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Information has come to play a key role in social, economic, cultural, and political growth of the nation. ICT has revolutionized the way we live, think, and perform, and even helps in realizing the vision of good governance. Today e-governance has become a buzzword. To put it simply, it means taking the government to the doorstep of the people. The citizens can get immediate online access to information, which maybe otherwise time consuming. It makes the governmental functioning more transparent, helping to check corruption. 

However, e-governance is not just about government website and e-mail. Nor just service delivery over the Internet. Nor even about digital access to government information or electronic payments. It is all about how citizens relate to each other. Indeed it is a neo-culture, allowing citizens to communicate with governments, participate in policy making, and communicate with one another.  

During my recent visit to China, I learnt about its large investments in e-government, growing at a compounded annual rate of about 40%. Similarly, investments in Singapore and Korea are growing at a compounding rate of over 20%. We are late starters. Rural development-with e-government as its tool-must now be made an important agenda item of government's budgetary allocations. Now we have a separate ministry for promoting e-governance, and the government is allocating 2-3% of its budget for IT development. The launch of the India Portal, setting up of the National Institute of Smart Government (NISG), Central Repository of Data, Citizen Service Centers for one-stop a non-stop delivery of public service go to serve useful purpose.

In the 19th and the early 20th century, the knowledge of English and harnessing of the steam were crucial; it is now ICT that is needed for speedy transformation of the society. In terms of basic computerization, police departments, treasury, land records, irrigation, and justice are seen as having the maximum potential. It is encouraging to see that 20 states and union territories now have an IT policy in place.

Andhra Pradesh takes the lead with its various projects. It is also interesting to know that Karnataka has gone miles ahead and digitized 20 mn rural land revenue records covering approximately 6.7 mn people in the state. Today, a printed copy of the record of rights, tenancy, and crops can be obtained online. The traditional manual land record system causes delays, harassments, and even encourages bribery. The Karnataka system, if I may call it so, takes care of doing away with these problems. It is also interesting to know that Bihar has introduced e-governance in sales tax administration while Chhattisgarh has taken several steps in this direction.

The biggest challenge for a continent of our size and complexity is how to bring rural India on the IT map. For some years now we are worried and concerned about the very limited development in the northeastern states that are inaccessible in many ways. IT now offers hope. Despite our limited advance-according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) 2003 index, India is placed among middle-access economies at #37. Even though the Global Technology Report has ranked India above China, this is not of much satisfaction. The fact remains that a majority of our rural population does not have access to IT, not to talk about electricity, healthcare facility, and even drinking water.  

Thus far, our attentions have been narrowly focused on the export potentials of the IT sector but far greater potential lies in the extension and application of IT to stimulate the development of our domestic economy. Apart from generating new employment opportunities, the application of IT can vastly extend access to education, healthcare, markets, financial services etc to many more people at far lower costs.

The author is the former Prime Minister of India IK Gujral

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