Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789163 Chapter 10: E-Governance in India Learning agenda: Meaning of governance History of E-Governance in India Models of e governance Benefits of E Governance E-Governance evolution in India- Challenges E-Governance action plan Requirements for implementing successful E-governance National E-governance division National e governance plan E governance infrastructure State wide area network (SWAN) National Service Delivery Gateway (NSDG) Common Service Centre E-GovernanceinIndiahassteadilyevolvedfromcomputerizationofGovernmentDepartmentstoinitiativesthat encapsulatethefinerpointsofGovernance,suchascitizencentricity,serviceorientationandtransparency.The Nationale-GovernancePlan(NeGP),takesacomprehensiveviewofe-Governanceinitiativesacrossthecountry& integrating them into a collective vision and a shared cause. E-GovernanceisbasicallytheapplicationofInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(IcT)totheprocessesof Government functions in order to bring Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent (SMART) governance. This would generally involve the use of IcTs by government agencies for any or all of the following reasons:(a) Exchange of information with citizens, businesses or other government departments (b) Speedier and more efficient delivery of public services(c) Improving internal efficiency(d) Reducing costs / increasing revenue(e) Re-structuring of administrative processes and(f) Improving quality of services. Defining E-Governance Gartner Group defines e-governance as: the continuous optimization of service delivery, constituency participation, and governance by transforming internal and external relationships through technology, the Internet and new media. TheUNESCOdefinition(www.unesco.org)is:E-governanceisthepublicsectorsuseofinformationand communication technologies with the aim of improving information and service delivery, encouraging citizen participation in the decision-making process and making government more accountable, transparent and effective. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789164 AccordingtoKeohaneandNye(2000):Governanceimpliestheprocessesandinstitutions,bothformalandinformal, that guide and restrain the collective activities of a group.Basically,e-GovernanceisgenerallyunderstoodastheuseofInformationandcommunicationsTechnology (ICT)atalllevelsoftheGovernmentinordertoprovideservicestothecitizens,interactionwithbusiness enterprises and communication and exchange of information between different agencies of the Government in a speedy, convenient efficient and transparent manner. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, has visualizes e-Governance in the Indian context to mean:Atransparentsmarte-Governancewithseamlessaccess,secureandauthenticflowofinformationcrossingthe interdepartmental barrier and providing a fair and unbiased service to the citizen.E-Governance: History & Present --GlobalshiftstowardsincreaseddeploymentofITbygovernmentsemergedinthenineties,withtheadventofthe World Wide Web.--Theconceptofe-GovernancehasitsoriginsinIndiaduringtheseventieswithafocusondevelopmentofin-house governmentapplicationsintheareasofdefense,economicmonitoring,planningandthedeploymentofITtomanage data intensive functions related to elections, census, tax administration etc.-- The efforts of the National Informatics Center (NIC) to connect all the district headquarters during the eighties were a very significant development.--Fromtheearlynineties,ITtechnologiesweresupplementedbyICTtechnologiestoextenditsuseforwider applications with policy emphasis on reaching out to the rural areas and taking in greater inputs from NGOs and private sector as well.Interactions in E-Governance The advent of new information and communication technologies has made electronic governance as a tool to enhance the following relationship: -- Government to Government -- Government to Citizen -- Citizen to Government -- Government to Private and other Sectors. -- Private and NGOs Sector to Government. E-governance is beyond the scope of e-government. While e-government is defined as a mere delivery of government services and information to the public using electronic means, e-governance is not just about government web site and e-mail. lt is not just about service delivery over the Internet. lt is not just about digital access to government information or electronic payments.E-governancewillallowcitizenstocommunicatewithgovernment,participateinthegovernmentspolicy-makingandtocommunicatewitheachother.Thee-governancewilltrulyallowscitizenstoparticipateinthe government decision-making process, reflect their true needs and welfare by utilizing