INTRODUCTION

“E-Government refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies (such as Wide Area
Networks, the Internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens,
businesses, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better
delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen
empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management. The resulting
benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost
reductions. Traditionally, the interaction between a citizen or business and a government agency took place
in a government office. With emerging information and communication technologies it is possible to locate
service centers closer to the clients. Such centre may consist of an unattended kiosk in the government
agency, a service kiosk located close to the client, or the use of a personal computer in the home or office.
Analogous to e-commerce, which allows businesses to transact with each other more efficiently (B2B) and
brings customers closer to businesses (B2C), e-government aims to make the interaction between
government and citizens (G2C), government and business enterprises (G2B), and inter-agency relationships
(G2G) more friendly, transparent and inexpensive.” 1

E-Governance is the outgrowth of the efforts made by the governments to improve relations with their
citizens. With its ingrained transparency and openness, given the principles of Internet, E-Governance
brings governments more closely to their citizens. Therefore, E-Governance has a larger social angle, as it
ensures a more wide and representative democracy. In a knowledge economy, competitive advantage relies
on the capability to adapt to the changing environment by the continuous generation and application of new
knowledge.

1
Definition of E-Governance, World Bank, Available at: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE, Accessed on 20 October, 2019.
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 APPLICABILITY OF E-GOVERNANCE

In accordance with the E-Governance challenges and obstacles the critical success factors in the
EGovernance have to be investigated. From the process view, high security, standardization and knowledge
management are a must of E-Governance, followed by the provision of specific services and its quality.
Assuring security of cyber space requires careful and due attention to creation of well defined systems and
processes, use of appropriate technology and more importantly, engaging right kind of people with suitable
awareness, ethics and behavior. Considering the transnational character of the Information Technology and
the cyber space, the technical & legal challenges in ensuring security of Information, Information Systems
& Networks as well as related impact on socio-economic life in the state, the priorities for action for
creating a secure cyber eco-system include series of enabling processes, direct actions and cooperative &
collaborative efforts within the state and beyond, which covers the following2:

• Creation of necessary situational awareness regarding threats to Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) infrastructure for determination and implementation of suitable response.

• Creation of a conducive legal environment in support of safe and secure cyber space, adequate trust &
confidence in electronic transactions, enhancement of law enforcement capabilities that can enable
responsible action by stakeholders and effective prosecution.

• Protection of IT networks & gateways and critical communication & information infrastructure.

• Placing 24 x 7 mechanisms for cyber security emergency response & resolution and crisis management
through effective predictive, preventive, protective, response and recovery actions.

• Policy, promotion and enabling actions for compliance to International Security best practices and
conformity assessment (Product, Process, Technology and People) and incentives for compliance.

• Indigenous development of suitable security techniques & technology through frontier technology
research, solution oriented research, proof of concept, pilot development etc. and deployment of secure IT
products/processes.

• Creation of cyber security influenced culture for responsible user behavior and actions.

• Effective cyber crime prevention & prosecution actions in all the ICT applicable environments.

• Proactive preventive & reactive mitigation actions to reach out & neutralize the sources of trouble and
support for creation of global security eco system, including public-private partnership arrangements,

2
A case study on Cyber Security in E-Governance, IRJET, Available at: https://www.irjet.net/archives/V2/i8/IRJET-V2I846.pdf,
accessed on 20th October, 2019. 2
information sharing, bilateral & multi-lateral agreements with applicable overseas state agencies, security
agencies and security vendors etc.

• Protection of data while in process, handling, storage & transit and protection of sensitive personal
information to create a necessary environment of trust.

Top-level management of government departments or agencies should pay attention to the development of
suitable Information Security policy and guidelines and encourage the use of appropriate technology and
applications in the organization. In order to ensure implementation security best practices in critical sector
organizations and periodic verification of compliance, there is a need to create, establish and operate an
‘Information Security Assurance Framework’. This framework is aimed at assisting combined efforts of all
applicable groups in protecting critical information infrastructure.

