Citizen Empowerment through Digital Transformation in Government

Neeta Verma, Neeta Verma

• Publisher: Chapman and Hall/CRC
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000482850
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politique et relations internationales
• Subtopic: Politique publique

Technological innovations across the globe are bringing profound change to our society. Governments around the world are experiencing and embracing this technology-led shift. New platforms, emerging technologies, customizable products, and changing citizen demand and outlook towards government services are reshaping the whole journey. When it comes to the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in any sector, the Government of India has emerged as an early adopter of these technologies and has also focused on last-mile delivery of citizen-centric services.

Citizen Empowerment through Digital Transformation in Government takes us through the four-decade long transformational journey of various key sectors in India where ICT has played a major role in reimagining government services to citizens across the country. It touches upon the emergence of the National Informatics Centre as a premier technology institution of the Government of India and its collaborative efforts with the Central, State Governments, as well as the District level administration, to deliver best-in-class solutions.

Inspiring and informative, the book is filled with real-life transformation stories that have helped to lead the people and the Government of India to realize their vision of a digitally empowered nation.

1

Digital Transformation in Government—A Case Study of India

Neeta Verma and G. Mayil Muthu Kumaran

DOI: 10.1201/9781003111351-1

1. Introduction

The Government of India has been at the forefront in the use of technology to strengthen governance. To promote the use of technology, the Government of India established an IT organization—the NIC—way back in 1976. The government has also focused on the growth of a vibrant IT industry in India by adopting progressive policies at the right time.

The initial use of computers in government was focused on data digitization, processing, and analysis, resulting in the development of the Management Information System (MIS), which has helped the government in gaining insights for planning and decision-making. Furthermore, with the advent and proliferation of communication networks, IT systems were enabled to assist with the implementation and monitoring of social development schemes in the domains of poverty alleviation, health, education, and agriculture. IT systems were also used to digitize tax systems right from excise and customs to income tax for enhancing efficiency and accuracy.

The advent of the World Wide Web shifted the focus to delivering information to citizens in an easy and inclusive manner. Every government organization was encouraged to have its web presence, with a focus on citizen-centric information that was previously difficult to obtain.

Taking the e-governance a notch higher, the NeGP ushered in a paradigm shift by using technology for the delivery of services to citizens. Through Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) in every sector of the economy, the NeGP led to the end-to-end digitization as well as the development of integrated systems catering to the needs of different stakeholders. The national portal and state portals came into existence intending to provide single-point access to information and services. Massive digitization across the government and the online delivery of services to citizens led to an enhanced demand for resources that resulted in enhancing the capacity of National Data Centres managed by the NIC as well as the establishment of State Data Centres in every state. Another key objective of the NeGP was to take the services to the district level, which was made possible by a country-wide communication network of the NIC that used both terrestrial as well as VSAT links depending on the geography of the districts. The NKN provided multigigabit network connectivity to government and academic institutions pan India. Today, it acts as the NERN of the country.

Digital India is an important landmark in the digital transformation of government. It focused on the empowerment of people and inclusive governance through the power of technology and digital enablement of citizens through various schemes. The mobile and broadband revolution in the country helped the government extend its reach directly to the people of India by cutting across its geography, both urban and rural. Mobile-based governance led to the development of several mobile applications for government services from availing subsidies and scholarships to applying for certificates and licenses. It also promoted the engagement of citizens with the government through the MyGov platform, giving citizens a real feel of participative governance, which enabled them to provide inputs regarding important policies of the government.

Due to the proliferation of IT systems and the resultant growth in data, recent years have unleashed the potential of data and led to the emergence of an entire industry around it, paving the way for a data-driven economy. The availability of cloud infrastructure and data analytics capability within the government accelerated the use of data analysis within various IT systems of the government, thus inculcating the culture of data-driven governance. The significance of data was further amplified during the management of COVID-19, and it also led to the widespread use of data analytics and modeling to generate insights and influence decision-making. With the increased span of digitalization, the spectrum and sophistication of cyber threats have increased manifold. Therefore, there is a need to be aware of such threats and build a defense mechanism appropriately. To address the ever-increasing threat of cyberattacks in terms of their magnitude as well as their sophistication, the Computer Emergency Response Team (NIC-CERT) was set up in the NIC to analyze, monitor, and respond to cyber threats on government cyber infrastructure like websites, emails, and digital solutions. The NIC-CERT works under the close guidance of CERT-In, which is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur.