e-government as a tool. www.mygov.nic.in Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789165 Models of E-Governance There are five models of E-Governance. These models are briefed in the following: 1. Broadcasting/Wider-Dissemination Mode The model is based on dissemination of governmental information already available in the public domain into the wider public domain through the use of ICT. This model could be applied in the following possible ways: -- Putting Government Laws and Legislations online --Makingavailablethenames,Contactaddresses,e-mails,faxnumbersoflocal/national/regional/international government officials online. -- Make available information pertaining to Government Plans, Budgets, Expenditures, and Performances online. -- Put key judicial decisions, which are of value to general citizens. 2. CriticaI Value lnformation-Flow Model This model is based on the principle of dissemination/channelizing of information of critical value to targeted audience orinwiderpublicdomainthroughtheuseofICTandconvergentmedia.Thismodelrequiresaforesightand understandingoftheusevalueofparticularinformationsetandlocatinguserstowhomtheavailabilityofparticular information set would make a critical difference. This model could be applied in the following possible ways: --MakingavailablethecorruptionrelateddataaboutparticularMinistry/Division/Officialsonlinetoitselectoral constituency or to the concerned governing body. --MakingavailableResearchstudies,Enquiryreports,ImpactstudiescommissionbytheGovernmentonlinetothe affected parties. --MakingavailableHumanRightsViolationsoftheGovernmentoralliedauthoritiesonlineforaccessbyJudiciary, NGOs and concerned citizens. -- Making available Critical Environmental information available to local inhabitants such as radioactivity spills, effluents discharge information on ratings of the company etc. 3. Comparative Analysis Model Comparative Knowledge Model is one of the least-used but a highly influential model. The model, if used innovatively, canharnessthepotentialandcapacityofferedbythecommunicationtechnologiesandaimsittowardsbetter governance. This model could be applied in the following possible ways: -- To learn from historic policies and actions and derive learning lessons for future policy-making. -- To evaluate the effectiveness of the current policies and identify key learning in terms of strengths and shortcomings-- To enable informed decision-making at all levels by enhancing the background knowledge and providing a rationale for future course of action. -- To evaluate the performance and track record of a particular decision-maker/decision-body. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789166 4. Interactive-Service Model Interactive-Service model is a consolidated model of the earlier models and opens up avenues for direct participation of individuals in the governance processes.This model could be applied in the following possible ways: -- To establish an interactive communication channel with key policy-makers and planners. -- To conduct electronic ballots for the election of government officials and other office bearers. --Toconductpublicdebates/opinionpollsonissuesofwiderconcernbeforeformulationofpoliciesandlegislative frameworks. -- Filing of grievances, feedback and reports by citizens with the concerned government body. -- Establishing decentralized forms of governance. --Performinggovernancefunctionsonlinesuchasrevenuecollection,filingoftaxes,governmentalprocurement, payment transfer etc. Benefits of E-Governance E-Governanceisaboutreformingovernance,facilitatedbythecreativeuseofInformationandcommunications Technology. It is expected that this would lead to: Better access to information and quality services for citizens:- IcT would make available timely and reliable information on various aspects of governance.- In the initial phase, information would be made available with respect to simple aspects of governance such as forms, laws, rules, procedures etc.- Later extending to detailed information including reports (including performance reports), public database etc.The ultimate objective of e-Governance is to reach out to citizens by adopting a life-cycle approach i.e. providing public services to citizens, which would be required right from birth to death. Simplicity, efficiency and accountability in the government:- Application of ICT to governance combined with detailed business process reengineering would lead to simplification of complicated processes, weeding out of redundant processes, simplification in structures and changes in statutes.