Mobile Governance - An Indian Perspective

M-Governance is a strategy and its implementation involves the utilization of all kinds of wireless and mobile technology services, applications and devices for improving benefits for citizens, business and all Government units. The rapid diffusion of mobile ICT gadgets such as laptops, mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), along with emails, instant messaging and other networking services have rapidly fuelled the mobilization of interaction. People, vehicles, air traffic, post and information have become more and more mobile around the world and our society is increasingly being recognized as a nomadic or mobile society. All these clearly indicate the burgeoning public interest in mobility and various issues relating to ‘being mobile.’ Mobility is being regarded as a new paradigm in computing. The mobile revolution will soon outpace the Internet revolution. The new paradigm shift will be marked by mobile, "Always- on" citizens, government, as well as the transient on-line communities. In order to take the full advantage of the mobile and wireless ICT technology as well as dealing with the fluidity of the interaction with the mobile society and a booming mobile usage rates some Government has initiated action to set up m-government Services offered by departments identified for pilot level implementation and to deliver services though mobile phones accessible to the citizens in the field, in the street, at home or other convenient locations on a 24 x 7 basis, rather than the users having to visit Government offices or log on to the Internet portals to access services. Governments in various countries are working on several projects to deliver various services to the public using mobile phones. M-governance’s objective is to make it possible for people of the country to access different kinds of information, and eventually even equip them to effect payments of bills, using their mobile phones. At this scenario the objective of the paper is to explore the potential for m-governance in India, next section throws some light on case studies on m- governance, third section concentrates and policy and regulatory issues pertaining to m-governance in India and finally ends with conclusion. Keywords: M-Governance: Mobile Governance, ICT: Information and Communication Technologies, Policy Issues.