ICT its role in e-governance and rural development

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play a key role in development & Economic growth of the Developing countries of the World. Political, Cultural, Socio-economic Developmental & Behavioral decisions today rests on the ability to access, gather, analyze and utilize Information and Knowledge. ICT is the conduits that transmit information and knowledge to individual to widen their choices for Economic and social empowerment. People around the Globe from few years from now will be carrying a handheld computer connected to the Web to get the information about the World at their fingertips. Government of India is having an ambitious objective of transforming the citizen-government interaction at all levels to by the electronic mode (e-Governance) by 2020.A successful ICT application in e-Governance giving one-stop solutions for rural community is the need of the hour. Implementation of IT Act 2000 is yet in a nebulous stage though the Act was enacted 10 years back. In this paper, we have analyzed various issues relating to e-Governance, Administrative Reforms in Rural Development context. We have also included an introductory discussion about "Information and Communication Technologies" sector strategy approach paper 2011 which will define the road map for preparing the World Bank Groups new ICT sector strategy for the coming years for the development of the poor & developing countries of the Glob. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.