-Theendresultwouldbesimplificationofthefunctioningofgovernment,enhanceddecision-makingabilitiesand increased efficiency across government - all contributing to an overall environment of a more accountable government . Expanded reach of governance:-Rapidgrowthofcommunicationstechnologyanditsadoptioningovernancewouldhelpinbringinggovernment machinery to the doorsteps of the citizens.-Expansionoftelephonenetwork,rapidincreaseinmobiletelephony,spreadofInternetandstrengtheningofother communicationsinfrastructurewouldallowthegrowthindeliveryofalargenumberofservicesprovidedbythe government.-Thisenhancementofthereachofgovernmentwouldalsoenablebetterparticipationofcitizensintheprocessof governance. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789167 Stages of e-Governance Evolution The phases in Indian e-Governance: (a) Computerization: In the first phase, with the availability of personal computers, a large number of Government offices got equipped with computers. The use of computers began with word processing, quickly followed by data processing. (b) Networking: Inthisphase,someunitsofafewgovernmentorganizationsgotconnectedthroughahubleadingtosharingof information and flow of data between different government entities. (c) Online presence: Evolution of the Internet resulted in maintenance of websites by government departments and other entities. Generally, theseweb-pages/websitescontaininformationabouttheorganizationalstructure,contactdetails,reportsand publications, objectives and vision statements of the respective government entities. (d) Online interactivity: Themainaimatthisstagewastominimizethescopeofpersonalinterfacewithgovernmententitiesbyproviding downloadable Forms, Instructions, Acts, Rules etc. In some cases, this has already led to on-line submission of Forms.Challenges before stakeholders 1. Lack of IT Literacy and awareness regarding benefits of e-governanceThere is general lack of awareness regarding benefits of e-governance as well as the process involved in implementing successful G-C, G-G and G-B projects.2. Underutilization of existing ICT infrastructure To a larger extent, the computers in many departments are used for the purpose of word processing only, resulting in the underutilization of the computers.3. Attitude of Government Employees The psychology of government servants is that they assume themselves as important repositories of government data. Thus any effort to implement DMS is met with resistance from the government servants. 4. Lack of coordination between Govt. Department and Solution developersAtpresenttheusersinGovernmentdepartmentsdonotcontributeenoughtodesignthesolutionarchitecture;hence the solution does not address the requirements of an e-governance project and hence does not get implemented. 5. Resistance to re-engineering of departmental processes Successfulimplementationofe-governanceprojectsrequireslotsofrestructuringinadministrativeprocesses, redefining of administrative procedures, which find the resistance in almost all the departments at all levels. 6. Lack of Infrastructure for sustaining e-governance projects on national level The required networking and communication equipment is either non-existent in Government departments, or if it exists atall,itdoesnotserveanytangiblepurpose.TheIcTisusedinaverylimitedmannerfordatatransmissionpurpose between various locations via. District, State, Centre etc. and is mainly utilized for e-mail and Internet purpose only. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789168 Requirements for implementing successful e-governance across the nation are 1. E-Governance framework across the nation with enough bandwidth to service a population of one billion. 2. Connectivity frameworks for making the services reach rural areas of the country or development of alternative means of services such as e-governance kiosks (like a public telephone booth, cubicle) in regional languages. 3.NationalCitizenDatabasewhichistheprimaryunitofdataforallgovernanceverticalandhorizontalapplications across the state and central governments. 4. E-governance and interoperability standards for the exchange of secure information with non-repudiation, across the state and central government departments seamlessly. 5. A secure delivery framework by means of virtual private network connecting across the state and central government departments. 