The mainstreaming of AI tools and technologies can be a truly transformative journey. The acceptance of AI across the value chain, namely, government organizations, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), the private sector, start-ups, and academia, will unlock the potential of AI by creating a righteous cycle of supply and demand. The government has started engaging with the start-ups in a big way to promote innovation in inclusive delivery of services and Make in India software products under its Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

The following sections shall take us through the journey of technology-led initiatives in the Indian government over the last four decades which commenced with modest beginnings by use of MISs.

2. National Informatics Centre (NIC)

It all began in 1963 with the creation of the Electronics Committee, also known as the Bhabha Committee, which developed a 10-year road map for Indigenous computer and component production. The aim was to reduce dependence on imported technologies and increase reliance on domestic goods. The establishment of the Sarabhai Committee, chaired by Vikram Sarabhai, a prominent leader of India’s space program, bolstered the electronics industry even more. The committee was tasked with providing strategic guidance for in-house production, allowing for faster capacity development. These two committees’ recommendations culminated in the creation of a self-sufficient industry, resulting in the establishment of the Department of Electronics in 1970 and a new Electronics Commission. While the new commission was tasked with formulating policies and providing oversight, the department was tasked with putting them into action [1].

The NIC, a small program started as an external stimulus of a UNDP project in the early 1970s, became fully operational in 1976. The NIC has had a significant influence on the Indian digital economy and has evolved into a think tank for the government in this regard [2]. By effectively using its country-wide network, the NIC was able to ‘Reach the Unreached’ well before the internet was launched in India. The NIC is currently embedded in Indian geography, encompassing all states, union territories, and districts. Dr. Narasimhiah Seshagiri’s vision for the establishment of the NIC was to lead the digitization movement in the right direction and at the right time. Dr. N. Seshagiri believed that harnessing the power of technology for efficient public service delivery was critical and that ICT culture should be visible in all sectors of the economy [3].

2.1. National Informatics Centre Network (NICNET)

The Indian government’s use of information technology during the IX Asian Games in 1982 was an important milestone. The Asian Games Special Organizing Committee tasked the NIC with implementing the Results Information System. The instant display of games results across different stadia brought the potential of network technologies to the front and culminated with the concept of a government communication network to be set up by the NIC.

The NICNET was designed to be a pan-India computer communication network using satellite communication. Initiated in 1983, the NICNET was envisaged to support more than 50 ministries/departments in the central government, 32 states/union territory governments, and more than 500 district administrations [4]. Besides communication among different government entities, the NICNET was extensively used for the flow of data from the ground through its district nodes for further processing and analysis using mainframe computers set up by the NIC.

3. Policy and Promotion of IT

India’s digital transition has opened up whole new possibilities of innovation in governance. Computer use was limited in the early 1980s to just a few organizations through mainframe computers. The setting up of the NICNET was a landmark event during this decade. The digitization of data collected through various surveys, the implementation of programs, and its processing and analysis to generate insights for decision-making were the primary objectives of the use of computers those days. Government agencies gained direct access to a computer with the advent of personal computers. Personal computers were initially used as a productivity tool by agencies across the central and state governments. During this decade, the government also announced policies to promote the production of hardware and software within the country.

3.1. Computer Policy and Software Policy

The growth of the IT industry needed the required emphasis from the leadership as well. In view of the same, the government announced the first computer policy in 1984 and software policy in 1986. These policies provided the required impetus for the manufacturing of computers, peripherals, and allied products having the latest technologies. These policies were intended to leverage the low-cost expertise available within India and avoid the expenses incurred in traveling abroad [5].

After the launch of computer policy in 1984, the production of computers went up by 100% in physical terms and by 65% in monetary terms, with a reduction in price by 50%. In view of this growth, a need was realized to formulate a comprehensive policy for the long-term sustenance of the software market as well [6]. As a result of that, a software policy was announced in November 1986, with the objectives of promoting software exports for capturing sizable share in the international software market as well as the promotion of integrated development of software in the country for domestic and export markets.

3.2. Technology for Poverty Alleviation

ICTs had made in-roads in the development in the rural sector during 1986, with the launch of CRISP by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to assist DRDAs. As part of this project, each district was provided with computers and software called CRISP for supporting development in the rural regions. The program assisted DRDAs with information processing regarding poverty alleviation schemes at the district level. The objective of this initiative was to facilitate monitoring and planning exercises of the MoRD and related departments.

3.3. Monitoring of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

Launched in 1985, the UIP was a nationa...