E- GOVERNANCE RISK FACTORS

Existing and potential threats in the sphere of cyber security are among the most serious challenges of the
21st century. Threats emanate from a wide variety of sources, and manifest themselves in disruptive
activities that target individuals, businesses, national infrastructures, and governments alike. Their effects
carry significant risk for public safety, the security of nations and the stability of the globally linked
international community as a whole. Malicious use of Information Technology can easily be concealed. The
origin, identity of the perpetrator, or motivation for the disruption can be difficult to ascertain. Often, the
perpetrators of these activities can only be inferred from the target, the effect or other circumstantial
evidence. Threat actors can operate with substantial impunity from virtually anywhere. The motives for
disruption vary widely, from simply demonstrating technical prowess, to the theft of money or information,
or as an extension of state conflict. Many malicious tools and methodologies originate in the efforts of
criminals and hackers. The growing sophistication and following could be the possible results:
A. Spoofing: In this technique the attacker attempts to gain access of E-Governance system by using
fallacious identity either by stealth or by using false IP address.
B. Repudiation: The attacker can mount repudiation attack during the E–Governance transaction, which is
the ability of the user to deny its performed transaction.
C. Disclosure of E-Governance Information: Unwanted information disclosure can take place easily, in
case of the compromised E-Governance system.
D. Denial of Service: Attackers can perform Denial of Service (DoS) attack by flooding the E-Governance
server with request to consume all of its resources so as crash down the system.3

3
E-Governance in Cyber Crime possibilities; http://www.ijirset.com/upload/2017/may/87_ANTI.pdf
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 E-GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

e-Governance in India has steadily evolved from computerization of Government Departments to initiatives
that encapsulate the finer points of Governance, such as citizen centricity, service orientation and
transparency. Lessons from previous e-Governance initiatives have played an important role in shaping the
progressive e-Governance strategy of the country. Due cognizance has been taken of the notion that to
speed up e-Governance implementation across the various arms of Government at National, State, and
Local levels, a programme approach needs to be adopted, guided by common vision and strategy. This
approach has the potential of enabling huge savings in costs through sharing of core and support
infrastructure, enabling interoperability through standards, and of presenting a seamless view of
Government to citizens.

A. PROVISIONS UNDER IT ACT, 2000

E-Governance in India is backed by IT Act, provisions from Chapter III4 of the act, facilitate IT for E-
Governance in India. Sections 4 to 10A, collectively provide functional equivalence between electronic and
paper based forms of documents, and on the other hand these provisions provide a framework for the set up
of an e-governance system in India.
One of the most important sections among them is 6A, that talks about Electronic Service of Delivery.
means through third-party service providers:
“(1) The appropriate Government may, for the purposes of this
Chapter and for efficient delivery of services to the public
through electronic means authorize, by order, any service
provider to set up, maintain and upgrade the computerized
facilities and perform such other services as it may specify, by
notification in the Official Gazette.”

The provision of e-government services requires a certain level of technical expertise, creation of new
infrastructure and financial infusion. This section, therefore enables the government to authorize
independent service providers to set up, maintain or upgrade the facilities required for the efficient
provision of e- government services.
Both the Central and the State Governments may authorize service providers for this purpose. Some state
governments have issued rules for this purpose, such as the Kerala (Electronic Service Delivery) Rules,
2010, the Madhya Pradesh IT (Regulation of Electronic Delivery of Citizen Services and Appointment of
Service provider) Rules, 2010, National Capital Territory of Delhi Information Technology (Electronic
Service Delivery) Rules, 2012 and the Manipur (Electronic Service Delivery) Rules, 2012. Rules have also
been issued by the Central Government in this respect. The IT (Electronic Service Delivery) Rules, 2011

4
Sections 4-10A, IT Act, 2000. 4
provide guidelines applicable to any Government providing for the delivery of electronic services, either
through electronically enabled kiosks or any other mechanism. Other provisions require the notification of
electronic services provided, maintenance of a repository of the electronic records and provisions for
financial management, accounting and audit. The Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, 2011 is another draft
legislation of the Central Government that seeks to make the electronic delivery of services by the state
governments, mandatory within 5 years its enactment.