6.Datacenterstohandlethedepartmentalworkflowautomation,collaboration,interaction,exchangeofinformation with authentication. Suggestion for implementing successful e-Governance (a)CreateLiteracyandcommitmenttoe-governanceathighlevel:Themostimportantrequirementisatraining program for policy makers in E-Governance (Senior Public Servants), politicians and IT task force members.Itshouldbemademandatoryforallthe stakeholdersinimplementationandmaintenanceofe-governanceservicesto have the general IT skills. (b)ConductUsabilitySurveysforassessmentofexistinge-Governanceprojects:Thereisavaryingdegreeof development of e-governance among the different states. A few States have jumped into a digital era whereas a few are yettostartwithanyinitiative.Thereforeane-readinessexerciseshouldbecarriedoutinallstates,government departments to understand their level of acceptability of the e-governance. (c)Startingwithimplementationofpilotprojectsandreplicatingthesuccessfulones:The pilot projects taken in variousstatesshouldbeevaluatedontheirachievementlevels.Thestudyshouldbecarriedoutbyanindependent agencyfortheimplementationagency.Thestudyshouldbecarriedoutateachstageofimplementation.Bottlenecks andcausesofdelaysshouldbedocumented,eventhoughtheyareremovedlater.Thesuccessfulprojectsshouldbe replicated over the nation with members drawn from the implementing team. (d) Follow the Best Practices in e-governance & Build National resource Database of e-governance projects: The study of Best Practices will bring forward the best practices being followed in some states. The State Governments will not have to re-invent every time and they can learn from the developments already made. This would allow any department planning an IT project to instantly ascertain whether any such project has already been implementedanywhereinthecountry.Intendingimplementerswouldknowwhothekeypeopleinsimilarprojectsare and how to reach them. So the lead-time to implement projects can be reduced substantially. (e) Have clearly defined Interoperability policy:Thee-governancearchitectureneedstoensurethatthecomponentsarescalableandadaptabletothefuture requirements.(f) Manage and Update content on govt. websites efficiently and regularly:Content is the heart of any IT project. The govt. agencies must ensure that the data on the sites is always updated and relevant. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789169 National E-Governance Plan (NeGP) - A large number of initiatives have been undertaken by various State Governments and Central Ministries to initiate an era of e-Government.-E-GovernanceinIndiahassteadilyevolvedfromcomputerizationofGovernmentDepartmentstoinitiativesthat encapsulate the finer points of Governance, such as citizen centricity, service orientation and transparency.-TheNationale-GovernancePlan(NeGP),takesacombinedviewofe-Governanceinitiativesacrossthecountry, integrating them into a collective vision, a shared cause.The ultimate objective is to bring public services closer home to citizens, as articulated in the Vision Statement of NeGP Make all Government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets, and ensure efficiency, transparency, and reliability of such services at affordable costs to realise the basic needs of the common man - The Government approved the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), comprising of 27 Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) and 8 components, on May 18, 2006.- The Government has given approval to the vision, approach, strategy, key components, implementation methodology, and management structure for NeGP. D.E.I.T.Y.Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology http://deity.gov.in Cabinet Minister: Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad NISG The National Institute for Smart Government is a non-for profit company incorporated in 2002 by the Government of India and NASSCOM with its head office at Hyderabad, India. www.nisg.org/ C-DAC: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is the premier R&D organization of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (MCIT) for carrying out R&D in IT, Electronics and associated areas.http://cdac.in/ STQC:Standardization Testing and Quality Certification Directorate is an attached office of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), provides quality assurance services in the area of Electronics and IT through countrywide network of laboratories and centers. www.stqc.gov.in Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789170 Implementation Strategy, Approach and Methodology of NeGP - A highly complex process- Requiring procurement of hardware & software, networking, process re-engineering and change management.- Based on lessons learnt from the past and the experience from successful e-Governance applications, the approach and methodology adopted for NeGP contains the following elements: (i) Common Support Infrastructure:- Setting up of common and support IT infrastructure such as: State Wide Area Networks (SWANS), State Data Centres (SDCs), Common Services Centres (CSCs) and Electronic Service Delivery Gateways. (ii) Governance:- Monitoring and coordinating the implementation of NeGP under the direction of the competent authorities-Theprogrammealsoinvolvesevolving/layingdownstandardsandpolicyguidelines,providingtechnicalsupport, undertaking capacity building, R&D, etc.