Subject: e-Governance

The World Bank defines e-governance as the use by government agencies of information technologies that can transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.

E-Governance as Utilization of the Power of New Technology

Digital Platforms like e-Office, UMANG, DigiLocker, CPGRAMS, and GeM.

Automation and Paperless Processes: Eg- e-Procurement, e-Courts.

Connectivity and Infrastructure Expansion: Eg- Digital India, BharatNet, and 5G rollout.

Data Integration and Interoperability: Eg- Unified databases such as Aadhaar and SECC.

Smart Technologies and AI Use: Eg- IndiaAI Mission, Smart Cities.

Citizen-Government Interface: Eg- Mobile governance and MyGov platform.

Importance of the ‘Use Value’ of Information

Use Value – The relevance, accessibility, and usability of information by citizens, administrators, and policymakers to make informed decisions and ensure accountability.

Informed Decision-Making: Data-driven policies depend on real-time, accurate information. Eg- Aadhaar-linked welfare, PM-KISAN, JAM Trinity

Platforms like RTI Portal, NJDG, and CPGRAMS ensure information availability, empowering citizens to hold government accountable.

Targeted Service Delivery: Use of information helps identify beneficiaries and prevent inclusion exclusion errors. Eg- SECC data.

Citizen Empowerment: Information accessibility through UMANG, DigiLocker, and MyGov enables citizens to interact directly with the state.

Evidence-Based Governance- Dashboards like PRAGATI and Aspirational District Programme use information analytics for performance monitoring.

Crisis Management and Responsiveness: During COVID-19, platforms like CoWIN and Aarogya Setu turned data into real-time governance tools for vaccine delivery and tracking.

Reduction in Asymmetry and Corruption: Public disclosure reduces discretion and builds public trust. Eg- GeM portal, PFMS

Technology enables e-governance; the use value of information sustains it.

Major ICT-Based Projects/Programmes in India

Digital India: The umbrella programme for transforming India into a digitally empowered society.

BharatNet: connected over 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats with 42.36 lakh route km of optical fiber.

e-NAM: A pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.

UMANG App: provide access to 1,500+ central and state government services.

DigiLocker: cloud-based platform for issuance and verification of digital documents/certificates.

e-Courts: Aimed at digitizing the Indian judiciary to reduce case pendency and improve access.

U-WIN: Digital platforms for tracking universal immunization.

ONDC: Open Network for Digital Commerce, democratizing e-commerce for MSME.

Bhashini: AI-led language translation platform to overcome linguistic barriers.

Major Issues in ICT Projects

Digital Divide – Eg: Rural internet penetration 59.06% vs urban 131.45% (TRAI Q1 2025).

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities- Eg: cybercrime losses in 2024 – 206% rise (I4C, MHA 2025).

Data Privacy Concerns – Weak enforcement of data protection exposes citizens to misuse risks.

Poor Digital Literacy – Eg: Only 38% women have ever used internet (NFHS-5, MoHFW).

Inadequate Infrastructure – Internet connectivity, electricity, devices remain insufficient in remote regions.

Capacity Constraints – lower level government staff lack training in digital tools, data analytics, AI skills.

Targeting and verification errors exclude genuine beneficiaries from welfare schemes. Eg: PM-Kisan validation errors stranded 2.18 crore families (Dvara Research).

Departmental Silos – Ministries operate in isolation; lack integrated digital data ecosystems for governance.

Faulty validation processes. Eg: Aadhaar-PDS biometric failures linked to Simdega starvation death, Jharkhand (NHRC).

Linguistic Barriers – English-dominant interfaces exclude regional language users from accessing services.

Measures for Effective Implementation

Bridge Digital Divide – Saturate rural connectivity through BharatNet expansion and affordable smartphones distribution.

Strengthen Cybersecurity Framework – Implement zero-trust architecture, ICT audits, dedicated CERT-In response teams.

Strengthen DPDP Act 2023 – Enforce verifiable consent, data minimisation, breach reporting through Data Protection Board.

Mass Digital Literacy Drive – Scale PMGDISHA and Mission Karmayogi to all citizens and government employees.

Citizen Co-creation – Engage citizens through MyGov, hackathons, and pilot testing before scaling projects.

Inter-Ministerial Convergence – Adopt PM Gati Shakti model integrating data across ministries on single GIS platform.

Outcome-Based Monitoring – Real-time dashboards, third-party audits, beneficiary feedback for course correction.

Public-Private Partnerships – Engage startups, fintechs, and academia for innovation and last-mile delivery.

Adopt Global Best Practices – Estonia’s X-Road, Once-Only Principle for seamless inter-departmental data sharing.

