Discuss the role of technological innovation in bringing about fairness and transparency in public delivery system. (HPAS Mains Question Paper 2022 – GS 1, Q.9)
Technological innovation has played a vital role in promoting justice and openness in public service delivery. It has helped the government to enhance service delivery, boost efficiency, decrease corruption, and give residents better services.
Technological Innovations Bringing Fairness Public Service Delivery:
1. Aadhar: An Aadhar card is a unique identifying number issued by the Indian government to all citizens. Aadhaar is connected to an individual’s biometric and demographic data, ensuring that the identifying procedure is free of duplication and fraud. This method has improved the distribution of government subsidies and services by ensuring that only qualified people get them.
2. The National Scholarship Portal is an online portal that serves as a one-stop shop for all scholarships granted by the Indian government. The method assures that scholarships are available to all qualifying students, regardless of socioeconomic condition. The site also simplifies the application process, allowing students to apply and check the progress of their application more efficiently.
3. Public Distribution System (PDS): The Indian government’s Public Distribution System (PDS) employs technology to make the distribution of food grains to people experiencing poverty more equitable. To guarantee that only qualified recipients get subsidized food grains, the PDS system employs a computerized database. The method has decreased leakages and corruption in the distribution process while also increasing transparency.
Technological Innovations Bringing Transparency Public Service Delivery:
1. Online RTI portal: The online site for the Right to Information (RTI) allows people to submit RTI petitions online. This method has made the RTI application process more efficient and transparent. People may follow the progress of their applications online, and the system guarantees that all RTI-related information is publicly accessible online.
2. BHIM UPI (Unified Payments Interface): BHIM UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is a mobile payment system that enables users to transfer money using their mobile phones immediately. This approach has increased financial transaction transparency and made it simpler for users to keep track of their transactions. It has also decreased the necessity for cash transactions, lowering the likelihood of corruption.
3. eCourts: eCourts is an Indian government project to computerize the operation of the Indian court. This approach has improved the efficiency and transparency of judicial procedures. People may view case status, case history, and judgements online, and the system assures that judges, attorneys, and litigants have access to all case-related information.
