately 20 million students) across thelimited technical capability. But some developing
country in the next five years.3.8countries, such as India, have successfully
AarakshiAarakshi is an intranet-based system forimplemented e-government in certain areas,
the Jaipur City Police to facilitatedespite this shortcoming.The Author of this Paper
FIRs,criminalsrecords, vehicle thefts, missingwas R.TharagaLakshmi. She finished her
person's records etc. It is like a private & closedUnderGraduate studies at PSG college of
user group accessible to only authorised personnel.Technology, Coimbatore in the year 2003. Now
Its potential users are all field level officers of theshe was doing her Final Year MCA at Arunai
city like police station, circle officers SP and evenEngineering College, Tiruvannamalai. At present
district collector.3.9 WebcitiWebCITI (Web basedshe was doing her Final year Project in National
Citizen-IT Interface) is an e-Governance projectInformatics Centre, TamilNadu unit, Chennai.
for building citizen-IT interface for services