State, IT and Development

Information technology (IT) has brought about a major shift in the nature and speed of knowledge processing, thereby transforming the way business and, indeed, governments, function. An integral aspect of social capital, IT can either be an empowering force for the marginalized, or be instrumental in creating a new dimension of inequality. Harnessing IT for effective socio-economic transformation into an epistemic society has created a need to revisit prevailing notions of governance and development in the country, which is confronted with resource constraints and a yawning digital divide. Conceived against this background, this volume consists of 21 chapters written by authorities responsible for planning and implementing IT in India, including the President of India, H.E. Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, senior government officials, IT professionals and scholars. The volume contains case studies of the application of IT in India, both in agriculture and in improving public service delivery systems. This book brings together thoughts on how policy initiatives, investments, R&D and incentives aim at opening `windows of opportunity to large segments of Indians who find themselves left out of the digital loop.... The book is essential reference not only for its entertaining style but also for the wealth of information it contains. -- Business Line This edited volume surveys the impact of ICTs on engendering an effective socio-economics transformation of India into an epistemic society...the volume makes a compelling case for recognizing the use if ICT in assisting socioeconomic development by improving the accountability and transparency of government activity. -- Journal of South Asian Development

Preface PART ONE: THE ICT ROUTE TO DEVELOPMENT State, ICT and Development - R K Bagga, Kenneth Keniston and Rohit Raj Mathur The Indian Context A Vision of Citizen-Centric E-Governance for India - A P J Abdul Kalam Governance - Jayaprakash Narayan Virtual to Real ICT and Good Governance - E A S Sarma Incentives for Good Governance - Sameer Sachdeva and Rohit Raj Mathur PART TWO: CHALLENGES BEFORE THE STATE Bridging the Digital Divide - Shyamal Ghosh Options for India Policy Issues in Bridging the Digital Divide - Kamal Kant Jaswal Regulatory Framework to Facilitate Universal Connectivity in India - T H Chowdary Cyber Law and Its Implementation in India - Pavan Duggal Role of ICT in Minimizing Corruption in India - N Vittal Technology and the Politics of Corruption - Paven Malhotra Andhra Pradesh's CARD Experience Organization Process Documentation and Integration for E-Governance - V Prithviraj, S Gopinathan and K P Sunil Kumar Improve Internally to Serve Well Online - R K BaggaCritical Message for Digitizing Governments PART THREE: ICT INITIATIVES IN DEVELOPING INDIA eSeva - Phani Kumar Transforming Service Delivery to Citizens in Andhra Pradesh Delivery of Civic Services Online - Sanjay Jaju The Saukaryam Way ICT for Rural Masses - Aruna Sundararajan The Kerala Experience PART FOUR: THE ROAD AHEAD Agricultural Extension - V Balaji Key Component in E-Governance Projects in India Building ICT-Enabled Partnerships in Rural India - V V Rajsekhar Of Social Capital and Financial Returns - Satyan Mishra and Amit Gurung The Pain and Pleasure of Nurturing Drishtee Promoting E-Government Through Partnerships - J Satyanarayana ICT for Development - R K Bagga and Rohit Raj Mathur Recommendations Emerging out of the Policy Environment in India Index