For Viksit Bharat 2047, robust ICT governance demands inclusion, security, capacity, and citizen-centric design.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), marked by digital technologies, AI, IoT, blockchain, and big data, is transforming governance, economy, and society. Klaus Schwab (WEF), “the Fourth Industrial Revolution is fundamentally changing how governments serve citizens.”

Core Pillars of Industry 4.0:

Autonomous Robots

Augmented Reality

Cloud Computing

Internet of Things (IoT)

System Integration

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)

Cybersecurity

Simulation / Digital Twin

Extensive Data Analysis (Big Data & AI)

Digital Revolution Enabling e-Governance

Data-Driven Governance: Use of real-time data and analytics for decision-making. Eg- PRAGATI Portal.

Efficient Service Delivery: Eg- UMANG, DigiLocker, e-SHRAM, PM-KISAN.

Administrative Efficiency through automation and paperless systems. Eg- e-Office, SPARROW, CPGRAMS.

Transparency & Accountability: Eg- RTI Portal, NJDG, GeM, Open Data Portal.

Financial Inclusion through UPI, DBT, JAM Trinity. Eg- 491 million UPI users

Participatory governance through MyGov, CPGRAAMS.

Digital Connectivity through Digital India, BharatNet, PM-WANI, 5G rollout.

Cybersecurity: Creation of secure cyberspace via CERT-In and National Cyber Security Policy 2023.

E-Administration: e-Courts, GeM, DigiLocker replacing manual, paper-based procedures.

Digital Literacy: PMGDISHA trained 6.3 crore citizens across 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.

promoting AI-based decision-making.

Thus, the future of governance is data-led, citizen-centric, and digitally empowered.

As per UNDP (2022), Digital access is now a core dimension of human development. However, digital illiteracy and poor ICT access have created a digital divide, restricting equitable growth.

Digital illiteracy and accessibility

Internet Access: Only 43% of rural households have internet access (NFHS-5, 2021).

Digital Literacy: Merely 10% of rural population is digitally literate (NSSO data, 2022).

Infrastructure Gaps: More than 35 thousand Gram Panchayats lack connectivity under BharatNet.

Device Ownership: Less than 15% of rural households have computers or tablets (NSSO).

Gender Divide: Only 33% of rural women have mobile internet access (GSMA Report, 2023).

Exclusion and inclusion errors in digital systems reduce trust in e-services. Eg- authentication errors in Aadhaar-linked DBT or ration delivery.

Weak Common Service Centre (CSC) Infrastructure: poor connectivity, limited equipment, and untrained staff

Lack of People-Centric Governance: Most government websites are only in English, not in vernacular languages, excluding non-English users.

Education and Skill Development

Limited online learning: Only 24% rural students could attend online classes during COVID-19 (ASER 2021).

Digital exclusion restricts access to e-learning platforms like SWAYAM, PMGDISHA, and DIKSHA.

Employment and Livelihoods

Rural youth miss digital job opportunities in gig economy and e-commerce.

Farmers lack access to digital market tools like e-NAM or Kisan Suvidha App.

Financial Inclusion

Inability to use UPI, digital banking, and DBT systems limits access to formal finance.

Rural MSMEs struggle with e-payments and online compliance (GST, MCA21).

Governance and Welfare Access – Eg- exclusion from Aadhaar-based DBT due to authentication errors and poor connectivity.

Health and Social Services – Lack of ICT prevents use of telemedicine platforms (eSanjeevani) and digital health records.

Gender and Social Inequality – Women, SC/ST, and elderly are most excluded due to low literacy and device ownership.

However, there are some Achievements

Expanding Digital Infrastructure

BharatNet: Over 2.14 lakh Gram Panchayats connected with optical fibre; 97.6% villages have mobile coverage.

5G rollout (2022-25): 4.7 lakh towers covering 99.6% districts.

Massive Digital Empowerment

PMGDISHA: Trained over 6.3 crore citizens in digital literacy.

Common Service Centres (5.3 lakh) serve as ICT hubs in 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.

Financial and Payment Revolution

UPI: Handles 85% of India’s digital payments, processing (June 2025). Enabled financial inclusion of 491 million individuals and 65 million merchants.

e-Governance and Inclusion

UMANG: 2,300+ services in 23 languages; 8.7 crore users.

DigiLocker: 56 crore users; promotes paperless governance.

Jan Soochna Portal (Rajasthan): Promotes proactive transparency.

Way Forward

Strengthen Digital Infrastructure: Accelerate BharatNet Phase-II to connect all Gram Panchayats

Enhance Digital Literacy: Expand PMGDISHA and integrate digital literacy in school curricula (e-Kidz, IT clubs).

Affordable Access: Subsidize data costs and promote public Wi-Fi hotspots (PM-WANI) in rural regions.

