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The Plausibility of E-Governance as a Public Service Delivery Mechanism in India
Get PDFPublic administration is the backbone of the governance system of any nation. The rapid advancements in information and communication technologies and their incorporation in public administration have given rise to the practice of e-governance all over the world. E-governance is regarded as a crucial aspect of citizen-centric governance and has gradually evolved in India. In the due course of time it has acquired one of the centre stages in the programme of administrative reforms. It has come a long way in the country. Considering the need for having a national level plan for promoting e-governance and increasing public accessibility of all government services, the Government of India approved National e-Governance Plan in May 2006. Keeping in view the advantages accruing from use of information and communication technologies in governance process, the central and state governments have embarked upon numerous e-governance initiatives. The thrust on e-governance has increased with successive governments. Recognizing e-governance as one of the thrust areas, the Government of India launched its flagship programme Digital India in July 2015. State governments have their official websites and some of their projects have become popular among the masses in terms of service delivery. There is no doubt that wherever e-governance projects have been conceived, designed and implemented with due regard to the needs of the people there positive outcomes have been visible. However, it has to be acknowledged that most of the projects are facing multiple challenges which are reducing their success rate. A serious consideration must be given to all the issues which are hampering their efficiency. At the same time measures must be taken up to maintain the human face of these initiatives
E-Government in India: The need to study current e-government uptake
No full textSince the emergence of Public choice theory, New Public Management and Re-inventing government in 1990s, governments around the world are attempting to improve the system of public service delivery. The Information age and its rapid stride in the 2000s facilitated the re-invention of governments and prepare them to serve the needs of a diverse society. The information age has redefined the fundamentals and transformed the institutions and mechanisms of service delivery forever. The vision is the articulation of a desire to transform the way government function and it relates to its constituents. This concern gave rise to the concept of E-Government. It was being felt that E-government can be more productive version of government in general, if it is well implemented and managed. With rapid strides being made in the field of ICT, government all over the world are using digital technologies to re-invent their internal operations and in serving the needs of the diverse society and thereby becoming electronic governments. The idea lies in the successful remodelling of traditional form of ‘citizenship’ into ‘e-citizenship’, which redefines the relationship between government and citizens. The world is moving towards Next generation e-government where the citizen is becoming a unique customer.
The ICT revolution on the global level affected the developing economy of India and it was being realised that Indian Government machinery cannot isolate itself from the IT revolution and its effect on the public administration systems and the process of delivery of Information and, services. Therefore a large number of initiatives were undertaken by various Governmental levels to usher in this era of e-Government. Sustained efforts have been made at multiple levels to improve the delivery of public services and simplify the process of accessing them. The significance of E-government is being widely recognized as technological advancements facilitate the administrative systems by enabling Administrative Development and Effective service delivery.
This paper tends to highlight the initiatives taken by the Governments in India at various levels to modernise their processes and functions for delivery of information and services to the citizens, using the Information and Communication technology [ICT]. It also highlights E-Government uptake in different parts of the world, highlighting its need in India, as in developing countries like India, there is no comprehensive data on actual e-government uptake on a global scale
Customs of the Ancient Macedonians in Macedonian National Tradition
Get PDFThe impact of the methodological research of this paper is to highlight ancient Macedonian customs and their influence in the modern Republic of Macedonia. Rather than being altered, vestiges of the past are almost unchanged in some rural areas, as are Macedonian folk beliefs. Indigenous traditions of the ancient Macedonians abounded with numerous ritual activities, although to some extent correspond with the customs of other ancient peoples. However, these practices do have specific features that characterize the folk tradition of the ancient Macedonians interpreted and can be seen as guardians of the Macedonian identity. Although 2,000 years have passed from the ancient period to the present, and it is a bit hypothetical to interpret the rudiments of customs and celebrations from that time, we can allow ourselves to conclude that certain ritual actions from the ancient period, although modified, still largely correspond to the current Macedonian folk customs and beliefs, both in terms of the time of celebration and in terms of ritual actions, procedures and symbolism. Their continuity reflects the Macedonian identity, from antiquity to today
Minority Education | A study of Indian Muslims
Get PDFIt is a universally accepted fact that education is the most potent and effective tool to achieve empowerment of any section of society. Muslims in India lag behind in education is a sad aspect of their life. It is a matter of common beliefs that unless Muslim educational backwardness is addressed, the empowerment of Indian Muslims would remain elusive. The Muslims in India would remain politically marginalized and economically poor unless they overcome their educational backwardness. Education holds the key to the empowerment of Indian Muslims. Education is one of the most powerful factors for the political, social, economic and spiritual development of individuals and communities. It is a well known fact that India cannot march on the path of development and claim to be world leader if majority of its minority community remains educationally backward. High dropout rates among Muslim students are worrisome. As with many Indians, the main reason for educational backwardness of Muslims is abject poverty due to which children are forced to drop out after the first few classes
