A Project Report

On

ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF e-GOVERNANCE

AT

SUBMITTED TO

In partial fulfillment for the course of

“Post Graduate Diploma in Management”

Under the Supervision of: Submitted By:

AKASH DARSHAN

RATI SHARMA PGDM (2009-11)

Roll
No.:09111010O4 Mangalmay Institute of Management Studies

Greater Noida

1
 ROLE AND IMPORATNCE OF e-GOVERNANCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Acknowledgement
2. Certificate
3. Preface
4. Declaration

Chapter 1 : company overview

I. Intro about IL&FS 9-15
II. Vision 16
III. Mission 16
IV. Objective 16-17
V. Projects undertaken 17
VI. Associate companies of IL&FS 18

Chapter 2 : theoretical aspects of e-governance

I. Introduction 20-23
II. Benefits 23
III. Stages of e-governance 23-30
IV. Challenges 30-33
V. Objectives & Importance of e-governance 33

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Chapter 3 : VSAT
I. Definition of VSAT 35
II. Strength of VSAT 37
III. Roles & uses of VSAT 38

Chapter 4
CONCLUSION 40

Chapter 5
Limitations & Recommendations for the Projects 42-43

Chapter 6
Bibliography 47

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am grateful to all those who helped me in carrying out this project and without whom it
would not have been possible to complete this project.

First of all I wish to express my greatest gratitude to the DIRECTOR Anupam Narula ,
MIMS, GREATER NOIDA to have given me such a platform to undertake such a piece of
work as well as enriching us with the knowledge of various techniques for carrying out this
work.
I am extremely thankful to my project mentor Rati Sharma, who has provided me great
opportunity to work under this project and given me his full hearted support and guidance an
clear my all doubts with patience.
I am extremely grateful to him for their keen support, immense trust, interest and
priceless guidance, who have given me their valuable time to discussing the various important
aspect of this project.
I wish my greatest gratitude and personally thankful to my friends & colleagues without
whose friendly support and knowledge this project would not have been complete.

4
5
 TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is to certify that the Summer Project Study Report, Titled “Role and importance of e-
governance ” submitted by Mr. Akash Darshan as partial fulfillment of requirement of the
two year PGDM course is a bonafide work carried out by the student at our Institute.

This Summer Project Study is his original work and has not been submitted to any other
University/Institute.

Project Mentor

RATI SHARMA

Date:

PREFACE

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 Every field of study is incomplete without having a planned concrete and practical
exposure to its student

Every student of management is like the tremendous source of untapped energy but he is
successfully processed, refined and guided in adequate practical environment, he becomes the
previous asset and driving full of industry.

In order to get exposure and experience I undertook the project on "Role and
Importance of e-Governance”.

The ultimate objective of the project survey is to acquire new critical experience and put
theoretical knowledge in to practice, along with to become accustomed to the actual market
knowledge, which, obviously is not possible only through the classroom lectures and seminars.

I sincerely hope that this project will serve best for the purpose .it has been prepared and
will be beneficial for the purpose it is meant for.

7
 DECLARATION

I Akash Darshan, student of PGDM, MIMS, Greater Noida (Batch 2009-11) and Roll
No :04 here by declares that report entitled "Role and Importance of e-Governance” is the
outcome of my own work and the same has not been submitted to any
University/Institute for the award of any degree or professional diploma.

Date:
Akash Darshan
PGDM 4th trimester
Roll No. : 09111010O4

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CHAPTER-1

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Company overview

IL&FS IDC is one of India's pioneering infrastructure development company extending services
from Project conceptualization to Project commissioning. IL&FS IDC is the infrastructural wing
of IL&FS serving a wide array of sectors throughout the country.

IL&FS IDC has benchmarked infrastructure development in India through innovative structuring
of projects in Public Private Partnership format. Over the past decade, IL&FS has not only taken
forward and completed a number of project initiatives across an array of infrastructure sub-
sectors, but has also established replicable project prototypes as well as specific products and
services. IL&FS IDC with over 250 committed professionals are part of the IL&FS Group with
over 4000 dedicated high-potential personnel and is well positioned at the cutting edge of the
infrastructure sector.

IL&FS IDC has actively engaged in dialogue with relevant government authorities in order to
develop policy frameworks as well as legislative changes that promote such intent.
Consequently, this has helped create appropriate structures for commercialized infrastructure
development consistent with public policy, thereby assisting agencies (both private and
government) in positioning infrastructure projects for commercialization.

IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (IL&FS IDC) is a wholly owned

subsidiary of the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS). IL&FS IDC
aims at providing assistance as Project Developer/Advisor to develop 'bankable' infrastructure

10
projects through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) while ensuring induction of best practices
benchmarked against international norms.

