Skip to main content

A Challenging E-journey Along the Silk Road: Lessons Learned from E-governments in China and India

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 1918 Accesses

Part of the book series: Integrated Series in Information Systems ((ISIS,volume 25))

Abstract

Recent experiments from around the world have offered testimony to the relevance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in disseminating and simplifying the delivery of government-to-citizen services. Even in developing countries, successful e-government service delivery can, achieve three vital objectives—transparency, accessibility, and development. China and India are the first and second most populous nations in the world, respectively, accounting for over 37% of the world’s total population. Both countries are characterized by urban–rural disparities, income gaps, and inequalities in access of essential services. Toward the goal of bridging these divides in access to the government or its services, ICT opportunities for development are being explored by extensively implementing e-government networks within urban and rural regions. However, both successes and failures are prevalent within their current e-government infrastructures. This chapter probes the question of what determines a project’s success, using Heeks’ “Design-Reality Gap” model and infoDev’s criteria for successful e-government projects. An analysis is attempted of two e-government projects each in China and India. The authors’ analyses are solely based on secondary sources from practitioners, scholars, and governments that were involved with the projects in China or India. This chapter aims to emphasize the necessary role of underlying factors relevant to Indian and Chinese e-governments, such as education, funding, connectivity, leadership, and governmental control. In the absence of these factors, it is expected that success might be elusive.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   279.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The impact of Indian e-government initiatives: issues of poverty and vulnerability reduction, and conflict.

    Name of Journal: Regional Development Dialogue, 2005, UNCRD and UNDP.

  2. 2.

    Where the effort is far more localized in nature.

  3. 3.

    Where the effort is dictated by a central government.

  4. 4.

    www.zhongguancun.com.cn

  5. 5.

    $1 = 45 Indian Rupees.

  6. 6.

    Rs. 180 million (Chawla, 2007).

  7. 7.

    Rs. 15 million.

  8. 8.

    http://www.stockholmchallenge.se/project/data/Gyandoot

  9. 9.

    http://www.Gyandoot.nic.in/

  10. 10.

    Table 6.1 refers to the Bhoomi and Gyandoot projects in India as compared to infoDev’s criteria, while Table 6.2 addresses characteristics of Heeks’ model for all the projects in China and India.

References

  • APDIP (2006). Fighting Corruption with e-Government Applications. APDIP e-Note.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatia, D., Bhatnagar, S. C., & Tominaga, J. (2009). How do manual and e-government services compare? Experiences from India. In Information and communications for development 2009: Extending reach and increasing impact (pp. 67–82). Washington, DC: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatnagar, S. (2003). Access to information report: E-government. London: Profile Books Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatnagar, S. (2004). E-government: From vision to implementation. India: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatnagar, S., & Vyas, N. (2001). Gyandoot: Community owned rural intranet kiosks. Washington, DC: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmine, S., & Yuhang, S. (1999). World wide web site design and use in public management. In G. D. Garson (Ed.), Information technology and computer applications in public administration: Issues and trends (pp. 246–266). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrow, J. (2001). Five keys to e-government. Interactive Week, 8(2), 86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cecchini, S. (2002, July 10). Evaluation of Gyandoot and Bhoomi (India). (H. Arazyan, Interviewer) Development Gateway.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cecchini, S., & Raina, M. (2004). Electronic government and the rural poor: The case of Gyandoot. Information Technologies and International Development, 65–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Center for Democracy and Technology. (2002). The e-government development handbook for developing countries. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chawla, R. (2004). BHOOMI: Online delivery of record of rights, tenancy and crops to farmers in Karnataka, India. New Delhi: National Institute for Smart Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chawla, R., & Bhatnagar, S. (2004). Online delivery of land titles to rural farmers in Karnataka, India. In Reducing poverty, sustaining growth—what works, what doesn’t, and why a global exchange for scaling up success. Washington, DC : World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, A. J., Pan, S. L., Zhang, J., Huang, W. W., & Zhu, S. (2009). Managing e-government implementation in China: A process perspective. Information & Management, 46, 203–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciborra, C. (2005). Interpreting e-government and development: Efficiency, transparency or governance at a distance? Information Technology & People, 18(3), 260–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciborra, C., & Navarro, D. D. (2005). Good governance, development theory, and aid policy: Risks and challenges of e-government in Jordan. Information Technology for Development, 11(2), 141–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dada, D. (2006). The failure of e-government in developing countries: A literature review. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, 26(7), 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • De, R. (2005). E-government systems in developing countries: Stakeholders and conflict. In M. A. Wimmer., et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Electronic Government, 4th International Conference (pp. 26–37). Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • De, R. (2006). The impact of Indian e-government initiatives: Issues of poverty and vulnerability reduction, and conflict. Regional Development Dialogue. UNCRD and UNDP.

