Citizen Empowerment through Digital Transformation in Government

Technological innovations across the globe are bringing profound change to our society. Governments around the world are experiencing and embracing this technology-led shift. New platforms, emerging technologies, customizable products, and changing citizen demand and outlook towards government services are reshaping the whole journey. When it comes to the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in any sector, the Government of India has emerged as an early adopter of these technologies and has also focused on last-mile delivery of citizen-centric services. Citizen Empowerment through Digital Transformation in Government takes us through the four-decade long transformational journey of various key sectors in India where ICT has played a major role in reimagining government services to citizens across the country. It touches upon the emergence of the National Informatics Centre as a premier technology institution of the Government of India and its collaborative efforts with the Central, State Governments, as well as the District level administration, to deliver best-in-class solutions. Inspiring and informative, the book is filled with real-life transformation stories that have helped to lead the people and the Government of India to realize their vision of a digitally empowered nation.

Dr Neeta Verma is the Director General of NIC and has over 35 years of work experience in leading and implementing high impact digital initiatives across the country. In her current role as DG NIC, she is spearheading the Digital Transformation agenda of the government through development of Digital Platforms for various initiatives of the Government in different sectors of development. To leverage emerging technologies in governance, she led the establishment of one of its kind Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in Blockchain, Application Security, Artificial Intelligence, Micro Services, and Data Analytics. She holds a Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and an Executive Certificate on Digital Transformation in Government from the Harvard Kennedy School.

1. Digital Transformation in Government - A Case Study of India. 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 National Informatics Centre. 1.3 Policy and promotion of Information Technology. 1.4 Connected Government. 1.5 National e-Governance Plan. 1.6 Digital Infrastructure for Government. 1.7 Digital India. 1.8 Emerging Technologies for the social good. 1.9 Technology initiatives during COVID-19. 1.10 Conclusion and Way forward. References. 2. Digital Empowerment of Indian Agriculture. 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Global Scenario and Trends 2.3 Journey of ICT Initiatives in Agriculture in India 2.4 Agriculture and Use of Emerging Technologies 2.5 Digital Agriculture Platform - A Way Forward 2.6 Conclusion. References. 3. Healthcare for all through Policies, Platforms and Innovations. 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Evolution of Healthcare in India. 3.3 Institutional Structure. 3.4 IT enabled Transformation in Healthcare. 3.5 Major Health IT Initiatives in India. 3.6 Conclusion. References 4. Transformation of Governance and Service Delivery under Digital India - a Rural perspective. 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Institutional Structure. 4.3 Global Scenario and Trends. 4.4 Case Studies. 4.5 Impact Delivered. 4.6 Key Challenges. 4.7 Conclusion and Way Forward. References 5. Transforming the Indian Education System through IT Enabled Services. 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Educational Setup in India. 5.3 Global Trends Shaping Education. 5.4 School Education. 5.5 Higher Education. 5.6 Open Education. 5.7 Conclusion. Reference 6. Changing Landscape of Government Budget & Treasury Operations with IT as the Key Driver. 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 Institutional Structure. 6.3 Global Scenario and Trends. 6.4 Case Studies 6.5 Impact Delivered 6.6 Conclusion &Way Forward. References. 7. Transformational, Effective & Smart Public Distribution System: An innovative Journey. 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 Food Security in India. 7.3 Public Distribution System-Global Trends. 7.4 Public Distribution System in India. 7.5 ICT intervention in Public Distribution System. 7.6 Impact Delivered . 7.8 Conclusion &Way forward . References. 8. eCourts Services - Transforming Judiciary for Effective Justice Delivery. 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 Judicial Setup in India. 8.3 Use of Information Technology in Indian Courts - Transforming Judicial Service. 8.4 Challenges. 8.5 Impact Delivered 8.6 Conclusion &Way forward. References. 9 Technology Led Transformation of Election Process. 9.1 Introduction. 9.2 Institutional Structure for Election Management. 9.3 Election Technology Trends Worldwide. 9.4 Technology Ecosystem in Indian Elections. 9.5 Transformational Journey: Impact on Election services. 9.6 Key Challenges and Way Forward. 9.7 Conclusion. References. 10 Digital Transformation of Transport Sector 10.1 Introduction. 10.2 Sector Overview 10.3 eTransport - Evolution of Transport Public Digital Platform 10.4 Impact Delivered 10.5 Conclusion. References. 11 Open Government Data: A Way to Knowledge Discovery and Innovation. 11.1 Introduction. 11.2 Open Data - International Scenario. 11.3 National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP). 11.4 Institutional Mechanism. 11.5 Evolution of OGD in India. 11.6 Stakeholders Engagement. 11.7 Government Open Data License (GODL) - India. 11.8 Conclusion and Way forward. References. 12 eOffice - An Innovation in Governance. 12.1 Introduction. 12.2 Digital Transaction of Government Business in India. 12.3 Transformational Journey of Service. 12.4 Impact and Outcomes. 12.5 Case Studies highlighting Impact Delivered. 12.6 Conclusion and Way Forward. References. 13 Transforming the Ambit of Indirect Taxation through Technology. 13.1 Introduction. 13.2 Indirect Taxes in India. 13.3 Global Trends in Indirect Taxation. 13.4 Re-engineering the Processes using Information Technology. 13.5 Transformational Journey. 13.6 Impact Delivered. 13.7 Conclusion and Way Forward. References. 14 Transformational Journey of Indian Immigration and Visa Service. 14.1 Introduction. 14.2 Institutional Structure. 14.3 Global Scenario and Trends. 14.4 Transformational Journey of Indian Immigration & Visa Services. 14.5 Impact Delivered. 14.6 Conclusion. References