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Revamping India’s Digital Governance: A Vision for Modern Web Infrastructure
- THE GEOSTRATA
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
The past ten years have witnessed high rates of technology and digital service development in India. The emergence of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and other online platforms has not only transformed the mode of operation of digital payment systems, but it has also led to the possibility of carrying out billions of transactions in a few seconds. Similar to the one experienced in the banking industry, Aadhaar assigned an identification number to each of the 1.4 billion Indian citizens that facilitates effective delivery of government services.
Illustration by The Geostrata
Simultaneously, little consideration has been given to the enhancement of websites by the government as portals for delivering online community services. As many individuals are accessing the internet in the nation, the government now depends on the websites to provide the citizens with vital information, programs and choices for ventilating grievances and issues.
However, there are numerous government websites with poor designs; they are not universal, insecure, and do not have decent applications on mobile. Owing to this disconnection, the level of trust will decline, fewer services will be used, and digital exclusion will increase.
This article is aimed at considering the problems with the government websites in India, their impact on government accessibility and trustworthiness, and, consequently, proposes the policies to create a governance system that would be responsive to the needs of each citizen to create a governance system suitable to the needs of every citizen by the year 2047.
ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY CHALLENGES
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and new government websites guidelines (GIGW 3.0) have been launched in India to protect the rights of people with disabilities. However, various audits report grave negligence on the part of governments in terms of the enforcement of accessibility laws. According to the report by the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), only 5 per cent of government websites comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) by 2023 (CIS, 2023).
A few of such issues are that a user has a hard time navigating websites using keyboard-only shortcuts, a lack of screen reader support and visually based CAPTCHAs, which disallow visually impaired users to navigate the website. As a result of this neglect, India does not implement its obligations contained in the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities and, thus, is not able to provide equal access to digital administration services.
USER EXPERIENCE DEFICIENCIES
The layouts of most of the government portals are old-fashioned and messy, the content of these websites is not arranged properly, and the menu lists have complicated structures. Poor user experience (UX) is one of the reasons why people do not desire to use the app.
People who used the CoWIN portal to get vaccinated felt the same when the COVID-19 pandemic came, and there is no clear layout that enables them to book a vaccination easily.
Most websites owned by the government are on archaic technologies, resulting in slow access rates, frequent crashes, which reduces customer confidence and satisfaction.
SECURITY ISSUES AND DATA PRIVACY THREATS
Some of the key government portals are experiencing serious security challenges, given that the governance has taken a more digital profile. Investigators and the news reporters have identified a number of instances where confidential information is being leaked, whereby data security is compromised, and information regarding their personal lives is being treated in a dangerous manner on government websites.
This kind of security threat exposes people to risks of getting identity theft, bank fraud, and the use of their personal information. Because the Personal Data Protection Bill of India has yet to be ratified, there is a weakness in demands for cybersecurity that may be potentially hazardous and a threat to the success of digital governance initiatives.
MOBILE OPTIMISATION GAPS
The majority of Indian internet services are going to be mobile-oriented because now over 750 million people use smartphones, and internet access is increasingly becoming widespread in the countryside. Nevertheless, a large portion of the Government websites remains computer-inept, thus, difficult to browse through, and sluggish on mobile devices (as per the IAMAI Report 2024).
This keeps rural users, low-income earners, as well as the first-time adopters of the digital world, who largely depend on mobile internet, at a disadvantage, since mobile internet services often experience a volatile nature. Consequently, there are individuals in this category who find it difficult to pay their taxes as well as obtain permits in the hands of the government.
India is at a turning point in its digitalisation. Despite the fact that India has other achievements, such as UPI, which demonstrates just how geared technologically it could be, the shabbiness of the government websites is a huge problem and, as such, a barrier to good governance.
Accessibility gaps, poor user experience, security breaches, and lousy mobile support are the problems that do not encourage the government to perform as the government had promised in a bid to make Digital India.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
To address these systemic challenges, a concerted, policy-driven approach is essential. The following recommendations are designed to modernise government websites comprehensively, enhance citizen trust, and fulfil India’s digital inclusion goals:
Mandate: All government websites must comply fully with GIGW 3.0 and WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
Implementation: Establish an independent oversight body within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) tasked with conducting quarterly accessibility audits and publishing results transparently.
Enforcement: Non-compliant websites should be flagged for immediate remediation within six months, failing which penalties or public censure should apply.
Rationale: Accessibility is a fundamental right and prerequisite for inclusive digital governance, enabling persons with disabilities and the elderly to engage fully with state services.
LEARNING FROM INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLES
Estonia, being a leading country in the field of digital governance, has adopted an easy-to-use e-government platform and mandates all its websites to adopt high standards of accessibility and security. Estonian online services for the public get an e-identity that is more secure for everybody and easy to access.
User-friendliness and big guarantees on the security of the data have attracted people and convinced most of them to use it even more. Such cases must be adapted in the particular case of India, on innovations, inclusion of all, safety and scalability.
THE DEMOCRATIC IMPERATIVE OF DIGITAL RENEWAL
The government sites are not only the source to locate information but also an important source in bringing governance more active, transparent and accountable. The insignificance of updating such portals can make a broad number of individuals remain digitally isolated. Because digital literacy has become so significant nowadays, upgrading the sites of the government must also become a featured component of the e-governance model of India.
Moving India towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 depends on relying on digital governance to ensure equity, proper institutional operations, and increased democracy.
However, unless our government websites are fully updated, this foundation is still unstable. Today, using these digital platforms is essential, since they lead to better welfare, greater rights and more civic involvement. Should they stay unreliable, insecure or simply ill-equipped, the digital revolution in India would overlook millions of rural, disabled and economically poor people.
India calls for a system of governance that is intelligent, adjustable to future needs and aims to help its citizens. As UPI changed the way of transacting money, government websites should be improved to change the way public services are delivered. Enhancing these platforms is primarily about strategy, so that everyone in India can get the public services with ease and dignity.
The technological aspects of a digital democracy must live up to its goals. The process of making India inclusive, empowered and transparent by 2047 begins with just one click, and that click will be meaningful for all.
BY POSHIKKA MUKKU
TEAM GEOSTRATA
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