Digital tools in the public sphere must be used as shields and not weapons

livemint.com:

As India’s democracy nears the end of the world’s largest electoral exercise, it is evident that digital technologies have changed the whole landscape of Indian policymaking, reshaping governance, citizen engagement, political campaigning and elections. This transformation has not only streamlined bureaucratic processes, but also brought services closer to the people, fostering financial inclusion and digital empowerment. Ministries and government departments have embraced digital tools to raise transparency, efficiency and accountability.

Performance dashboards, social media handles and grievance redressal mechanisms like Twitter Seva have become standard features of governance, allowing citizens to interact directly with the government and monitor its performance. The success of tech-led governance is visible in various innovative schemes and digital platforms. Jan Dhan Yojana accounts have enabled financial inclusion by giving over 500 million unbanked citizens access to banking services through electronic KYC.

Digilocker has simplified document management for citizens and reduced reliance on physical copies. UPI has transformed digital payments, making transactions easier and faster. Fastag has eased congestion at toll plazas and improved traffic flows.

The GSTN has modernized India’s taxation system. The DBT system ensures the targeted delivery of subsidies and benefits directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries, minimizing leakages and corruption. Jeevan Pramaan, a biometric-enabled digital life certificate, has simplified pension disbursement for retired government employees.