Situating Digital India Mission in Pursuit of Good Governance: A Study of Electronic Governance Initiatives in the Indian Province of Odisha

Abstract

Contemporary states act as facilitators and this facilitation can be result oriented and successful only when effective governance is ensured. In the era of globalisation, greater emphasis is being laid today on good governance because of the critical link between the state and the global community. The nation states need to reinvent themselves and reframe their development strategy, which requires a thorough revision of their existing approach to international relations and internal governance. As a part of the ongoing administrative reform process, e-governance envisages a structural change in the bureaucracy and is perceived as a key to a more flexible and proactive governance in tune with the concerns of citizen-friendly administration. The present article explores the challenges and prospects of e-governance and tries to delve into the complex socio-cultural dynamics alongside political-bureaucratic initiatives that are crucial factors for the successful transition from traditional governance to the electronic governance. It attempts to situate the ongoing Digital India Mission in the larger context of good governance by examining the case study of the Indian Province of Odisha, where a silent but stunning revolution is taking shape.