It sounds too utopian a goal to achieve but with the right tools and the righ perspective I am sure India can achieve that.
One of the right tools to ensure universal growth and happiness is good governance .Governance is the process of decision- making , policy formulation followed by monitoring that those decisions are implemented properly.
E-governance means governance through the electronic media -which is better , faster and more convenient .
Let me elaborate through a real life story .A friend of mine found an old woman in a state of dsitress in front of his office in I.N.A .colony .Thankfully she was sane and could speak broken Hindi.She had came to Delhi with her family and was somehow lost and had been wandering around for days in the hope of being re-united with her family.The friend asked her the name of the village she belonged to .He offered her a cup of tea and food and asked her to wait till he tried to help her .He googled the village and found it to be in Rajasthan ,he then found the district and then located the Police station under which her village was listed .From the government website he was able to find out the telephone number of the poilce station .He then called that police station to enquire whether a woman of that name had been reported as missing .To his relief a woman of that name had been reported missing a few days back.The friend then informed the police that the woman was currently with him and that the family be informed about her location and well-being .Thus , the old woman from a village in Rajasthan was happily re-united with her family .
Be it a rural Indian or an urban Indian, all should get equal opportunities to participate in governance because as aptly worded by Abraham Lincoln,“Democracy is a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Digitization gives the opportunity to every Indian to be a part of the daily functioning of the governement -be it paying taxes or sending suggestions on goverment portals .
As a citizen , I can see that digitization can make every citizen’s life so much easier by
1.It saves time -No more standing in long queues for minor works,Hyderabad leads with single window clearance for industries and civilians .So whether it is getting a birth certificate or getting a passport ,all can be done through single window clearance .
2.Eliminates middle men and hence corruption
3.Easy access to information and schemes – Dissemination of new information and government schemes is easier and faster through internet .When a scheme is launched online ,it can be reach its audience within seconds .
4.Reduction in man power , hence cutting down costs
5.Saves money– It saves our money spent on transportation to various offices and saves government money spent on work force. A single computer can handle the work of many people .
6.Better governance and accountability and better grievance redressal – Just an e-mail or a complaint lodged on the online portal of the concerned department is enough to get a quick redressal .
For the government, a digitally enabled India would mean –
1. Better governance – Through Facebook and other social networks,the monitors can receive direct input as well as send messages faster to the target audience.
2. Faster communication of the centre with the states , faster interstate communication , faster communication with citizens and exchange of information and files .
3. More efficient utilization of funds since it can be monitored at every stage , so helps in cost effectiveness of any new scheme .
4. Transparency and reliability -this would ensure better business and better development .
Digitization is the need of the hour , if we want to achieve universally inclusive growth we have to get –
1. Basic infrastructure development that supports digitization from village to state level.That means getting power , constructing buildings and the hardware as pre-necessities .
2. Digital Skills development – Compulsory computer education after primary level in all schools to improve computer literacy.
2. Unique identification codes for citizens , businesses and properties .
3.Encouragement to development of technical skills and entrepreneurship .That means encouraging software development and Innovation at indigenous level .
4. Monitoring and governing body (at state level , central level etc.) to lay down rules and policies for effective and uniform e-governance throughout the country .
A digitally enabled India can then be a powerplayer on the world stage and make a difference to the world too .
I welcome your comments and critique ,please use the comments section to leave your comments.
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