902 words comprehensive essay on E-Governance. Government must be able to take quick timely and correct decision. Availability of complete and detailed information about the issues involved through analysis of the available information and assessment of the impact of the decisions form the basis of correct decisions. Information technology has provided online access to all information, all matters or events, at any time and from any location.
First step of e-governance is therefore establishment of infrastructure all over the country in such a way that all the information that is being generated in rural and urban areas is properly processed and stored in appropriate form. The stored information must also be updated periodically. Computerization of the information at each village/town level in all government offices is therefore mandatory. The information must then be made available to the decision makers through Government Interest, which are the network spread all over the states. As an example one can quote the National Informatics Centres Network of Government of India which connects the district level and panchayat level.
The communication uses telephone lines as the VSAT (Very Small Aperture Satellite Terminals) based satellite communication system. Real time information available of achieved and updated records and their instantaneous processing makes the decision process optimum.
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Movement of File:
The second hurdle in good governance is movement of Files from one table to another through umpteen number of functionaries. Computerization of Government offices eliminates the need of physical movement of files since they are accessible to all the functionaries at the same time. Any person who has to process the file can make the appropriate entries and the next functionary in line will have the updated file on his PC instantaneously.
A major advantage of this system is that the files cannot go under a big file on the table or cannot not do the vanishing trick another significant gain from the system is that whole progress is transparent which makes the decision impartial.
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Good government must also be able to establish a good control over the entire machinery as well as over the various events that takes place in the society. E-governance is very powerful tool since it has the entire information. Very interestingly there is computer software called Geographical Information system which provides not only the geographical coordinates of each and every items like bridges and electrical transformers, wells, field boundaries etc but also provides information about events that are taking place like coconut crop disease that is spreading over a particular field. An other example is that the financial management has now become very efficient because all the treasuries can be computerised and networked.
The Click of the Mouse:
Services to citizens, contacts with the common man and collection of taxes and revenue is another fact of e-governance that has surpassed all expectations. A resident of a village does not have to travel to the talk officer or district place or state capital to get the revenue records of his firm house.
Getting birth certificate does not imply long waits or tips to the functionary in the records office where he has to dig through one hundred years record to find out a proof of birth of his three year old child. All these records are achieved on computers and are available to anybody, anywhere with the click of the mouse as they say. Many citizens find it difficult to pay their electricity bills in a conventional system, not because of the outflow of money but because of the cumbersome process of transaction.
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Kerala Government has opened computerized counters, called Friends where one can pay taxes, dues etc. In near future Information Kiosks are expected to replace to present (around 800000) STD/ISD telephone booths and public call offices in India One will be able to walk in the booth “Infokiosk” situated almost next door and then pay taxes, electricity bills and collect birth/ death certificates, land registration records, details of government decision about the public distribution system for grams to people below poverty line.
Government Online—Following are some of the actions under implementation by Governments of India. All Government information other than that having a bearing on security is made available to public. Under the District information system, planned programme is being made widespread and databases updated on line are made available to public Courts Information System. Parliament Information System Programme are other examples of databases generated and made accessible.
Websites have been launched for all government agencies and departments. All Government departments have been asked to allocate 13% to 15% of their budgets to IT related activities including training of personnel. In Information Project Government on line has been promoted by G-8 countries to plan and implement projects to promote IT Governments. IT literacy is being stipulated as an essential requirement for all future government and public sector employment. Government of India has framed a national policy on information security, privacy and data project for handling of computerized data. Cyber laws have been framed and IT bill has been approved by parliament. The Andhra Pradesh Government has becomes SMART Government by declaring it to be simple, more accountable response and transparent.
In conclusion, through e-media using IT technologies has enabled very efficient, transparent and fast decision making process. The IT infrastructure has made direct participation of a common man in the Government matters with access to all the information he needs E-governance is the ideal government system of the modern age.