- DEITY & Various institutions like NIC, STQC, CDAC etc. are required to adequately strengthen themselves. (iii) Centralised Initiative, Decentralised Implementation:- e-Governance is being promoted through a centralized initiative while allowing for a decentralized implementation- It also aims at identifying successful projects and replicating them with required customization wherever needed. (iv) Public-Private Partnerships (PPP):- PPP model is to be adopted wherever it is possible & practical to involve the private sector without compromising on the security aspects. (v) Integrative Elements:- Adoption of unique identification codes for citizens, businesses and property is to be promoted to facilitate integration and avoid ambiguity. (vi) Programme Approach at the National and State levels:- Considering the need for overall integration at the national level, NeGP is being implemented as a programme (vii) Facilitator role of DEITY:- DEITY is the facilitator and catalyst for the implementation of NeGP and also provides technical assistance.- DEITY is also implementing pilot projects.- Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance allocate funds for NeGP. (viii) Ownership of Ministries:- Under the NeGP, various Missiom Mode Projects are owned and spearheaded by the concerned line Ministries.-FormajorprojectslikeBharatNirman,RuralEmploymentGuaranteeSchemes,etc.theministriesconcernedare advised to make use of e-Governance & automation techniques from the inception stage. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789171 National E-Governance Division (NeGD) TheNationale-GovernancePlan(NeGP)envisionsestablishmentofaninstitutionalframeworkfortechnicaland professional support to States and Union Territories. Forthispurpose,theDepartmentofInformationTechnology(DIT),GovernmentofIndia,hascreatedNeGDasan autonomous business division within Media Lab Asia for taking up the tasks being carried out by NeGP. Functions of NeGD (a) Facilitating implementation of NeGP by various Ministries and State Governments. (b) Providing technical assistance to Central Ministries and State Line Departments. (c) Serving as a secretariat to the Apex Committee. (d)UndertakingtechnicalassessmentofallNeGPprojectstoexamineissuessuchasoveralltechnologyarchitecture, framework, standards, security policy, service delivery mechanism, sharing of common infrastructure etc. (e) Human Resource Development, Training and Awareness Building. (f) Framing core policies, technical assistance, R&D, awareness and assessment and creation of Organization structure. (g) Acting as a Central Agency for an effective implementation of Capacity Building Scheme. E-governance infrastructure State Wide Area Network (SWAN) Data Centre NSDG Common Services Centers SWAN: State Wide Area Network - Is an advanced telecommunication infrastructure scheme of GoI - For exchange of data and other types of information between two or more locations - Separated by significant geographical distances - The medium of connectivity can be copper, optical fiber cable or wireless, as may be found feasible.- Create a highway for electronic transfer of information in the form of voice, video and data.- To bring speed, efficiency, reliability and accountability in system of Government-to-Government (G2G) functioning. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789172 SWAN Features - Multi-tier architecture (typically, three-tier)- State/UT Headquarter (SHQ ) connected to the District Head Quarter (DHQ) connected to Block Head Quarter (BHQ).- Each SHQ, DHQ and BHQ point of connection is called a Point of Presence (PoP) - The bandwidth for network connectivity between all the above PoPs is a minimum of 2 Mbps. -- Currently: SHQ ! 4 Mbps ! DHQ-- Currently: DHQ ! 2Mbps ! BHQ- Around 7500 pops, providing Data, Voice & Video connectivity to more than 50,000 govt. offices. -ToensuredesiredQualityofService(QoS)aThirdPartyAuditmechanismhasbeencreatedintheSWANScheme which would monitor the performance of the SWAN network in each State / UT.- The Third Party Audit (TPA) agency shall perform for a period of five years from of final acceptance test of the network. Status of SWAN Implementation as on April, 2011 -TilldateindividualSWANproposalshavebeenconsideredandapprovedfor33States/UTSwithantotalDeitY spending of Rs. 1,964.97 crore and Rs 562.41 crore have been released so far. - Special arrangement has been made with BSNL for providing bandwidth at concessional tariff. STATE/UTCURRENT SITUATION Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789173 State Data Centre - One of the important elements of the core infrastructure for supporting e-Governance initiatives of (NeGP). - To provide efficient electronic delivery of G2G, G2C and G2B services.