Strengthen public service platforms amid rising public frustration

Requiring citizens to access public services digitally also means ensuring reliable platforms.

Delivering seamless digital governance was one of the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s ambitious election agendas. After winning the election and assuming office in March, it set out a 100-point good governance plan that promised reforms in taxes, healthcare, agriculture and accountability to enable seamless public service delivery. Initially, it upgraded the Hello Sarkar grievance platform to operate 24 hours a day. It introduced paperless processing for passports, citizenship certificates and driving licences through the Nagarik App and cleared the backlog of smart driving licences. The emphasis on technology and digital governance in the reform agenda, along with the actions taken since assuming office in the sector, is commendable. Still, it is not doing enough to resolve the long-standing issues that hinder the country’s ambition for digital governance.