If you’re reading this opinion piece, there’s a good chance you have internet access. And if you’re reading it from a smart phone or a tablet device then the chances are just as good that you have a few applications, or apps, downloaded as well.
While they are more than likely a mix of practical apps like banking, social apps such as Facebook and fun apps such as Angry Birds, a whole bunch more are set to become available from the government sector.
Apps such as Paytm, where you can recharge your mibiles and pay bills and fines, a HR self-service app, where people can look into jobs, and even a MySeva app allowing users to access all government services, have been rolled out recently.
Recently in the launch of a taxi app - Liftago, which detects a customer’s location, allows them to order cabs and track them in real time.
The latter, having used it in other countries, is a winner in this reporter’s books.
So, what does all this e-government mean for the interaction between citizens and authorities?
According to Dr Usman Zafar, country manager for Ritz IT solutions firm, all this extra engagement between citizens and the public sector needs to come with a set of rules. For both authorities and users.
Like never before, people can instantly let their governments (and others) know what they think. The Indian Government knows this – even building a specific app called Suggestions and Complaints to recognise this reality and embrace, not ignore, it.
But, as India moves to become a “smart country”, including with more wifi hotspots in public places, and more apps to interact with residents, the challenge will be to convince people of the merits of dealing with the government online as well as ensuring the apps provide an as good as, if not improved, service.
Would you prefer dealing with government agencies via an app or in another way?
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