Inclusive Development through E-Governance: Political Economy of E-Government Projects in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala in India

Abstract

E-government projects have assumed prominence in the developing countries in the last decade to improve the quality of citizen-government engagement. Can such projects aim at inclusive development focusing on the traditionally marginalized communities and social groups? What are the institutional and political economy factors that determine the nature, scope, and success of such projects? In this paper, I examine these factors in the context of five specific e-government projects in three southern states in India. These projects are: eSEVA and Computer-aided Administration of Registration Department (CARD) in Andhra Pradesh, Sustainable Access in Rural India (SARI) project in Tamil Nadu, and Akshaya and Information Kerala Mission (IKM) in Kerala. Using data from both primary and secondary sources and employing a comparative multiple case study approach, I find that while all the three states tried to implement projects that aim at improving delivery of government services to the common people, Kerala has taken much greater efforts to make these projects more inclusive by decentralizing them to the lowest tier of government and ensuring that the benefits reach each and every household. Thus, the nature and scope of such projects has been quite different in Kerala when compared to the same in the other two states. Why has Kerala focused more on inclusive development and access when compared to the other two states? Drawing insights from political economy of development policies in these states, I argue that while the class character of the state can be seen in almost all the states in India, in Kerala the state has been relatively autonomous of the dominant class coalitions. In Kerala, politics has been marked by mobilization and organization of traditionally marginalized castes and social groups. The focus of Kerala in making the e-government projects more inclusive has been due to the empowerment of these groups that has exerted pressures on the state for distributing the economic and social benefits more widely. I conclude that focusing on inclusive development through e-government projects can really expand the access of marginalized communities to such services and improve their welfare. The findings of this research hold deep implications for success and sustainability of such projects in developing countries.