IL&FS IDC offers end-to-end solutions to its clients from project conceptualization to its
completion. Our wide range of services includes,

 Project Development
 Project Appraisal
 Project Finance
 Training & Capacity Building
 Project/Program Management
Consultancy

Infrastructure Leasing & Financial

Services Limited (IL&FS) is one of
India's leading infrastructure
development and finance companies.
IL&FS was promoted by the Central Bank of India (CBI), Housing Development Finance
Corporation Limited (HDFC) and Unit Trust of India (UTI). Over the years, IL&FS has
broad-based its shareholding and inducted Institutional shareholders including State Bank of
India, Life Insurance Corporation of India, ORIX Corporation - Japan and Abu Dhabi
Investment Authority IL&FS has a distinct mandate - catalyzing the development of
infrastructure in the country. The organization has focused on the commercialization and
development of infrastructure projects and creation of value added financial services. From
concept to execution, IL&FS houses the expertise to provide the complete array of services
necessary for successful project completion: visioning, documentation, development,
finance, management, technology and execution

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At IL&FS, we understand infrastructure to be more than the sum of its parts. We mix brick,
mortar, technology and management with warmth, hope, promise and potential

Infrastructure is all-pervading. Be it the ultra-modern metropolis or the rural backwater,

infrastructure is pivotal to all that is involved in the daily business of living. From
households to hospitals, public parks to businesses, entertainment to education, agriculture to
industry, infrastructure matters, deeply.

For IL&FS, the vision of the end results, motivates the process. An aspiration fulfilled. A
community empowered. A region enriched. Such is the impetus that drives us to catalyze
small developments that make big impacts.

IL&FS is widely recognized as the pioneer of Public Private Partnership in India.

Today IL&FS has evolved into a prominent institution that harnesses the power of Public
Private Partnership, to develop and finance infrastructure projects across a variety of sectors.

Our infrastructure projects are developed in conjunction with Governments, financing

agencies, private sector partners and communities. This unique Public Private Partnership
helps to leverage limited public funds, reduce life cycle cost, develop and execute more
projects on a sustainable basis.
IL&FS is committed to providing projects with financial investment, managerial expertise
and inputs that ensure efficiency in service delivery. We offer a full range of financial,
project development and management services. These services include investment banking,
project financing, project development, management and implementation, asset management,
merchant banking, corporate advisory services and back office services

Successful infrastructure projects require the close involvement of an array of stakeholders.

IL&FS has sponsored various projects in the infrastructure space in association with a range
of partners that encompass both State Governments as well as Private Sector Partners,
including communities. IL&FS identifies need-driven projects (e.g. roads, bridges, power,

12
ports, water supply, area development etc.) which can be commercially viable. IL&FS then
uses innovative structural / financial techniques to enhance project viability and has already
successfully pioneered several such projects

In an effort to proactively add value, enhance sustainability and lower risks in all its projects,
IL&FS developed Environmental and Social Report (ESR), in 1995. The objectives of the
ESR were to:

a. mainstream Environmental and Social (E&S) considerations in the overall project

cycle,
b. set examples of environmentally sound and socially acceptable practices, and
c. inspire and encourage all stakeholders, including partners and co-investors towards
continual improvement in the spheres of project development, implementation,
monitoring and closure

This ESR made IL&FS the first non-banking financial company in India to make E&S
considerations inclusive in project development and implementation

As a step to align with the International Financing Institutions (IFIs), IL&FS signed the
United Nations Environmental Programmed Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) on December 5,
2006. This aspiration commitment underscored IL&FS’s interest to pursue establish
Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) in its business operations

In 2007, IL&FS decided to update the ESR in the form of Environmental and Social Policy
Framework (ESPF). Updation became relevant in the light of the changing environmental
and social governance in India. Besides, IL&FS’s business canvas expanded with a wide
range of services covering project development & implementation, financial transactions and
advisory services across Business Verticals (BVs) and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs)

13
In 2009, IL&FS adopted the ESPF for phased implementation

This Policy Statement is implemented through the Guiding, Operational and Engagement
Principles:

a. Through its Guiding Principles (GP), IL&FS commits to

i. adding value to all projects and transactions it undertakes,

ii. integrating E&S concerns into the decision-making process, and
iii. minimizing exposure to E&S and financial impacts and risks.

The Operational Principles (OP) provide procedural guidance to IL&FS, its subsidiaries and
associate companies as well as third parties involved in execution of
Projects/Transactions/Advisory Mandates.

iv. the OPs of the ESPF are equivalent to the environmental and social
frameworks of Multilateral Development Banks such as the World Bank and
Asian Development Bank as well as compatible with Equator Principles (EP),
v. the OPs are adaptable so as to be commensurate with the nature of the
business activities of the relevant company, its products and services, and the
locations and conditions in and under which it operates

The Engagement Principles (EPs) apply to Projects/Transactions/Advisory Mandates where

IL&FS does not / cannot exercise complete control over the organization or business activity.
These principles emphasize on communication of good environmental and social
management practices to the clients and partners.

IL&FS’ infrastructure development initiatives have been sectorally and geographically

diverse. Strategic relations with State Governments across India and on-going relationships
with various departments of the Central Government have helped widen the IL&FS Group’s

14
 national footprint. IL&FS has catalyzed over USD 8 billion for infrastructure projects and is
currently working on projects with an aggregate cost of USD 10 billion.