- Would provide many functionalities and some of the key functionalities are: -- Central Repository of the State,-- Secure Data Storage,--Online Delivery of Services,--Citizen information/Services Portal,--State Intranet Portal,--Disaster Recovery,--Remote System Management and--Service Integration etc.DepartmentofInformationTechnology(DIT)hasformulatedtheGuidelinestoprovideTechnicalandFinancial assistance to the States for setting up State Data Centre. National Service Delivery Gateway (NSDG) The National e-Governance Service Delivery Gateway (NSDG), a MMP under the NeGP, can simplify the tasks of NeGP by acting as a standards-based messaging switch and providing seamless interoperability and exchange of data across. Vision of NSDG The vision of NSDG is an attempt to reduce point to point connections between departments and provide standardized interfacing,messagingandroutingswitchthroughwhichvariousplayerssuchasdepartments,serviceproviderscan make their applications and data interoperable (able to exchange and use information from each other).The NSDG aims to achieve a high order of interoperability among self-governing and diverse entities of the Government. Prudential EducationSiddharth S Jain Information Technology & Systems Audit+91 97540 56789174 Objectives of the NSDG 1. Achieving standards-based interoperability between various e-Government applications. 2. To evolve Gateway messaging standards and build a government owned Central Gateway. 3. Act as a catalyst in enabling the building of Standards based e-Governance applications. 4. Enable integration across Centre, State, and Local Governments for Integrated Service Delivery. 5. Help protect the legacy investments in software/hardware by easily integrating them with other technology platforms. 6. De-link the back-end Service Providers (SP) from the front-end Service Access Providers so as to: - (a) Separate the Portal, CSC, and Kiosks etc. from the government services, - (b) Encouraging competition at the front-end by allowing independent service access providers to provide services 7. Enable adding of shared services on to the core services as and when required, as special common services of the Gateway without affecting the core functionality of the Gateway, thereby providing flexibility and modularity. 8. Reduce the cost of e-Governance projects by nationalizing, distributing and optimizing the services framework. 9. Use PKI (Digital Signature) infrastructure for secure transactions. 10. Enable transaction logging and time stamping for tracking of transactions and centralized control 11.Eventhedepartmentswhichdonothavethecompleteautomationorworkflowatthebackcanstilldelivere-Service to the citizens in a limited manner through the Gateway. Example, a server may be put up at the department for message exchange with Gateway in absence of readily available infrastructure at the department. Common Service Centers -TheGovernmentofIndialaunchedCSCSchemeforsettingupofmorethanonelakhs(100,000)internetenabled centers in rural areas under the National e-Governance plan (NeGP) in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. -TheCommonServicesCenters(CSC)areproposedtobethedeliverypointsforGovernment,PrivateandSocial Sector services to rural citizens of India at their doorstep. - As on 31 December 2012, a total of 99,247 CSCs are operational in thirty-three States/UTs.-100%CSCShavebeenrolledoutin10(Ten)States(ArunachalPradesh,Chandigarh,Gujarat,Kerala,Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim & Tripura).-Morethan70%oftherollouthasbeencompletedin12(Twelve)States(Assam,Bihar,Chhattisgarh,Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and West Bengal).-AsofNovember2012,approximately10,000CSCsareprovidingfinancialservicesincludingbanking,micro-finance and insurance services to over 1.8 lakhs citizens. - The State Governments like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan,TamilNadu,UttarPradeshandWestBengalhaveissuedGovernmentOrders/Notificationstothevarious departmental heads / District Level authorities/ Stakeholders for use of CSC to deliver various G2C Services.ThevariousG2CServicesofferedare:Agriculturalservices,RTIServices,NREGAMISDataEntryservice,Postal Products,LandRecords,IssuanceofBirthandDeathCertificates,UtilityServices,ElectoralServices,Transport Services, Grievances, e-District Services, etc.