B. SOME E-GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES IN INDIA

Over the years, a large number of initiatives have been undertaken by various State Governments and
Central Ministries to usher in an era of e-Government. Sustained efforts have been made at multiple levels
to improve the delivery of public services and simplify the process of accessing them.

The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)

The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), takes a holistic view of e-Governance initiatives across the
country, integrating them into a collective vision, a shared cause. Around this idea, a massive countrywide
infrastructure reaching down to the remotest of villages is evolving, and large-scale digitization of records is
taking place to enable easy, reliable access over the internet. The ultimate objective is to bring public
services closer home to citizens, as articulated in the Vision Statement of NeGP.

"Make all Government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service
delivery outlets,and ensure efficiency, transparency, and reliability of such services at affordable costs to
realise the basic needs of the common man"

The Government approved the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), comprising of 31 Mission Mode
Projects (MMPs) and 8 components, on May 18, 2006. The Government has accorded approval to the
vision, approach, strategy, key components, implementation methodology, and management structure for
NeGP. However, the approval of NeGP does not constitute financial approval(s) for all the Mission Mode
Projects (MMPs) and components under it. The existing or ongoing projects in the MMP category, being
implemented by various Central Ministries, States, and State Departments would be suitably augmented and
enhanced to align with the objectives of NeGP.
e-Kranti is an essential pillar of the Digital India initiative. Considering the critical need of e-Governance,
mobile Governance and Good Governance in the country, the approach and key components of e-Kranti
was approved by the Union Cabinet on 25.03.2015 with the vision of “Transforming e-Governance for
Transforming Governance”.5

5
https://digitalindia.gov.in/content/ekranti-electronic-delivery-services
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All new and on-going eGovernance projects as well as the existing projects, which are being revamped,
should now follow the key principles of e-Kranti namely ‘Transformation and not Translation’, ‘Integrated
Services and not Individual Services’, ‘Government Process Reengineering (GPR) to be mandatory in every
MMP’, ‘ICT Infrastructure on Demand’, ‘Cloud by Default’, ‘Mobile First’, ‘Fast Tracking Approvals’,
‘Mandating Standards and Protocols’, ‘Language Localization’, ‘National GIS (Geo-Spatial Information
System)’, ‘Security and Electronic Data Preservation’.

National Portal of India

In 2005, India started the National Portal of India, "india.gov.in", under list National E-Governance Plan
(NeGP), which is available in English and 8 local languages. This portal provides a single-window point of
access for all G2Cservices being provided online, such as tracking passport/ driving license/ PAN card
applications, online booking of railway tickets, company registrar e-filing of tax returns etc. It provides
links to other central and state government departments, along with information on Indian government,
history, laws, press releases, tourism, etc.

Common Service Centres

This initiative very specifically targets the 'un-reached' rural communities in India. About 87000 Common
Service Centres (CSCs) have been established to provide government services to about 5,00,000 villages6 in
India. The services provided include provision of enrolment forms under the Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, accessibility of financial services like insurance and microfinance,
vocational training, recharge of mobile phones, etc

SWAN Scheme

State Wide Area Networks of at least 2 Mbps have been established to connect all State, UT and District
level Headquarters for delivering government to consumer and government to government services. All data,
voice and video communication between these headquarters is to be enabled via this network. This is
currently operational in 28 States across India.

RTI Portal

The RTI portal "rti.gov.in" was established as a gateway for the provision of information to citizens under
the Right to Information Act, 2005, which mandates that every public authority shall maintain and publish
computerized records.7 Information on public records etc. and online filing of RTI have been made
available on this Portal.

6
See Press Release titled E-Governance Initiatives - Changing Lives for the Better, RTS/VN SS
17/SF-17/24, Available at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=
7
Section 4, RTI, 2005. 6
C. RECENT TRENDS IN INDIA

The NDA government is determined to propel India towards digitization, various projects has been
launched regarding the same, digital India launched in the year 2015 with a aim of strengthening India’s e-
governance and making people more close to their rights and making things accessible, more importantly
connecting rural India with high-speed network.8