Promote Local Language Content: Use platforms like BHASHINI for vernacular digital inclusion.

Encourage PPP Models: Collaborate with private sector for last-mile connectivity and training. Eg- CSC-SPV.

Inclusive Design: Ensure gender-sensitive and community-based ICT training modules.

Bridging this digital divide is essential to achieve “Digital India for All” and realize the vision of inclusive growth under Viksit Bharat@2047.

The 2nd ARC’s 11th Report (2008) envisioned “SMART Governance”, Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent, through e-governance.

E-governance ushering in effectiveness

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)- saved more than

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – Revolutionised digital payments with real-time, low-cost, interoperable transactions. Eg: 20+ billion transactions/month

Aadhaar-Based Authentication – Universal digital identity enables paperless, presence-less service delivery at scale.

DigiLocker – Digital storage of documents enables instant verification across services.

PM Gati Shakti – Inter-Ministerial Convergence

E-governance ushering in transparency

Open, competitive procurement on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) eliminates discretion and middlemen.

CoWIN Platform – Real-time vaccination tracking with public dashboards ensured transparent COVID response.

Online RTI Portal

Open Government Data Portal – data.gov.in publishes datasets across ministries for citizen scrutiny and research.

e-Procurement and e-Tendering – reduces corruption opportunities.

E-governance ushering in accountability

CPGRAMS Grievance Redressal – enables time-bound resolution and tracking by citizens.

MyGov – Direct policy participation through online consultations, polls, and feedback mechanisms.

Social Audit via MGNREGA – Online MIS publishes worksite details, wages, attendance

Aspirational Districts Dashboard – Real-time performance ranking of 112 districts on 49 indicators

Inadequacies hampering e-governance

Digital Divide – Eg: Rural internet penetration 59.06% vs urban 131.45% (TRAI Q1 2025).

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities- Eg: cybercrime losses in 2024 – 206% rise (I4C, MHA 2025).

Data Privacy Concerns – Weak enforcement of data protection exposes citizens to misuse risks.

Poor Digital Literacy – Eg: Only 38% women have ever used internet (NFHS-5, MoHFW).

Inadequate Infrastructure – Internet connectivity, electricity, devices remain insufficient in remote regions.

Capacity Constraints – lower level government staff lack training in digital tools, data analytics, AI skills.

Targeting and verification errors exclude genuine beneficiaries from welfare schemes. Eg: PM-Kisan validation errors stranded 2.18 crore families (Dvara Research).

Departmental Silos – Ministries operate in isolation; lack integrated digital data ecosystems for governance.

Faulty validation processes. Eg: Aadhaar-PDS biometric failures linked to Simdega starvation death, Jharkhand (NHRC).

Linguistic Barriers – English-dominant interfaces exclude regional language users from accessing services.

Measures for Effective Implementation

Bridge Digital Divide – Saturate rural connectivity through BharatNet expansion and affordable smartphones distribution.

Mass Digital Literacy Drive – Scale PMGDISHA and Mission Karmayogi to all citizens and government employees.

Citizen Co-creation – Engage citizens through MyGov, hackathons, and pilot testing before scaling projects.

Outcome-Based Monitoring – Real-time dashboards, third-party audits, beneficiary feedback for course correction.

Adopt Global Best Practices – Estonia’s X-Road, Once-Only Principle for seamless inter-departmental data sharing.

For Viksit Bharat 2047, robust ICT governance demands inclusion, security, capacity, and citizen-centric design.

The World Bank defines e-governance as the use by government agencies of information technologies that can transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.

E-Governance – multifarious interactions for ensuring transparency and accountability.

Government to Citizen (G2C)

UMANG, DigiLocker – Online service access.

CPGRAMS – Grievance redressal & feedback.

MyGov, Jan Bhagidari – Citizen participation.

Aadhaar-DBT, PM-KISAN – Direct benefit transfers.

Government to Business (G2B)

MCA21, GSTN, NSWS – Digital compliance & licensing.

GeM Portal – Transparent procurement.

Invest India, Ease of Doing Business Dashboard – Single-window clearance.

Government to Government (G2G)

PRAGATI, e-Office – Inter-departmental coordination.

PFMS – Fund tracking & financial accountability.

Government to Employee (G2E)

SPARROW – Online performance appraisal.

iGOT-Karmayogi – Capacity building & training.

e-Office, HRMS – Paperless workflow.

Interactive service model

Role of the ‘Interactive Service Model’ of e-Governance

Citizen-Centric Governance: Shifts from departmental silos to integrated, citizen-focused service delivery. Eg- Sakala (Karnataka) – time-bound, transparent service guarantee.