IL&FS has continually judged project effectiveness by outcomes - outcomes such as

increased exports and employment after an Area Development project in Tamil Nadu;
vigorous economic activity witnessed in a region after the development of a major road link.
By focusing on project outcomes, IL&FS has helped garner the economic potential of
projects for all stakeholders. In the process, IL&FS is transcending from project development
and management to capacity building and value realization.

IL&FS views itself as a proactive and innovative partner in the creation of world class
infrastructure in the country. All its forthcoming projects and initiatives are focused on
realizing this vision. Towards this end, IL&FS is involved in a wide gamut of innovative
projects across sectors, throughout the country.

IL&FS IDC's focus in infrastructure is on the following sectors:

Power - Thermal & Hydro, Renewable Energy, Special Economic Zones and Industrial Parks,
Urban & Municipal Services, Surface Transport and Transportation Systems, Ports, Airports,

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Social Infrastructure - Health & Education, Municipal Waste, Township, Housing, Real Estate,
Tourism, Logistics, Free Trade Warehousing Zones and Land Custom Stations.

IL&FS IDC has over the years developed strong expertise in advising and partnering with
Governments in infrastructure project development and implementation processes across sectors.
Company has reached to almost all states/UT's of India in addition it has started operating in
Nepal, Bhutan and Dubai.

Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) has benchmarked

infrastructure development in India through innovative structuring of projects in Public
Private Partnership (PPP) format.

IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (IL&FS IDC) was incorporated in 1999
as a wholly owned subsidiary of IL&FS, with a view of providing the missing link of assistance
as Project Developer / Advisor to develop 'bankable' projects in PPP format. This was in
recognition of the growing need for giving the business a greater focus in high quality project
development yet bringing the IL&FS group synergies in its activities.

IL&FS IDC offers end-to-end solutions to its clients for developing bankable projects across
various infrastructure sectors. The range of services from project conceptualization to its
completion falls under the categories of:

Project Development
Project/Program Management Consultancy
Project Finance
Training & Capacity Building

We also work with private sector organizations for advisory services pertaining to business plan
preparation / financial structuring, valuation, fund mobilization and strategic partner search for
mergers and acquisitions.

Partnership Arrangements

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 Stand-alone Advisory services
Project Development & Promotion Partnership (PDPP) Agreements for Project Development
Advisory with a 50:50 sharing arrangement for funding the activities
Joint Venture (JV) / Project Development Company (PDC) for comprehensive Project
Development and implementation / monitoring of Projects

VISION

To partner Government and Private Stakeholders in the development of infrastructure projects

especially through Public Private Partnerships (PPP's) ensuring induction of best practices
benchmarked against international norms.

MISSION

To operate on a proactive philosophy that ecological thinking is critical to bring in both

sustainability and competitiveness in any economic development.

ROLE AND OBJECTIVES

In Partnership with the Government, IL&FS IDC helps create replicable commercial
prototypes and suggest and evolve requisite policy/legislative framework
 As Project Developer/Sponsor, IL&FS IDC help create appropriate project structures,
and achieve technical/financial close for the projects, and finally, divest to an operator to
maintain facilities over the project life
 As an Advisor, IL&FS IDC assist Governments, local authorities & bodies, and
Sponsors to undertake the projects, provide financial structuring and Investment Banking
solutions IL&FS IDC’s Key Objectives are: ¨ Commercialization of infrastructure
projects through formulation of appropriate structures in PPP formats
 Development, Promotion and Implementation of commercially viable infrastructure
projects
 Enabling access to a full range of financial services including investment banking,
project financing, asset management, merchant banking and advisory services.

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PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN BY IL&FS
Physical Infrastructure—Social and financial services

34th National Games, 2007, Housing Complex, Ranchi

Adityapur Industrial Water Supply Scheme
Ahmedabad-Mehsana Toll Road
Ambur Vaniyambadi Effluent Program
Artisan Clusters
Assam State Electricity Board
Bihar State Electricity Board
Container Transhipment Terminal
Delhi Cab – Radio Taxi Scheme Project
Delhi Cab Launches ‘Forshe’ – Radio Taxi Service
Delhi-Noida Toll Bridge
Dighi Port Project
East Coast Road
East Godavari Power Plant
For-She Mumbai Cab World Class Exclusive Ladies Taxi Service

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 CHAPTER-2

What is e-governance?

e-Governance is the application of Information Technology to the processes of government

functioning to bring about..
 Smart
 Moral
 Accountable
 Responsive
 Transparent Governance

Difference between e-Governance and e-Government

Definitions of e-Government and e-Governance abound in literature. Definitions for e-

Government and e-Governance range from the working definitions like “the ability for anyone

19
visiting the city website to communicate and/or interact with the city via the Internet in any way
more sophisticated than a simple email letter to the generic city (or webmaster) email address
provided at the site” to “the use of technology to enhance the access to and delivery of
government services to benefit citizens, business partners and employees”. Focus of these
definitions range from those focusing on ICTs to those focusing on ICT enabled government and
governance transformation. Some examples of such definitions include:

• The use of ICTs, and particularly the Internet, as a tool to achieve better government.
• The use of information and communication technologies in all facets of the operations of a
government organization.
• The continuous optimization of service delivery, constituency participation and
governance by transforming internal and external relationships through technology, the
Internet and new media.

