Information & Communication Technology and Local Self Governance - A New Age Solution for Digital India


Book Description

The digital world in which we live today is the result of several developments in automation and science, as well as modernizations and the most recent technologies. At the moment, every country desires to be completely digitised in order for the country to be legitimated in a more effective manner. The phrase “Digital India” refers to the concern about the use of different Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as mobile phones, personal computers, tablets, TVs, and other similar devices to promote the country’s development. The Digital India Campaign is a visionary initiative by the Indian government to transform our country into a smart, economically cautious, and digitally legitimised nation through the use of technology. To reconstruct India, the Indian government aspires to provide residents with quality and acceptable administrative services, as well as to promote coordination and synchronisation of obligations among citizens. The Digital India Campaign intends to link the people of India digitally and to convey the different government services and programmes to them via the use of information and communications technology (ICT). The notion of local self-governance is not a new one, since it has its origins in antiquity, dating back to the period of the Mauryan emperors and even before them. The path of local self-governance from the time of the dinosaurs to the present day is depicted in this study. Furthermore, in the current environment, information and communication technology (ICT) has emerged as a successful tool for the dissemination of various e-governance services, and the Government of India has formulated the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) with an adequate service delivery mechanism in this regard. After ICT was introduced, numerous apps were developed by both the federal and state governments that contributed to strengthening of public-private partnerships (PRIs) for rural transformation. The advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has created a plethora of possibilities in rural India. It is feasible for information and communication technologies to make cognition sharing more convenient, and information may be easily transmitted via the use of information and communication technologies. This information might be easily accessed and used by administrators responsible for developing rural development strategies in India. Interactions between the Ministry of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, the Government of India, and the Panchayat Raj Institutions are coordinated. In order to ensure rural development and strengthen rural local government, the primary goal of the e-panchayat is to provide a diverse range of services to its stakeholders. A series of research phases were initiated after the notion of the e-Panchayat. The stages of information gathering and planning, information and service requirements assessment, process re-engineering, and DPR (detailed project report) preparation are all included. Finally, in 2009, with the assistance of the National Information Council, the Indian government launched e-Panchayat (NIC). Along with numerous research papers, this book sheds some insight on the importance of information and communications technology (ICT) in self-governance toward the digital India. On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav a workshop was funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research from July 7th to 16th July,2022. The Chief Guest of The valedictory session was Hon,ble Vice Chancellor Prof. Sat Parkash Bansal and Guest of Honour Prof. Kaushal Kumar Sharama from JNU. Vice Chancellor Prof Sat Parkash Bansal motivate to all participants from whole the county to write a research paper on workshop whatever he or she learned from this workshop and send all research paper to Director of Workshop. We received nine research articles from participants and 14 research articles from another related themes like Digital India, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, e-Governance State and central schemes and we published an edited book within 21 research article. I would like to thanks the Honorable Vice Chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Professor Sat Prakash Bansal who inspired us to publish the book. I would also like to thanks ICSSR, New Delhi who gave us the opportunity to publish the edited book in this way.




Digitalizing Democracy: ICT Solutions for Local Governance


Book Description

Discover how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is transforming local governance in this insightful book. By exploring case studies and innovative ICT solutions, the book highlights the potential for digital tools to enhance democratic processes, improve transparency, and foster citizen engagement at the local level.




Digital Governance


Book Description

The application of digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) to reform governmental structures and public service is widely and perhaps naively viewed as the 21st century "savior", the enlightened way to reinvigorate democracy, reduce costs, and improve the quality of public services. This book examines the transition from e-government to digital governance in light of the financial exigencies and political controversies facing many governments. The chapters concentrate on strategies for public sector organizational transformation and policies for improved and measurable government performance in the current contentious political environment. This fully updated second edition of Digital Governance provides strategies for public officials to apply advanced technologies, manage remote workforces, measure performance, and improve service delivery in current crisis-driven administrative and political environments. The full implementation of advanced digital governance requires fundamental changes in the relationship between citizens and their governments, using ICTs as catalysts for political as well as administrative communication. This entails attitudinal and behavioral changes, secure networks, and less dependence on formal bureaucratic structures (covered in Part I of this book); transformation of administrative, educational, and security systems to manage public services in a more citizen-centric way (covered in Part II); the integration of advanced digital technologies with remote broadband wireless internet services (Part III); and the creation of new forms of global interactive citizenship and self-governance (covered in Part IV). Author Michael E. Milakovich offers recommendations for further improvement and civic actions to stimulate important instruments of governance and public administration. This book is required reading for political science, public administration, and public policy courses, as well as federal, state, and local government officials.




ICTs and Sustainable Solutions for the Digital Divide: Theory and Perspectives


Book Description

ICTs and Sustainable Solutions for the Digital Divide: Theory and Perspectives focuses on Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), which includes any technology used for communication and information. This publication researches the social side of computing, the users, and the design of systems that meet the needs of "ordinary" users.




Encyclopedia of Digital Government


Book Description

Containing more than 250 articles, this three-volume set provides a broad basis for understanding issues, theories, and applications faced by public administrations and public organizations, as they strive for more effective government through the use of emerging technologies. This publication is an essential reference tool for academic, public, and private libraries.




World Development Report 2016


Book Description

Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.




Digital Governance


Book Description

The application of digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) to reform governmental structures, politics, and public administration is widely and perhaps naively viewed as the twenty-first century "savior," the enlightened way to reinvigorate democracy and improve the quality of citizen services. In this timely and thorough analysis, Michael Milakovich examines the assumptions underlying the ‘e-government revolution’ in light of the financial exigencies facing many commercial enterprises, governments and other organizations. Computer-driven information and communications technologies are impacting all aspects of public sector service delivery worldwide and many governments are moving away from an agency-centric toward a more citizen-centric approach to offering online services. This book explores the transition from electronic government (e-gov) to digital or d-governance, emphasizing the importance of citizen participation and information technology to accomplish the change. The chapters concentrate on strategies for public administration organizational transformation and their implications for improved and measurable government performance. Digital self-governance is a broader umbrella-term referring to the networked extension of ICT relationships to include faster access to the web, mobile service delivery, networking, teleconferencing and use of multi-channel information technologies to accomplish higher-level two-way transactions. The shift from bureaucracy-centered to customer-centric service orientation is viewed as a means to restore public trust and improve service quality: Digital governance is the next step for governments at all levels to reduce costs, meet citizen expectations, and achieve economic recovery goals.




Grassroots Democracy in Action


Book Description

With reference to the functioning of panchayats or local governments in the state of Haryana, India.




Sustainable Agriculture


Book Description

This new volume looks at the evolution and challenges of sustainable agriculture, a field that is growing in use and popularity, discussing some of the important ideas, practices, and policies that are essential to an effective sustainable agriculture strategy. The book features 25 chapters written by experts in crop improvement, natural resource management, crop protection, social sciences, and product development. The volume provides a good understanding of the use of sustainable agriculture and the sustainable management of agri-horticultural crops, focusing on eco-friendly approaches, such as the utilization of waste materials. Topics include ecofriendly plant protection measures, climate change and natural resource management, tools to mitigate the effect of extreme weather events, agrochemical research and regulation, soil carbon sequestration, water and nutrient management in agricultural systems, and more. Key features: Discusses sustainable agriculture within the framework of recent challenges in agriculture Looks at the development and diversification of crops and cultural practices to enhance biological and economic stability Discusses innovative nanotechnologies in research and production technologies Highlights the development of new varieties in agri-horticultural crops Discusses use of recent technologies for soil–plant–microbe–environment interactions.