One of the best examples is of Delhi government, Delhi government launches doorstep delivery services
In the first phase, 40 public services, including the issuance and renewal of driving licences, registration of
marriage, new water connection, birth, death and caste certificates will be available9. The government plans
to include 150 services in this scheme in a phased manner. Customers will be charged a fee of ₹ 50 for
availing this service. Residents need to call 1076 to book an appointment.
The second phase of the doorstep delivery of public services, the official launch of which is yet to take
place, has been rolled out. People living in Delhi can now avail 30 more services at their doorstep, including
adding members in ration card, paying the motor vehicle tax and getting a DTC pass, taking the total
number of such services to 70.10
Furthermore, talking about the central government’s Aadhar project, government tried to link the account of
beneficiaries so that the subsidy or the

CHALLANGES IN FRONT OF GOVERNMENT

There are large numbers of potential barriers in the implementation of e-Governance. Some hindrance in the
path of implementation, like security, unequal access to the computer technology by the citizen, high initial
cost for setting up the e government solutions and resistance to change. Challenges identified as trust,
resistance to change, digital divide, cost and privacy and security concerns.

Trust

Trust can be defined along two dimensions: as an assessment of a current situation, or as an innate
personality traitor predisposition. The implementation of public administration functions via e-government
requires the presence of two levels of trust. The first is that the user must be confident, comfortable and
trusting of the tool or technology with which they will interact. The second dimension of trust pertains to
trust of the government].

There has to be a balance between ensuring that a system prevents fraudulent transactions and the burden
that extensive checks can take place on people who are honest. Recently, confidential information on

8
http://mygov.in/groups/digital_india
9
https://www.livemint.com/Politics/8tMmTBHeaTtjmxXyBUrHZN/Delhi-government-launches-doorstep-delivery-services.html
10
https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/30-more-delhi-government-services-now-available-at-your-doorstep-
1565578505695.htm 7
military veterans was compromised when a computer containing their personal information was lost. This
type of incident can erode trust and user confidence in government systems. Trust, along with financial
security, are two critical factors limiting the adoption of e-government services.

Resistance to change

The innovation diffusion theory states that over time an innovation will diffuse through a population, and
the rate of adoption will vary between those who adopt early, referred to as early adopters and to those who
adopt the innovation much later, referred to as ―laggards.

The resistant to change phenomenon can explain much of the hesitation that occurs on the part of
constituents in moving from a paper based to a Web-based system for interacting with government.

Citizens, employees and businesses can all have their biases with respect to how transactions should be
processed. However, government entities and public policy administrators cannot ignore the changes that
occur as a result of the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT

Education about the value of the new systems is one step toward reducing some of the existing resistance. It
can also be particularly useful for a leader or manager, to buy into the new system at an early stage in the
adoption process

Digital Divide

The digital divide refers to the separation that exists between individuals, communities, and businesses that
have access to information technology and those that do not have such access. Social, economic,
infrastructural and ethno-linguistic indicators provide explanations for the presence of the digital divide.
Economic poverty is closely related to limited information technology resources. An individual living
below poverty line does not afford a computer for himself to harness the benefits of e-government and other
online services. As the digital divide narrows, broader adoption of e-government in the public domain
becomes possible. Economic poverty is not the only cause of digital divide. It can also be caused by the lack
of awareness among the people. Even some of the economic stable people don’t know about the scope of e -
governance.
Awareness can only help to bring users to that service delivery channel once. It cannot guarantee sustained
use of the system unless the system is also designed in such a way as to deliver satisfactory outcome.
Procedures need to be simplified to deliver concrete benefits and clear guidelines provided to encourage
their use by the actual end users and reduce user’s dependence on middlemen/intermediaries

Cost

Cost is one of the most important prohibiting factor that comes in the path of e-governance implementation
particularly in the developing countries like India where most of the people living below the poverty
line. Elected officers and politician don’t seem to be interested in implementing e-governance

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Privacy and Security

There will be three basic levels of access exists for e-government stakeholders: no access to a Web service;
limited access to a Web-service or full-access to a Web service, however when personal sensitive
data exists the formation of the security access policy is a much more complex process with legal
consideration. With the implementation of e-government projects, effective measures must be taken to
protect sensitive personal information. A lack of clear security standards and protocols can limit
the development of projects that contain sensitive information such as income, medical history.

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