The e-Forms application project which combines state portal, state service delivery gateway and electronic form, aims to create an integrated information infrastructure that will enhance the utility and reach of citizen services through Common Service Centres (CSCs) by leveraging the common infrastructure of SWAN and SDC at the State level. With this, citizens can access the services under a single interface mechanism from the portal.
Governments, across the world, are under pressure to deliver services to citizens effectively and efficiently. IT systems are a critical foundation as governments seek to be more connected to citizens, businesses and partner agencies. In the words of Sandeep Raina, Senior VP – Government and Defence, Cisco India & SAARC, “In e- Governance, the whole infrastructure is electronic, data resides in one place and network moves the data around. This electronic infrastructure will ensure that citizen services are delivered seamlessly and cohesively.”
But the Government cannot build this electronic infrastructure alone. Solutions enabled by partnerships between government agencies and private companies are key to successful e-Governance implementation.
Complementary strengths
Shankar Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Department of Information and Technology (DIT), Government of India explains the advantages of this powerful partnership, “There are delays and unmet goals in projects envisioned and implemented by the government due to lack of financial resources. The private sector brings these resources. Government provides the much needed sustainability and scalability. Also, efficiency takes a back seat in purely government run initiatives because of rules and regulations. Private participation brings efficiency along with funding.” Naresh Wadhwa, President and Country Head, Cisco India and SAARC, feels that Public Private Partnerships are the key to ensure e- Governance spreads wide, to the nook and corners of the country. “The common man in distant villages will be benefitted as he would access all citizen services available in a city. And, for this vision to be realized, huge investments are required, that are not possible for the government to deploy alone, without private participation.”
“The common man in distant villages will be benefitted as he would access all citizen services available in a city. And, for this vision to be realized, huge investments are required, that are not possible for the government to deploy alone, without private participation.”
Naresh Wadhwa
President and Country Head, Cisco India and SAARC
Some success stories in 3 Ps (Public Private Partnership)
The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)’s vision is to extend affordable citizen services to all Indian citizens, including those in distant villages. Private involvement has a role to play in all components of NeGP, be it creating infrastructure, delivering services in the form of mission mode projects or creating awareness.
Creating infrastructure Swans and SDCS
The Implementation of State Wide Area Network (SWAN) and State Data Centres (SDC) is the foundation for connected administration, paving the way for e-Districts. Cisco is working closely with the government, in association with HCL Comnet, Wipro, TCS and UTL for SWAN roll outs. In fact, more than 70 per cent of the SWAN roll-outs currently underway are being deployed with Cisco tecnology.
A case in point is in the state of Uttar Pradesh. S.B Singh, DDG-NIC, Uttar Pradesh details the impressive statistics, “We have created State Wide Area Network in 70 districts and 243 tehsils. All administrative offi cers are connected with this network.”
Delivery of G2C Services (Government to citizen services)
Income Tax payment online is a visible outcome of electronic delivery of services. Another initiative is the Unreserved Ticketing Solution (UTS) that 
“Through Panchdeep, an employee gets comprehensive health care through one card. It is a single window for healthcare services.”
Sandeep Raina Senior VP, Government and Defence Cisco India and SAARC
Cisco is working on for Indian Railways. Technology expertise is taking the success of e-Governance to the next level in Panchdeep, implemented for theEmployee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) by Cisco. Explains Sandeep Raina, Sr. VP – Government and Defence, Cisco India & SAARC, “Through Panchdeep, an employee gets comprehensive health care through one card. It is a single window for healthcare services.” S.K. Garg, Director- Employee State Insurance Corporation expands on the technology background of Panchdeep, “Of the fi ve components of Panchdeep, Milap is the backbone – 2200 offi ces connected by LAN and WAN.”
e-Forms– another jewel in the PPP crown
The e-Forms application project which combines state portal, state service delivery gateway and electronic form, aims to create an integrated information infrastructure that will enhance the utility and reach of citizen services through Common Service Centres (CSCs) by leveraging the common infrastructure of SWAN and SDC at the State level. With this, citizens can access the services under a single interface mechanism from the portal. The success of e-Forms depends on SWAN, State Data Centres ( SDC) and CSC; Cisco has played amajor role in building each of these pillar projects. With the projects nearing completion, e-Forms will soon be a reality in India. An illustration of knowledge sharing by private players is the Public Sector Roundtables on e-Forms convened by Cisco. Experts from Austria were invited to share best practices from similar implementations in their country. These knowledge exchange sessions were appreciated by key participants from the central and state governments.
The enabling force of technology
In the march of modern India towards greater heights, delivering government services at citizens’ doorsteps is a critical milestone. And technology is the backbone in this endeavor. Given the private sector’s vast global experience in implementing technology, public – private partnerships are a critical factor in rolling out e-governance projects, quickly and successfully.
Prakash Kumar, Sr. Vice President, Public Sector, Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG – Cisco’s global strategic consulting arm that helps Fortune 500 companies and leading public organisations across the world) explains this dimension, “Private companies have the advantage of having experienced similar scenarios elsewhere in the world.They can hence anticipate the probable roadblocks in implementation.”
Public Private Partnerships deliver benefi ts to both parties. While the government gets access to ideas and technology, the private sectors tastes the benefi ts of the scale that only governments can provide. A true win-win all the way.