Whilst e-Government has traditionally been understood as being centered around the operations
of government, e-Governance is understood to extend the scope by including citizen engagement
and participation in governance. As such, following in line with the OECD definition of e-
Government, e-Governance can be defined as the use of ICTs as a tool to achieve better
governance.

e-government:

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Definitions of e-government range from “the use of information technology to free movement of
information to overcome the physical bounds of traditional paper and physical based systems” to
“the use of technology to enhance the access to and delivery of government services to benefit
citizens, business partners and employees.” The common theme behind these definitions is that
e-government involves the automation or computerization of existing paper-based procedures that
will prompt new styles of leadership, new ways of debating and deciding strategies, new ways of
transacting business, new ways of listening to citizens and communities, and new ways of
organizing and delivering information.

Ultimately, e-government aims to enhance access to and delivery of government services to

benefit citizens. More important, it aims to help strengthen government’s drive toward effective
governance and increased transparency to better manage a country’s social and economic
resources for development.

e-Government (short for electronic government, also known as e-gov, digital government,
online government, connected government or transformational government) is creating a
comfortable, transparent, and cheap interaction between government and citizens (G2C –
government to citizens), government and business enterprises (G2B –government to business
enterprises) and relationship between governments (G2G – inter-agency relationship).

Types of e-government transactions?

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e-Government services focus on four main customers:

a) citizens,
b) the business community,
c) government employees, and
d) Government agencies.

e-Government aims to make interaction with citizens, businesses, government employees,

government agencies and other governments more convenient, friendly, transparent, inexpensive
and effective.

In an e-government system, individuals are able to initiate a request for a particular government
service and then receive that government service through the Internet or some computerized
mechanism. In some cases, the government service is delivered through one government office,
instead of many. In other cases, a government transaction is completed without direct in-person
contact with a government employee.

Delivery models and activities of e-Government

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The primary delivery models of e-Government can be divided into:

• Government-to-Citizen or Government-to-Consumer (G2C)

• Government-to-Business (G2B)
• Government-to-Government (G2G)
• Government-to-Employees (G2E)

Benefits

It is convenient and cost-effective for businesses, and the public benefits by getting easy access to
the most current information available without having to spend time, energy and money to get it.

E-government helps simplify processes and makes access to government information more easily

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accessible for public sector agencies and citizens. For example, the Indiana Bureau of Motor
Vehicles simplified the process of certifying driver records to be admitted in county court
proceedings. The anticipated benefits of e-government include efficiency, improved services,
better accessibility of public services, and more transparency and accountability.

Stages of E-Government

In addition to identifying e-government initiatives according to their sector, such projects can also
be classified according to their level or stage of development. Although different e-government
initiatives strive to accomplish different goals, some observers argue that one of the overarching
themes of e-government is to fully realize the capabilities of available information technology in
an effort to transform government from an agency-centric, limited service operation into an
automated, citizen-centric operation capable of delivering government services to citizens,
businesses, and other government agencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, for a
variety of technical, economic, and political reasons, it will take time for these initiatives to
evolve into their full potential. For that reason, some observers use a common schema for
classifying the stages of evolution of e-government projects

Presence
Presence is the first stage of development and is the establishment of a placeholder for delivering
information in the future. It represents the simplest and least expensive entrance into e-
government, but it also offers the fewest options for citizens. A typical example is a basic Web
site that lists cursory information about an agency, such as hours of operation, mailing address,
and/or phone numbers, but has no interactive capabilities. It is a passive presentation of general
information.

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Interaction
The second stage is interaction. Although interactive Web-based initiatives offer enhanced
capabilities, efforts in this group are still limited in their ability to streamline and automate
government functions. Interactions are relatively simple and generally revolve around
information provision. These types of initiatives are designed to help the customer avoid a trip to
an office or make a phone call by making commonly requested information and forms available
around the clock.

Transaction
The third stage in the evolution of e-government initiatives is transaction. These initiatives are
more complex than simple information provision and embody the types of activities popularly
associated with e-government. They enable clients to complete entire tasks electronically at any
time of the day or night. These initiatives effectively create self-service operations for tasks such
as license renewals, paying taxes and fees, and submitting bids for procurement contracts.
Although the level of interactivity is of a higher magnitude than second stage initiatives, the
activities still involve a flow of information that is primarily one-way (either to government or to
the client, depending on the activity). The electronic responses are generally highly regularized
and create predictable outcomes (e.g., approving a license renewal, creating a receipt,
acknowledging a bid).

Transformation
The highest order of evolution for e-government
initiatives is transformation.
Initiatives at this level utilize the full capabilities of the
technology to transform how government functions are
conceived, organized, and executed. Such initiatives
would have the robust customer relationship management
capabilities required to handle a full range of questions,
problems, and needs. Currently, there are very few
examples of this type of initiative, in part due to

25
administrative, technical, and fiscal constraints. One of the distinctions of these initiatives is that
they facilitate the seamless flow of information and collaborative decision making between
federal, state, local, public, and private partners. In other words, transformative government
initiatives often seek to remove the organizational barriers that promote agency-centric solutions
and, instead, promote customer-centric solutions. Some advocates suggest that, at its most
advanced level, e-government could potentially reorganize, combine, and/or eliminate existing
agencies and replace them with virtual organizations.

Sectors of E-Government

Although e-government encompasses a wide range of activities and actors, three distinct sectors
can be identified. These includes
• government-to-government (G2G),
• government-to-business (G2B), and
• government-to-citizen (G2C).

Some observers also identify a fourth sector, government-to-employee (G2E). However, since
G2E operations are intra-agency activities, they can be considered a subset of the G2G sector and
are not addressed separately in this report. A separate report focusing specifically on G2E issues
is forthcoming.
Government-to-Government (G2G)
In many respects, the G2G sector represents the backbone of e-government.
Some observers suggest that governments (federal, state, local) must enhance and update their

26
own internal systems and procedures before electronic transactions with citizens and businesses
can be successful.6 G2G e-government involves sharing data and conducting electronic
exchanges between governmental actors. This involves both intra- and inter-agency exchanges at
the federal level, as well as exchanges between the federal, state, and local levels.

Examples of G2G Initiatives. One example of a G2G e-government initiative is the Northeast
Gang Information System (NEGIS). NEGIS is sponsored by the Department of Justice and serves
as a shared resource for street gang information for states in the northeast, including Connecticut,
Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York. It includes information such as gang
related activities, gang intelligence, and a reference library. NEGIS connects the state police
departments of the participant-states, which, in turn, transmit the information to the states’ other
law enforcement agencies.

A second example is the Electronic Contractor Past Performance System maintained by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). Started in December 1996, this online database contains past
performance scorecards of government contractors, as rated by contract/project officers. It is
designed to help agencies determine the suitability of potential contractors on the basis of criteria
such as the quality of product or service, cost control, timeliness of performance, and business
practices. Thirteen agencies contribute to the database, including the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the Department of Commerce, and the General Services Administration (GSA).

Government-to-Business (G2B)
Government-to-Business (G2B) initiatives receive a significant amount of attention, in part
because of the high enthusiasm of the business sector and th potential for reducing costs through
improved procurement practices and increased competition. The G2B sector includes both the
sale of surplus government goods to the public, as well as the procurement of goods and services.
Although not all are directly dependent on the use of information technology, several different
procurement methods are used in relation to the G2B sector. Performance-based contracting is a
method in which the payment made to the contractor is based on the actual goals and outcomes of
the job. Share-in-Savings contracts are those in which the contractor pays for the up-front costs
of a project, such as the installation of a new computer system, and receives payment passed on

27
the savings generated by switching from the previous system. Reverse auctions, on the other
hand, are reliant on the use of information technology and could become a frequently used
method for purchasing products that are standardized and easily evaluated for quality, such as off-
the-shelf technology components or office supplies. Conducted over the Internet, a reverse
auction entails companies openly bidding against each other in real time to win a government
contract. The purpose of reverse auctions is to drive prices down to market levels. Due to the
emphasis on price, reverse auctions are best-suited in cases where quality and expected
performance are clear and easily assessed.

Examples of G2B Initiatives. One example of a G2B initiative is GSA Auctions. GSA Auctions
is an online auction Web site in which GSA sells federal surplus property to the highest bidders.
Items sold include everything from hand tools and furniture to industrial machinery and vehicles.
Perhaps one of the more well-known items was the auction of a fifty-year-old Coast Guard cutter,
the Tamaroa, which appeared in the movie Perfect Storm.
A second example of a G2B initiative is Buyers.gov, a business and auction exchange
administered by the GSA Federal Technology Service (FTS). The
Buyers.gov site facilitates the purchase of information technology products by federal
government agencies through the use of reverse auctions and aggregating demand for commonly
purchased products A third G2B initiative, also administered by GSA, is FedBizOpps.
FedBizOpps is a Web site designed to serve as a central location for agencies to post procurement
notices, such as Request-for-Purchase (RFP) notices. The goal of the site is to create a
standardized, easy-to-access point of contact for businesses which may want to bid on a
government contract instead of having to search through the variety of agency-specific methods
of advertising contracting opportunities. A similar site called DoDBusOpps was also established
specifically for the Department of Defense.

Government-to-Citizen (G2C)
The third e-government sector is Government-to-Citizen (G2C). G2C initiatives are designed to
facilitate citizen interaction with government, which is what some observers perceive to be the
primary goal of e-government. These initiatives attempt to make transactions, such as renewing
licenses and certifications, paying taxes, and applying for benefits, less time consuming and

28
easier to carry out. G2C initiatives also often strive to enhance access to public information
through the use of dissemination tools, such as web sites and/or kiosks. Another feature of many
G2C initiatives is the effort to attenuate the agency-centric, and at times, process-laden nature of
some government functions. Some e-government advocates suggest that one of the goals of
implementing these initiatives should be to create a “one-stop shopping” site where citizens can
carry out a variety of tasks, especially those that involve multiple agencies, without requiring the
citizen to initiate contacts with each agency individually. A potential outgrowth of G2C initiatives
is that they may facilitate citizen-to-citizen interaction and increase citizen participation in
government by creating more opportunities that overcome possible time and geographic barriers,
thereby connecting citizens who may not ordinarily come into contact with one another.

Government-to-Citizen (G2C)
The third e-government sector is Government-to-Citizen (G2C). G2C initiatives are designed to
facilitate citizen interaction with government, which is what some observers perceive to be the
primary goal of e-government. These initiatives attempt to make transactions, such as renewing
licenses and certifications, paying taxes, and applying for benefits, less time consuming and
easier to carry out. G2C initiatives also often strive to enhance access to public information
through the use of dissemination tools, such as web sites and/or kiosks. Another feature of many
G2C initiatives is the effort to attenuate the agency-centric, and at times, process-laden nature of
some government functions. Some e-government advocates suggest that one of the goals of
implementing these initiatives should be to create a “one-stop shopping” site where citizens can
carry out a variety of tasks, especially those that involve multiple agencies, without requiring the
citizen to initiate contacts with each agency individually. A potential outgrowth of G2C initiatives
is that they may facilitate citizen-to-citizen interaction and increase citizen participation in
government by creating more opportunities that overcome possible time and geographic barriers,
thereby connecting citizens who may not ordinarily come into contact with one another.
Examples of G2C Initiatives. Although many examples of G2C initiatives can be found at the
local and state level, there are also examples at the federal level.
One of these examples is the establishment of the FirstGov Web site. FirstGov, a public-private
partnership, is administered by GSA. Established in September 2000, FirstGov is designed to
serve as the online portal for 51 million pages of government information, services, and online

29
transactions. According to the Web site, FirstGov “has the most comprehensive search of
government anywhere on the Internet.” Its creators also hope that FirstGov will serve as “the
catalyst for a growing electronic government.”
A second example is the IRS. In addition to providing all IRS tax forms online for downloading,
the IRS Web site also contains a wealth of information to answer
a variety of tax-related questions that citizens might normally ask during a call to an IRS
telephone help line or a visit to one of its centers.. Depending on one’s tax situation, e-file can
enable a filer to submit information, make payments, and receive refunds electronically.

Challenges and solutions in the public sector

"e-governance, however, is not really the use of IT in governance but as a tool to ensure good governance. e-
governance does not mean proliferation of computers and accessories; it is basically a political decision which
calls for discipline, attitudinal change in officers and employees, and massive government process re-
engineering, "Ravi Kant (Special Secretary, IT, Govt. of West Bengal) explains.

All implementers and drivers of e-governance initiatives agree that the biggest challenge of
deploying e-governance is not technology but change management. Change management is
important not only in terms of cultural change but also in terms of changing operations and
processes workflow that the automated environment will introduce.

"It's important to educate people at all levels about the benefits of technology. The various
benefits and advantages of e-enabling the system should be communicated clearly right at the

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beginning to ensure popular support which will lead to greater chances of success," explains Dr
G D Gautama, Secretary, IT, Government of West Bengal.

It is important to explain to people that the introduction of IT will not take away existing jobs but
will make them easier, and if less manpower is required for operations the staff can be re-
deployed elsewhere with no threat to their career growth path.

The key challenges with electronic governance are not technology or internet issues but
organizational issues like

• Redefining rules and procedures

• Information transparency
• Legal issues
• Infrastructure, Skill and awareness
• Access to right information
• Interdepartmental collaboration
• Tendency to resist the change in work culture

The challenges of connectivity have also reduced over the years with the falling prices of
bandwidth and increased reach of connectivity service providers. Major VSAT service providers
already have established large footprints in India, and telecom service providers have stepped up
their leased line offerings even in previously unrepresented territories. Many state governments
have developed state wide area networks (SWANs), customized applications, and data banks. But
the interconnectivity of the servers is an issue which calls for the establishment of state data
centers. The NIC, which is promoting e-governance in the country, has established VSAT
connectivity in all the districts of the country. There remain however issues such as
standardization, inter-operability, security, and propriety vs. open source.

The other set of challenges lie in extending the reach of e-Governance services to 70% of Indian
population that lives in villages. These include:

• Assessment of local needs and customizing e-Governance solutions to meet those needs
• Connectivity

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 • Content (local content based on local language)
• Building Human Capacities
• e-Commerce
• Sustainability

e-Governance Challenges Specific to India

We list down some of the challenges which are specific to India - (Some of the inputs are taken
from an officer from NIC).

