E-GOVERNANCE POLICY FOR MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT THROUGH DIGITAL DEMOCRACY IN INDIA

Access to ICTs alone does not make for successful national e-governance projects in developing countries, argues Dr. Prasad. India's National e-Governance Plan, key to its administrative reform agenda, proposes to extend the Internet to the remotest of villages. Making this relevant at the local level requires participatory efforts to promote democratic practices. The foundation of this initiative is a program of e-literacy, capacity building, and installation of ubiquitous broadband-enabled computer kiosks based on entrepreneurial public-private partnerships. The best example of this is the Akshaya Centres project in Kerala, a potential model for the rest of India and other developing nations.