What Podolsky, Einstein and Others Have Taught Me about Greatness
Get PDFContinuing scientific progress often results in a focus on technological advancements while ignoring those scientists who have brought them to fruition. By ignoring the life stories and struggles of these scientists, generations of students are being deprived of insight that may serve to encourage them to enter the scientific fields. Furthermore, they may develop a perspective that suggests that these advancements occur with little personal or professional struggle. It is becoming increasingly common to compare scientists based upon their achievements. These comparisons could discourage students from entering the scientific disciplines by suggesting that contributions not equal to or surpassing those of the most celebrated scientists are essentially worthless. This results in a winner-take all attitude. This article details the experiences of one social scientist in his quest to develop a greater understanding of science, scientists and those characteristics that ultimately determine greatness
(De)-coloniality/Contemporaneity: An Ideographic Journey towards Nomothetics
Get PDFThe perspective of contemporaneity is a highly dilemmatic ideological space which needs to be analyzed and re-thought within the indigenous premises of thought. If we delve into the roots of ‘now’ ness we find that that we are defined by a past which is mostly girdled by the colonial shadows which continues to invade every segments of human civilization. The biggest dispute of contemporaneity which interrupts the current format of discourse is that the modernity we interpret is the simulated version of coloniality or a form of modernity which still continues to be defined by colonial aesthetics. The ideographical illustrations of the colonizers needs to be succinctly interpreted so that the process of decolonization could be initiated as a logical, constructive nomothetic method de-linked from every form of physical and metaphysical colonial establishments
Democracy, A Tale of Sustainability
Get PDF“Democracy, a tale of Sustainability”, is a trans-disciplinary critical project, it deals with the question of how and why the civilizations of modernity construct social realities that fundamentally and institutionally are socio-politically unequal, unsustainable and that ecologically these societies reproduce unequal exchange of human, social and environmental resources and information. Moreover, it tries to position an alternative pathway for radical and democratic transformation through “the project of autonomy” influenced from the struggle for the commons as a protest against the commodification and monetarization of the whole of our existence. This project is both theoretical and practical; a qualitative and quantitative analysis from Skouries of Halkidiki, Greece. It aims to expand the knowledge about the struggle of social movements, as well as exposing the endless possibilities humanity have to re-imagine an autonomous present and a sustainable future
Migration of Persian literati from Delhi to Awadh
Get PDFAwadh always had been a cultural centre of India from times immemorial. The world famous Sanskrit epic Ramayana has been written here. The decline of Mughal Empire in the first half of 18th century lead to the disintegration of the center of political power and small provincial chieftains claimed independence, leading to the rise of independent princely states. As the centre of power shifted, scholars, poets, historians and men of letters who were bereft of the royal patronage started emigrating from the Delhi court to other parts of the country most notably to Awadh. It was during this milieu that Awadh resurfaced as one of the major centers of Persian language and culture. This paper seeks to provide a short introduction of notables who migrated to Awadh after the fall of Delhi and give a general overview of the life and contribution of these literary figures towards the development of the Persian literature
An inquiry into “The Copper Artifact Master Database (CAMD)”
Get PDFAuthor and Historian Monette Bebow-Reinhard has been working with copper ancient rarities since 2000, when she started her work with the Oconto County (Wisconsin) Historical Society, home of the most established copper entombment site in the country. She has been incorporating a database of copper ancient rarities all through the country with an end goal to track an exchange system. She is also writing articles about what this database shows, and hopes to put out a series of resources manuals to make the data available and show its use. The Copper Artifact Master Database (CAMD) is a compilation of copper artifacts derived from more than 300 museums and collectors who shared their material with her. Monette gathers the data about their collections—where each piece was found, what the piece looks like, how many of each piece was found in that location, and who initially found it (See the sample at the end). “Donor information is important because it can keep her from recording duplicates, because artifacts change hands all the time,” she says.
Monette has a master’s in history, but started research on the Aztecs, Mayas and Incas as part of her undergrad work in anthropology. Monette retained this interest in trade networks and timelines and sees them very sharply coming into focus with this database. Distinction in the Major was called “Aztec Origins.” Since she is neither a private collector nor an excavator, her emphasis is on being an arbiter between collectors and archaeologists and in offering her compilation to researchers, students, archaeologists and museums—any interested in learning more about these ancient populations in the Americas. Monette addressed a couple of our inquiries concerning her work in copper examination
Cultural Values of Customary Handicraft: Cloth weaving in the Case of Macca Oromo Ethnic group in Western Ethiopia
Get PDFThis paper provides the role of weaving activity in socio-cultural life of Oromo society in general and Macca Oromo in particular. Data were collected through. Qualitative data collection tools like interview, focus group discussion and observation. Interviews were conducted to establish the cultural, social, tourism, ecological and aesthetic value. Apart from interviews, scheduled observations were administered so as to collect in-depth information and data. Lastly focused group discussion was also cried out with selective key informant. The paper addresses contribution of weaving activity in Oromo cultural life. The local inhabitant prefer products of indigenous weavers, they like and respect it. It viewed as holy and used in ritual celebration. Similarly the skill reveals creative ability, identity, culture and history of weavers and users. Furthermore it plays great role in perseveration of cultural heritage, employment creation, tourist attraction and environmental protection