• Lack of Integrated Services: Most of the e-Governance Services being offered by state
or central governments are not integrated. This can mainly be attributed to Lack of
Communication between different Departments. So the information that resides with one
department has no or very little meaning to some other department of Government.
• Lack of Key Persons: e-Governance projects lack key persons, not only from
technological aspect, but from other aspects as well.
• Population: This is probably the biggest challenge. Apart from being an asset to the
country it offers some unique issues, an important one being Establishing Person
Identities. There is no unique identity of a person in India. Apart from this, measuring the
population, keeping the database of all Indian nationals (& keeping it updated) are some
other related challenges.
• Different Languages: A challenge due to the diversity of the country. It enforces need to
do governance (up to certain level), in local languages. Ensuring eGovernance in local
language is a big task to achieve.
• According to an officer from NIC, success factors of e-Gov projects -
o 10% Technology
o 60% Process
o 20% Change Management
o Rest is luck

Objective of e-governance

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With the sole mission of bringing district administration closer to the common people thus
offering efficient and effective services, e-governance is evolved with the following objectives:

 To effectively participate in the rapidly evolving globally networked society.

 To bridge the gap between India and developed countries.
 To provide a friendly, affordable, speedier and efficient interface between the government
and the public.
 To ensure greater transparency, efficiency, objectivity, accountability and speed that can
help tackle most of the maladies of the government by providing efficient services to the
public.
 To provide responsive and transparent services to the citizens of the state.
 To provide cost effective service and at the same time improving the quality of services.
 To provide a single window for government services at district level.
 To propel forward to a new position of strength in the world economy.

Importance of e-governance
 Building strong and effective information chain.
 Fast and convenient service to citizens.
 Participation in the world economy.
 Effective utilization of resources.
 Integration of communities.
 Reduction in delays, Red tape and corruption.

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 CHAPTER-3

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL (VSAT)

It is basically a two-way satellite ground station with a less than 3 meter tall (most of them are
about 0.75 to 1.2 m tall) dish antenna stationed. The transmission rates of VSATs are usually
from very low and up to 4 Mbit/s. These VSATs’ primary job is accessing the satellites in the
geosynchronous orbit and relaying data from terminals in earth to other terminals and hubs. They
will often transmit narrowband data, such as the transactions of credit cards, polling, RFID (radio
frequency identification) data, and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), or
broadband data, such as satellite Internet, VoIP, and videos. However, the VSAT technology is
also used for various types of communications.
Any requirements for connectivity in remote areas or areas where other technologies cannot
provide services are prime targets for the use of VSAT technologies.

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The user list is long and detailed but can be grouped as follows according to the types of ICT
services required.

One-way VSAT services

The delivery of television broadcasting direct to end-user through the use of Direct-to-home
(DTH) services is the obvious one that everyone knows about. But there are others and the
following list is a sample of where one-way VSAT service are used:

• Stock market and other closed user group information broadcasting

• Distance education and continued education services for large corporate companies

• The distribution of financial analysis services in real time

• The distribution of market information to remote offices located in geographically

dispersed locations

• The updating of market related information, the distribution of new product catalogues
and pricing information to outlets in the retail industries.

• The distribution of audio broadcasting services in shops and public areas

• The introduction of DAB services even direct to end-users (GlobalStar)

• The relay of advertising material to shops and direct to electronic signs

• The relay of information to motor vehicle drivers along highways

Two-way VSAT Services

By far the most significant applications are those that allow for two-way communication via
satellite, especially in areas considered to be rural or so remote that normal ICT services are not
possible.

The most extreme examples available are the delivery of modern ICT services to places such as
the Antarctic and to shops at sea using two-way VSAT systems. These so-called Earth Stations

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on Vessels (ESV's) are now able to maintain all the normal services available on land. The
demand for ESV services on cruise ships extends to the delivery of:

• Normal voice, fax and data connectivity

• Access to internet services and the WWW
• The provision of connectivity to the cellular industry so that mobile GSM services remain
active even on the oceans.

Why is it required?
In order to connect all the depots of a department to its head office and use the ERP system,
which are in a distributed architecture. At present the system is running on Standalone mode and
is updating the central server located at their head office once in a day, using broad-band/dial-up
connectivity.
To improve the efficiency of the system and to put it into full use, VSAT can be used to connect
all the depots located in every regions.

VSAT connectivity also provides with an effective video, voice and data transmission, helping
the organization in proper monitoring of work.5

VSAT is implemented in basically two ways:

• Star topology: This topology uses a central uplink site (eg. Network operations center
(NOC), which transports the data to and from each of the VSAT terminals using satellites.
• Mesh topology: In this configuration, each VSAT terminal will relay data over to another
terminal through the satellite , acting as a hub, which also minimizes the need for an
uplink site.
• Star + Mesh topology: This combination can be achieved (as some VSAT networks do)
by having multiple centralized uplink sites connected together in a multi-star topology
which is in a bigger mesh topology. This topology does not cost so much in maintaining
the network while also lessening the amount of data that needs to be relayed through one

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 or more central uplink site in the network.

