IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

Much like the proverbial teaching of fishing to a man to save him the trouble of feeding himself for the rest of his life, a connected nation can be the solution to many (if not most) issues arising out of the inescapable long distances separating Indians from each other.

Technology enablement that will facilitate Government to Citizen (G2C) interactions can be hugely beneficial. But this can be made to work only if the processes are rationalized, a challenge that must be met and conquered. In the first two articles on Digital India, we looked at the program overview and the challenges in creating the broadband infrastructure to enable the whole program. Once the infrastructure is in place, the objective is to move the bunch of Government to Citizen (G2C) interactions online. That will make the experience better and reduce the pain of dealing with the unpredictable government offices. This Citizen Interface Layer of the program hinges on four pillars.

The programme, to be implemented in phases from the current year till 2018, hopes to see that every citizen of the country is digitally connected to the government.

Hence, the government is planning to ensure that every Indian has a smartphone by the year 2019 which will be the main mechanism for delivery of government services.

The best part of this initiative being it will also connect rural regions and remote villages ensuring that they too have high-speed Internet services. According to media reports, the project will be monitored by the Prime Minister himself. The project is expected to be completed by 2019.

Who wouldn't want this grand goal to translate visibly around our daily lives? Who would discount that it is high time to re-invent and re-invigorate the country from throes of inertia, ignorance and the quicksand of nineteenth century's baggage? Who would ignore the deep-cutting impact that those nine pillars of 'Digital India' blueprint will drill into an India? Name one person, one citizen, one organization that would not gain exponentially when broadband highway, e-governance, electronics manufacturing leading to 'zero import', universal phone access, electronic delivery of services, jobs, rural internet, information for all and 'early harvest' programmes make their way and wield their transformation magic.

India's tax authorities are leveraging data analytics to enhance decision-making processes

India, a nation on the cusp of digital revolution, is witnessing a transformative journey in its tax administration. The integration of digital technologies is reshaping the landscape of tax collection and compliance, promising increased efficiency, transparency, and a significant reduction in tax evasion. The digital transformation of tax administration in India is not just a modernisation effort but a game changer that holds the potential to revolutionise the entire tax ecosystem.

Official websites of some states haven't been updated for years

Does Bihar have only 10 cities with populations of more than 100,000? Is Uttar Pradesh so urbanised that 42.59 per cent of its people live in towns and cities? Does 27 per cent of West Bengal's population still live below the poverty line, way more than the national average?

These figures have been picked from the official websites of these states. Some of these sites haven't been updated for years, it seems.

Received wisdom in e-governance suggests that going digital is not a choice any more but is the only option to maintain the quality of life of citizens in the long-term.

UST Global, a leading provider of IT and digital services worldwide and which has been working on the ‘e-Nagarpalika’ project for the Madhya Pradesh government, cannot agree more.

Yes, this is actually the “Rising India” or the “Changing face of India” in which villagers are getting as technology savvy as people in metros are, in their day-to-day life.

“We are going ahead and are in the process of tendering. By 2015-16, we should be able to achieve e-passport,” Muktesh K Pardeshi, Joint Secretary (PSP) and Chief Passport Officer, Ministry of External Affairs, told.

Over the last decade or so, there has been a surge in talks about e-Governance in India. This became the new panacea which would enable people of India to deal with the government more easily, and make government more reachable and transparent.

Cyber Crime is emerging as the biggest threat to civil security and citizen safety in the country. A joint study conducted by ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce) & Mahindra SSG revealed certain startling facts. Facts which have added a whole new dimension to the various aspects of cyber crime control. This path breaking study had laid before the nation the fact that the cupboard of security is in a way totally empty. Before things get out of hand and uncontrollable action has to be taken and this has to be decisive and incisive action.

The Smart City idea aids the administration in enhancing economic efficiency, sustainability of the environment, a better quality of life, education, security, and transportation. Using smart city technology, residents may engage with civic infrastructure while comprehensively monitoring the city and optimising services to be more effective. It decreases total expenses, waste, and resource consumption as a result.

The best aspect is that it raises the level of liveability, urban services, and workplace conditions! Additionally, the idea of a ‘Smart City’ fosters more fantastic communication between the public and the local government!

India, a country known for its rich cultural heritage and diverse population, is now embarking on a transformative journey towards becoming a connected nation. With the rapid advancement of technology and the increasing importance of digital connectivity, India is striving to bridge the urban-rural divide and create a seamless network of smart cities and digital villages.

Smart cities, a concept that has gained significant traction in recent years, refer to urban areas that leverage technology and data to enhance the quality of life for its residents. These cities are equipped with advanced infrastructure, efficient transportation systems, and integrated digital services that promote sustainability and improve the overall well-being of citizens. By adopting smart city initiatives, India aims to create modern urban spaces that are not only technologically advanced but also environmentally sustainable.

It’s operational with more than 200 entities which have set up their offices

Around seven km from Gujarat’s capital Gandhinagar, on the banks of the Sabarmati river in approximately 886 acres, once a barren land along the river is now emerging as the country’s first greenfield integrated city — a dream project Prime Minister Narendra Modi had envisaged as Chief Minister.

Says India aims to provide broadband access to 600,000 villages

Global search giant Google will enable over 500 railway stations in India with wi-fi access, even as the country’s national open fiber network aims to provide broadband access to over 600,000 villages in the country.

“We are expanding our public Wi-Fi hotspots. For example, we want to ensure that free Wi Fi is not only there in airport lounges, but also on our railway platforms. Teaming up with Google, we will cover 500 railway stations in a short time,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the Digital India dinner at San Jose, California on Sunday morning India time.

The Government of India (GoI) has empanelled Isobar, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, with the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) for the Digital India Program. The mandate here is specifically for GoI’s Digital Media Services. The decision was taken after careful scrutiny and a thorough and transparent bidding process that included multiple agencies.

Commenting on the empanelment, Shamsuddin Jasani, Managing Director, Isobar India said, “It is a great honour for us to be working with the National e-Governance Plan for its Digital India Program. We could not ask for a better project to work on which marries our passion for digital and working for the society and country at large.”

The eBiz project is part of the National eGovernance Plan of the Government of India. The project will provide an integrated electronic services to investors, industries and businesses in the areas of information on forms & procedures, licenses, permits, registrations, approvals, clearances, permissions, reporting, filing, payments and compliances throughout the life-cycle of an industry or business entity.

A “Mini Ratna (Category-I)” central public sector enterprise (CPSE) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-based attendance system for government schools across Assam. 48,000 government schools in Assam will benefit from the technology, a news report informed.

In a statement, the CPSE noted that, in four months, it completed deploying an AI-based identification system for capturing attendance and management of the SDMIS (student database management information system) for government schools in Assam. The system covers 48,000 schools in all 33 districts. The organisation has configured, customised, and deployed the AI-based identification system to record attendance across all elementary, secondary, and higher secondary schools, it added.