Bridging Government-Citizen Gap: through digital and doorstep access to services. Eg- MPeSeva in Madhya Pradesh.

Participative and Responsive Governance through two-way interaction between citizens and government. Eg- MyGov portal.

Trust-Based Model of Governance through transparency and proactive disclosure of information. Eg- Jan Soochna Portal (Rajasthan) – real-time public data access.

Transparency and Accountability in Service Delivery: Enables real-time grievance tracking and service feedback loops. Eg- CPGRAMS, UMANG, GeM Portal.

Ensures zero tolerance to corruption through traceable digital transactions. Eg- DBT has saved

Empowered and Informed Citizens to shape governance outcomes. Eg- Open Government Data Portal, NDAP.

From Ad hoc to Whole-of-Government Approach: Promotes integrated and citizen-centric service delivery.

Challenges in Implementing the Interactive Service Model

Digital Divide: Only 43% of rural households have internet access (NFHS-5, 2021), limiting inclusivity.

Digital Literacy: Merely 10% of rural population is digitally literate (NSSO data, 2022).

Data Privacy and Security Risks: Eg- CoWIN data leak.

Institutional Resistance to adopt open data and feedback-based systems.

Multiple portals without integration and interoperability hinder seamless user experience.

Exclusion and inclusion errors in digital systems reduce trust in e-services. Eg- authentication errors in Aadhaar-linked DBT or ration delivery.

Weak Common Service Centre (CSC) Infrastructure: poor connectivity, limited equipment, and untrained staff

Lack of People-Centric Governance: Most government websites are only in English, not in vernacular languages, excluding non-English users.

Way Ahead

Strengthening Digital Infrastructure: Extend optical fibre connectivity under BharatNet to all Gram Panchayats.

Promote citizen digital engagement and training through PMGDISHA and Digital India initiatives.

Embedding Digital Literacy in Education: Integrate e-literacy programmes like e-Kidz and IT Clubs in school curricula.

Business Process Reengineering (2nd ARC): Simplify procedures, ensure platform integration, and promote seamless inter-departmental coordination.

Leverage 4th Industrial Revolution Technologies: Use AI, IoT, and blockchain for predictive governance and smart delivery systems.

This can transform e-Governance into a trust-based, citizen-driven, and participatory governance model.

The World Bank defines e-governance as the use by government agencies of information technologies that can transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.

E-governance Projects

Government to Citizen (G2C) – UMANG, DigiLocker

Government to Business (G2B) – MCA21, GSTN, GeM Portal

Government to Government (G2G) – PRAGATI, e-Office

Government to Employee (G2E) – SPARROW, iGOT-Karmayogi

Built-in Bias Towards Technology and Back-End Integration

Infrastructure-Centric Approach: Focus on servers, networks, and databases rather than citizen interface.

Neglect of ease of access for end-users. Eg- complexity in GSTN and MCA 21 portals.

Exclusion Errors: Aadhaar authentication failures lead to denial of benefits. Eg- Jharkhand PDS (2017) saw 10-15% exclusion (NITI Aayog).

Technology Outpacing Capacity: Rapid adoption of AI, blockchain, and analytics without adequate digital literacy or institutional capacity at the local level.

Lack of User-Centric Designs

Language and Accessibility Barriers: Most portals available only in English, excluding non-English users.

Complex Interfaces and Poorly designed websites discourage participation. Eg- multiple logins and verification steps.

Digital Divide and Exclusion: Only 43% of rural households have internet (NFHS-5, 2021).

Most systems lack built-in feedback loops or grievance redressal.

Absence of Design Thinking: Systems designed from administrative, not citizen, perspective

One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Uniform design ignores regional, gender, and social diversity, affecting inclusivity.

However, there are few Achievements

UMANG App: Unified access to 2,300+ government services in 23 languages

MyGov Platform: Enables citizen consultation and idea crowdsourcing.

Jan Soochna Portal (Rajasthan): Promotes proactive disclosure of welfare data.

eSanjeevani Telemedicine Platform: Over 18 crore consultations, with simple, accessible interface for rural users.

BHASHINI: Supports 35+ Indian languages, breaking language barriers and enhancing inclusivity.

PMGDISHA: Over 6.3 crore citizens trained in digital literacy.

Way Forward

Adopt Design Thinking: Involve citizens in service design and usability testing.

Local Language Interfaces: Scale BHASHINI integration across all digital services.

Social Audits and Human Interface: Combine digital governance with local institutions for last-mile trust.

Strengthen Digital Infrastructure: Accelerate BharatNet Phase-II to connect all Gram Panchayats

India must move toward “Technology with Inclusion” – ensuring no beneficiary is left behind.

Civil Society Organisations