VSAT’s strength
VSAT technology has many advantages, which is the reason why it is used so widely today. One
is availability. The service can basically be deployed anywhere around the world. Also the VSAT
is diverse in that it offers a completely independent wireless link from the local infrastructure,
which is a good backup for potential disasters. Its deploy ability is also quite amazing as the
VSAT services can be setup in a matter of minutes. The strength and the speed of the VSAT
connection being homogenous anywhere within the boundaries is also a big plus. Not to forget,
the connection is quite secure as they are private layer-2 networks over the air. The pricing is also
affordable, as the networks themselves do not have to pay a lot, as the broadcast download
scheme (e.g. DVB-S) allows them to serve the same content to thousands of locations at once
without any additional costs. Last but not least, most of the VSAT systems today use onboard
acceleration of protocols (e.g. HTTP, TCP), which allows them to deliver high quality
connections regardless of the latency.

Roles and Uses of VSAT

• Bring the service directly to the end user.

• Reduces hierarchical distribution network (make more efficient and faster).
• Reduces distribution cost.
• The geostationary satellite is used to link a large number of VSATs with the main
switching center in a large city.
• Each VSAT acts as the link to the local switching center in the village or rural
community, with the final mile of the telephony link being carried over a Wireless Local
Loop.

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CHAPTER-4

Conclusion

For e-governance to succeed in India, the most important change that needs to take place within
government i.e. at the central, state and municipal level is not an understanding of technology or
an ability to leverage it or even the need to reinvent the government processes and systems. It is
all about changing mindsets.
For e-governance to make a tangible difference to the lives of the millions of un-served and
under-served in our country, the government has to switch from a mindset of procurement where
technology is seen as input to one where it is focused on outcomes and services. Therefore, use
of technology in government has to be less about ordering PCs and servers but rather what one
can do with them in terms of making government more efficient.

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What is required at this stage in India’s government sector is a strategic shift from the
commodity based IT approach to a mature solution or service based approach. The government
sector need to start procuring IT services rather than procuring hardware and software. Within
this new approach , the IT related needs of government organization are addressed in
conjunction with an IT partner, and after a through consultation process.
This public-private partnership model for managed services enables government to concentrate
on core , mission critical value-adding activities while moving technology-related requirements
to IT professionals.

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 CHAPTER-5

LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT

This report like every other report suffers from some limitations, those are as follows :
(1) This report is based on only the parts of Bihar .
(2) The time was the major constraints during the conduction of the project because my
target was not small enough to cover in the given time.
(3) Network was a constraints as it were too busy for providing the required information.
(4) In an appropriate sampling frame not fully representing the depots might have been
chosen.
(5) Staff members working over there were not friendly and cooperative

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(6) Distance was also one major constraint, the office was located 15 kms from my house.

Recommendations

After a series of discussions and reviews of various e-governance efforts at the centre and
State levels, the National Knowledge Commission formed a special group, under the
chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani, to study e-governance. The report of this group was
discussed at the planning commission and presented to the Minister for communications
and information technology and the minister’s staff. Thereafter, several discussions were
held with other stakeholders including the Administrative Reform Commission. Based on
these discussions we are convinced that e-governance is more about an opportunity for
administrative reforms than merely about electronics and information technology and
infrastructure. We are pleased to submit our recommendations on e-governance which
broadly relate to processes & Standards, Infrastructure and Organization as follows:

• Create awareness about positive role the Government can play in economic and social
development.
• Government process reengineering before any computerization
• Web based services
• Open source software, because of the enormous size and scope of the e-governance effort
in India and because of the availability of globally recognized software talent of Indians,
we must actively encourage wherever possible open source software implementations
and open standards. This will allow us to have cost-effective solutions and help develop
open software products and standards. This will also help improve scaling up as well as
minimize delays caused by repeat tendering.
• Improve connectivity, increase access, lower cost by encouraging innovative solutions
and utilizing all the resources including private sector.
• Build creative models of:
• Strengthen the weakest links to create integrated value chain.
• New National Programs, as government plans to spend hundreds of thousands of crores
on Bharat Nirman, rural employment guarantee scheme, urban development initiatives

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 etc., it is recommended that we mandate that each of these programs begin with well
engineered e-governance implementation and web interface that ensures speedy delivery,
productivity and efficiency. It is recommended to invest 1 to 2 percent of the national
program budget in establishing new processes and associated e-governance infrastructure
to improve delivery and reduce leakage.
• Encourage policy advice to promote a pro-competitive, flexible and socially inclusive
policy with appropriate regulatory framework.
• Design suitable technical assistance program to harness intra regional competencies.

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 CHAPTER-6

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(1) DAILY NEWS PAPERS LIKE HINDUSTAN TIMES, TIMES OF INDIA.

(2) INTERNET WEBSITES

(i) WWW.GOOGLE.COM
(ii) WWW.WIKIPEDIA.COM
(iii) www.ilfsindia.com
(iv) www.egovindia.org
(v) www.egovstandards.gov.in

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