The Largest Democracy - India
1 like795 views
The document discusses India's potential for electronic democracy (e-democracy) through citizen engagement using social media and mobile technology. It outlines the VOTERS framework for e-democracy, which stands for verifiable, open, transparent, empathetic, responsive, and sensitive. Recent anti-corruption protests in India engaged millions of citizens online and off to demand reforms. If implemented, the VOTERS framework could help the government become more transparent, responsive to citizens, and accountable through open consultation and access to information online.
The Largest Democracy - India
- 1. The Largest Democracy (India) Poised for Electronic Government and Electronic Democracy Suggested Framework: Verifiable, Open, Transparent, Empathetic, Responsive and Sensitive (VOTERS) eDemocracy
- 2. India Against Corruption (IAC) Protests • A Voluntary Online Movement against Corruption • Dedicated Software Engineers and Social Engineers • Young Techno Savvy Population of 450 Million Online Social Media and on Net Phones • 65 percent of 1.2 Billion population is below 35 years age • 50 percent of 1.2 Billion population is below 25 years age • By 2020 India will have the largest youngest people in the world
- 3. IAC – 2nd Indian Freedom Movement • Nearly half of the Indian population (640 million) own GSM mobile phones now • texting at least ten other friends was the advice given by the Team GANDHIAN.
- 4. IAC Protest – Gandhian Non- Violent Way • IAC – Apolitical Organisation • Gandhian Activism • Smart Mobs (Howard 2009) • Non-violent/Ethical Online and Offline • National Pride
- 5. IAC & Smart Mobs & eWord of Mouse Howard Rheingold coined the term smart mob in a book (www.smartmobs.com/author/howard). by the same name. Smart mobs are a More inclusive form of digital technology-based mobilization. Rheingold uses the term to refer to a series of sharing, collaborative, performative engagements that they have Emerged around the world, especially with young people using the Internet. Such people don’t know each other, but through different peer to peer protocols, are able to share their resources towards a particular purpose. So it might be a group of friends who want to seek sharing their idle computing time or people using location based applications to meet each other in a café and form friendship. Smart mobs are essentially different from flash mobs because they have a specific agenda and are geared towards a longer, sustained and enduring practice of community belonging and building.
- 6. Drivers for a Spontaneous Protest • Wikileaks Assange disclosing that Indians have per capita most unaccounted money in secret bank accounts outside India • Major scam coming to light in Telecom Contract award sector
- 7. Evolutionary Indian Civic Community Appears Virtual Social Revolutionary How Self Organised Virtual Communities Happened? The Role of • Mass Media • Social Network Media (Twitter, Facebook, You Tube) • ICT Media
- 8. Contd.. No movement in India has ever had a Twitter handle, a Facebook page, an Orkut community, LinkedIn group, an e-mail address, an Interactive Voice Responsive System (IVRS), a mobile app for Nokia and Android. The movement led by “Anna” Hazare, India Against Corrupt personalities attracted experts such as a lawyer, a software engineer, a system analyst, a journalist, and others that are driven to keep this “worthwhile” cause alive.
- 9. The Framework of V.O.T.E.R.S Verifiable: Authenticate; Certifiable; Possible to verify; Verifiable account of an incident (i.e. Social Audit) Open: Free of prejudice; Receptive to new ideas and arguments; Citizens Rights and Citizens setting public agenda Transparent: Free from deceit or fraud; Frank; Easily detectable or seen through; Readily understood; Characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices Empathetic: Compassionate ; Humane Responsive: Responsive to the needs of customers - receivers of products and services ie Citizen Customers Sensitive: Discretionary authority over important policy matters
- 10. "There is no longer any doubt of the linkages between corruption, poverty and human rights abuses. An open and transparent state will provide for fuller realization of economic, social and political rights. There will be fewer secrets, less discrimination, and more equal access to public services like education and health care, as well as to fair treatment by the police and judiciary. Let us join together to fight corruption. It is a battle that can be won." (Robinson, Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, home page, Transparency International, 2012, p.1)
- 11. E-Information: Government websites provide information on policies and programs, budgets, laws and regulations; along with other briefs on key public interest. Tools for broadcasting of Information is available for timely access and use of public information, including web Forums, email lists, newsgroups, and chat rooms; E-Consultation: The government website explains ways and means of e-consultation and tools, while offering choice of public policy topics online for discussion with real time and archived access to audio and video of public meetings. The government encourages citizens to participate in discussions; E-Decision-making: The government informs that it will take citizen input into decision-making, while undertaking to provide actual feedback on the outcome of specific issues.
- 12. eDemocracy Maturity Meta Model Web Presence Web Interactive Web Transactive Transfaormational eDemocracy V.O.T.E.R.S eDemocracy
- 13. One Year after IAC Movement • The Civil Activist – Gandhian Anna Hazare on Twitter • Prime Minister of India joins Twitter • Cases of Corruption are not overlooked • Many politicians and beuracrats being investigagted • Government working to introduce genuine Peoples Anti - Corrutiption Bill • No persecution of Social Media • Citizen-centric IT laws passed for service delivery • Government officials made accountable with penalties
- 14. Karna S. Rao PhD (Tsukuba University, Japan) Center for EGovernment and Open Democracy (CEGOD), Bangalore, India email: skar009@gmail.com Mobile: Australia 0061 413792591