    Google Scholar 

  • De, R. (2006, December 14). Design and evaluation of the societal impact of GII: The case of bhoomi in Karnataka, India. Bangalore, Karnataka, India: Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadiyar, C. (2007, December 10). Bhoomi empowers rural Karnataka. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from Dataquest: http://dqindia.ciol.com/content/top_stories/2007/107121001.asp

  • Hanlon, C. (2004, May 20). On the road to Shanghai: India; closing the digital divide to cut corruption and poverty. Retrieved from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20204636~menuPK:34459~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html

  • Heeks, R. (Ed.). (1999). Reinventing government in the information age: International practice in IT-enabled public sector reform. London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heeks, R. (2003). Most eGovernment-for-development projects fail: how can risks be reduced? Manchester: IDPM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ho, A. T.-K. (2002). Reinventing local governments and the e-government initiative. Public Administration Review, 62, 434–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • infoDev. (2002). The e-government handbook for developing countries. Washington, DC: infoDev and Center for Democracy and Technology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jafri, A., Dongre, A., Tripathi, V. N., Aggrawal, A., & Shrivastava, S. (2002). Information communication technologies and governance: The Gyandoot experiment in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, India. London: Overseas Development Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelles-Viitanen, A. (2003). The role of ICT in poverty reduction. The Finnish Economy and Society, 82–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lan, L. (2004). E-government: A catalyst to good governance in China. In Knowledge management in electronic government (pp. 317–324). Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovelock, P., & Ure, J. (2002). Assessing China’s efforts in constructing an e-government. In M. Woesler & J. Zhang (Eds.), China digital dream: The impact of the internet on Chinese society (pp. 177–200). Bochum: The University Press Bochum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo, G. (2009). E-government, people and social change: A case study in China. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, 38(3), 1–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansell, R., & Wehn, U. (1998). Knowledge societies: Information technology for sustainable development. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ndou, V. (2004). E-government for developing countries: Opportunities and challenges. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, 18(1), 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • PCIP. (2002). Roadmap for e-government in the developing world: 10 questions e-government leaders should ask themselves. Los Angeles: PCIP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scavo, C., & Shi, Y. (1999). World Wide Web site design and use in public management. In G. D. Garson (Ed.), Information technology and computer applications in public administration:Issues and trends. Hershey: IDEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seneviratne, S. J. (1999). Information technology and organizational change in the public sector. In Information technology and computer applications in public administration: issues and trends (pp. 41–61). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, R. (2003). Information and communications technologies (ICTs) for poverty reduction: when, where and how? Ottawa: IDRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan, X. (2002). Development of e-government in China—present status, challenges, and problems. In M. Woesler & J. Zhang (Eds.), China digital dream: The impact of the internet on Chinese society (pp. 177–200). Bochum: The University Press Bochum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vrasidas, C., Zembylas, M., & Glass, G. V. (2009). ICT for development: Challenges and possibilities. In C. Vrasidas, M. Zembylas, & C. V. Glass (Eds.), ICT for education, development and social justice (pp. 3–17). Greenwich: Information Age.

    Google Scholar 

  • World, T. W.-G. (2002). Roadmap for e-government in the developing world. Pacific Council on International Policy.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. (2009). Definition of e-government. http://go.worldbank.org/M1JHE0Z280

  • Xu, D., & Astone, M. (2005). E-government in China. Retrieved from http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/ APCITY/UNPAN022802.pdf

  • Yan, Z. (2006). Municipal e-government in China: The case of Beijing. Beijing: BMOI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, X. (2004). E-government in China: A content analysis of national and provincial web sites.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Alankar Bandyopadhyay or Sahar D. Sattarzadeh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bandyopadhyay, A., Sattarzadeh, S.D. (2010). A Challenging E-journey Along the Silk Road: Lessons Learned from E-governments in China and India. In: Reddick, C. (eds) Comparative E-Government. Integrated Series in Information Systems, vol 25. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6536-3_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics