A CASE STUDY REPORT

ON

E-GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT

IN

NEPAL COMPARED WITH INDIA

Submitted By

Vijay Kumar Agrahari

Tilak Sharma Kandel
Yubraj Deo

Program Code: M.Sc. in Information System Engineering

Course Code: MIE-213 (e-Government System)

Submitted To

Himalayan Institute of Science & Technology

Kathmandu, Nepal
March 2024
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................2

Chapter 2: Objectives of the Study: ................................................................................5

Chapter 3: Scope of the Case Study: ...............................................................................6

Chapter 4: Review of Literature .....................................................................................7

Chapter 5: Research Methodology ................................................................................31

Chapter 6: Data Analysis, Findings & Discussions .....................................................35

Chapter 8: Conclusions & Recommendations .............................................................51

References: .......................................................................................................................55

Annexures: .......................................................................................................................56

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 Chapter 1: Introduction

Digital technology is increasingly blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological
spheres and is rapidly changing the way people live, work and communicate. The public sector is
a case in point; in terms of policies, institutions, strategies and tools, there is no longer a clear
distinction or separation between government and e-government. With the evolution of digital
government, public administrations and institutions around the globe have been irreversibly
transformed—both structurally and in terms of the dynamic between Governments and the people
they serve.

While nearly every country is engaged in the process of digitalization, not all have achieved the
same level of development, and while institutions at all levels are committed to modernization
and digital transformation, approaches and outcomes vary greatly. Not all countries are able to
achieve the same sustainable development gains through e-government development, and the
benefits to communities and vulnerable segments of the population have been disproportionate
and uneven. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed e-government divides between and
within countries at the regional, national and local levels.

E-governance has become a crucial pillar of modern governance, transforming how governments
deliver services, interact with citizens (citizen participation), and promote transparency. This case
study delves into the evolving landscape of e-government development in Nepal and India, two
South Asian neighbors with distinct trajectories in this domain.
E-governance is the use of a variety of information technologies by government agencies in order
to renovate their public services in the course of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of
their service delivery
In the context of developing countries like India and less developed countries like Nepal, e-
Government development holds significant potential to transform governance systems, improve
public service delivery, and foster socio-economic development. Some of major contributions
which highlight the significance of e-Government in modern governance, particularly in Nepal
and India are Enhanced Efficiency and Transparency, Accessible Public Services, Empowerment

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of Citizens, Facilitation of Development Goals, Improvement in Service Quality, Cost Savings
and Resource Optimization, Promotion of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Capacity Building
and Institutional Strengthening, Global Competitiveness, and Integration, etc. E-Government
enhances a country's competitiveness and attractiveness for investment by improving its business
environment and regulatory framework. It also facilitates integration into the global digital
economy, enabling participation in international trade and collaboration.

In recent years, as countries around the world embrace digital technologies to enhance
administrative efficiency, promote transparency, and empower citizens, the comparison of e-
Government initiatives becomes increasingly pertinent.
Nepal and India share several socio-economic and geopolitical similarities, yet they exhibit
distinct approaches to e-Government implementation and adoption. By juxtaposing their
experiences, this study seeks to uncover key insights into the factors driving e-Government
development in both countries and assess the effectiveness of their respective strategies.

By shedding light on the e-Government experiences of Nepal and India, this study aims to
contribute to the broader discourse on digital governance in developing countries. The findings
and recommendations will not only provide valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners
in Nepal but also offer comparative perspectives that may inform e-Government strategies in
other similar contexts globally. Ultimately, the study aspires to catalyze the advancement of
inclusive, transparent, and citizen-centric governance in the region and beyond

The comparative analysis of e-Government initiatives in Nepal and India offers valuable insights,
lessons, and opportunities for collaboration that can drive positive change, foster innovation, and
promote inclusive and sustainable development in both countries and beyond.

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Country Overview:

Particulars Nepal India

Region Asia Asia

Sub-Region Southern Asia Southern Asia

Capital Kathmandu New Delhi

Income * Low income Lower middle income

1,340 2,390
Avg. Income Value
USD, GNI per capita USD, GNI per capita

Population 28,656,282 1,309,053,980

Area 1,47, 161 sq. km. 3,287,590 sq. km.

GDP 40,828M USD 3,426,646M USD

Federal Parliamentary Federal Parliamentary
Government form
Republic Republic
139.63% (40.9 Million 64.77% (904.54
Broadband Penetration (%)
users) Million users)
Overall Tele-Density (%) 119.09% 85.23%

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 Chapter 2: Objectives of the Study:

Primary Objective:
This case study aims to shed light on the state of e-government development in both countries by:
•Analyzing and comparing the current state of e-government implementation in Nepal and
India.
•Analyzing and comparing the development of e-Government system in Nepal and India.

Secondary Objectives
•Evaluating the effectiveness of their e-government initiatives in enhancing accessibility,
efficiency, and citizen engagement.
•Identifying key similarities and differences in their e-government frameworks,
infrastructure, and service offerings.
•Drawing insights and recommendations to inform future strategies for further development
and overcoming potential challenges.
•To identify & analyze challenges and barriers obstructing EG success in Nepal and India.
•To find out the set of critical success factors, which facilitates the successful implementation
of EG in Nepal and India,
• To carryout comparative study of different components which form the measure of overall
framework for comparative analysis of e-government system in Nepal vs India.

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 Chapter 3: Scope of the Case Study:

The scope of this research is to find out status of e-government development in Nepal and India
through major indicators of measuring e-government development encompassing online Services
offered, Infrastructure and Technology, Human Capital, Citizen Engagement using e-
Government Development Index (EGDI) and Policy and Legal Frameworks along with
identifying Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and major barriers and challenges for EG
implementation in Nepal and India.

1. Services Offered:
• Comparing the range and quality of e-government services offered to citizens and
businesses in Nepal and India.
• Analyzing the ease of access, user-friendliness, and inclusivity of these services.

2. Infrastructure and Technology:

• Assessing the availability and accessibility of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) infrastructure in both countries.
• Evaluating the utilization of technology for service delivery, including online portals,
mobile applications, and citizen engagement platforms.

3. Citizen Engagement:
• Evaluating the level of citizen participation and engagement through e-government
platforms in both countries.
• Examining strategies employed to promote digital literacy, build trust, and encourage
active citizen participation.

4. Policy and Legal Framework:

• Examining the national policies and legal frameworks established in both Nepal and
India to support and guide e-government development.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of these frameworks in creating a conducive environment
for e-governance initiatives.

5. Barriers and Challenges to Development of e-Government System

6. Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for Development of e-Government System

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 Chapter 4: Review of Literature

The main terms that will be used in the articles will be covered in this section; also, we used
indirect citations for the literature review.
A comprehensive literature review will be conducted to explore existing research on e-
government development in Nepal and India.

Definition of e-Government, e-Governance and Significance

EGov is all about the delivery of national or local government information and services within
the reach of the internet or other digital or social media to the hands of the citizens, businesses
and other governmental organizations. EGov permits the status quo of standard authorities’ facts
in the electronic form to provide ease to people in an apt way. It also aids better service provision
to citizens, empowerment of the humans through access to information and getting rid of the
manual paper forms with improvements in productivity and cost savings while doing business
and allowing participation in public policy selection- making (Sharma, 2015).
According to the World Bank (2000) – EGov is the all about the use of ICT services by
government agencies in order to promote associations between citizens, businesses, and other
arms of the government. This serves as a tool to many aspects including better delivery of
government services to citizens, improved communications with businesses and citizen
empowerment made available through the ease of information available along with proficient
management. The consequential benefits are decreased bribery, better transparency, more
accessibility, growing revenue, and reduced cost.”
AOEMA report of the United Nations defines - EGov is the process of using the internet and the
world-wide-web for distributing government information and services to citizens.
The UNESCO definition (www.unesco.org) - EG is the use of ICT with the objective of
improving information and service delivery to the public sector, encouraging public participation
in the process of policymaking and making the government more liable, effective and translucent.
EGov involves innovation in leadership, policies making and finding new ways of accessing
education and open ways of listening to citizen’s voice in order to organize and deliver services
to the public. EGov is a broad concept since that bring changes in the way of interaction of citizens

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and government. EG may stimulate new concepts regarding citizenship, the prime objective of
which is to involve, support and empower the citizens of the nation.
EGov is a tool of knowledge that aids in the development of government activities along with
their effective and efficient transformation. The EGov Index of Nepal shows its low ranking
compared to other neighboring countries. Nepal has many challenges for the implementation of
EGov systems, which starts from the low literacy rate to the lack of infrastructure and human
resources (Purusottam Kharel, 2012).
EG is all about using the ICT services for delivering government services and systems integration
between government-to-citizens (G2C), government-to-business (G2B), government-to-
government (G2G) as well as implementing the administrative procedures and communications
within the entire government framework. (Nasrulla khan k, 2016) EG envisioned by Dr. APJ
Abdul Kalam in the Indian perspective is “A clear smart EG with continuous access, secure and
authentic flow of information crossing the inter- departmental obstruction and providing a fair
and unbiased service to the citizen.” (Snehal C. Sapkale, 2015)
The availability of e-government and management information systems has allowed governments
to take advantage of cutting-edge technology. We have seen so many examples of different
countries that how technology helped them to overcome the challenges they are facing and solve
the problems which existed for so long because of the limitations of the currently available
solutions. However, with the support of technology now, those countries are not only able to
resolve the issues relatively at a faster speed, and also, they are constantly able to improve their
governance practices. Therefore, technology in the government sector provided policymakers
with a new mindset to create and implement any policy in the country.
In some ways, it has given policymakers the much-needed freedom to think and imagine the idea
of governance which can be made possible through technology (Qekaj-Thaçi and Thaçi,2023).
That is why so much improvement in the public sector has come due to it, and also, the overall
progress of the country’s development has significantly increased because now, in less time, the
work can be done and processes become faster and more efficient. Let us take the example of
Estonia, formerly part of the Soviet Union. In 1991 they got their independence, so it was not
easy for them to progress because, at that time, they were way back from Western European
countries. They did not have available resources at the time to even start their journey toward
betterment. However, when they decided the only way not only to solve their problems and also

8
compete with the world is that they advance toward digital government, it is the future. It is the
only way for them to get in sync with the world at a faster speed. With this goal in their mind,
now we are seeing the results that Estonia (E-Estonia, 2023) is considered the best in the world
in the e-government sector. They became an example for the world of how to digitize the country.
Now, researchers all around the world want to study and learn from them. So, especially in South
Asian countries, are a lot to learn from Estonia because most South Asian countries gained
independence way before Estonia, but still, South Asian countries are struggling with the digital
government area, and they are very much backward from the world in it. Some problems are
related to their demography and geography, and some purely show the government’s
incompetence.

E-Government Development Index (EGDI)

The degree to which different governments have automated and digitalized their processes and
services is the primary definition of the Electronic Government Development Index (Todorut_,
a. v, and Tselentis, 2018). How far along are they putting e-government initiatives into practice
to finish the most important national development projects to help them achieve their goals? By
learning about the E-Government Solutions used in many countries, it serves as a benchmark and
development model from which each nation may learn from the others and the most effective
ways to handle issues and overcome hurdles (Gupta et al.,2017).

The EGDI metric is made up of three different parts. First, the Online Service Index (OSI)
assesses the maturity of a country's e-government websites, including its national website and
related portals, and related websites from departments such as education, labor, social services,
and health economy, and the environment. Second, the Telecommunication Infrastructure Index
(TII) assigns a ranking to a country's telecommunications infrastructure based on five factors:
Internet customers, fixed telephone lines, smartphone subscribers, fixed Internet subscriptions,
and fixed broadband services. Finally, the Human Capital Index (HCI) is measured using adult
literacy levels and education enrollment in a region. In addition, the UN created an e-participation
index (EPI) as a supplementary index to the UN E-Government Survey.

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EPI broadens the scope of the survey by concentrating on the use of online resources to help
governments provide information to people. It focuses on three elements: (1) E-information:
Enabling citizen engagement by supplying public information and access to information on
demand, (2) E-consultation: Involving people in feedback to and deliberation on public policies
and services, and (3) E-decision-making: Empowering citizens by co-designing some policy
options and co-producing services. Thus, the EGDI and its main components are geared not only
to measure the maturity of a country's e-government services but also the capacity of Member
States to deliver online services both in terms of the telecommunications infrastructure and the
skills required by citizens to engage with the online services offered.
The E-participation index (EPI) is developed as an additional index to the UN E-government
Survey. It extends the dimension of the survey by focusing on three major components; e-
information sharing, e-consultation and e-decision-making. As EPI is a qualitative assessment,
the value of EPI attempts to capture the e-participation performance of countries relative to one
another at a particular point in time It is determined by using the weighted average of the ratings
given for its four primary dimensions, which are:
(1) Online Service Index (OSI): It is the government’s online presence, including the provision
of services for the convenience of citizens as well as information about procedures and policies
(Todorut_, a. v, and Tselentis, v. (2018). The services should be available and open online via
various channels, such as the Web Portal or Mobile App.
Additionally, information that is life online is static or regularly updated, and online services are
interactive, which allows for either one-way or two-way contact. Government engagement with
citizens via various online platforms to learn about their issues and feedback is another element
(Dahalin et al., 2019).

(2) Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII): It measures the infrastructure for

telecommunications and technology services, such as the internet, TV cable, radio, mobile signal,
that are provided to meet demand across the nation. It examines the number of internet users,
mobile SIM users, etc., as well as how they use it and the signal’s strength for better service in
various regions of the nation (Durkiewicz and Janowski, 2018).

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(3) Human Capital Index (HCI): It is characterized as the degree to which a government makes
the most of the economic and professional potential of its people (Orekhov et al., 2020). What
step is the government taking to enrich the lives of its people by fostering opportunities for more
significant economic growth and skill-upgrading initiatives that will make them more marketable
as professionals? Providing high-quality health care and education has also been
made to advance citizens (Bazyliuk et al., 2023).

(4) E-Participation Index (EPI): In comparison to all other countries, a country’s EPI shows the
government’s e-participation procedures (Chugunov et al., 2022). The goal of this metric is not
to advocate any specific practice but rather to provide insight into how different countries are
using online resources to promote interaction between the government and its citizens, as well as
among citizens, for the benefit of all (Palacin et al., 2021).

These four-dimension scores are assigned a value between 0 and 1, with 0 being the lowest and
one being the highest. Moreover, a weighted average of all Four values suggests that the OSI,
TII, HCI and EPI are all equally important. The total value will then be divided by three “4.” In
that manner, we may compare the Final Deal E-Government Development Index (EGDI) to any
country. To convert the EGDI Index value to a percentage (%), multiply the EGDI value by 100.

Different scholars and government officials increasingly use the EGDI and its three components
in a variety of contexts. The indices scores and ranking positions benchmark/compare and set
ranking improvement targets even in some cases. For example, the Ministry of Telecom and Mass
Communication of the Russian Federation used the UN EGDI to benchmark Russia's e-
government development against other countries in the region and beyond (Ministry of
Communications of Russia, 2017; Sukhankin (2017. Further, in Greece, the country's EGDI score
and ranking position was used to show how Greece "lags" behind its neighboring EU counterparts
(Zafiropoulos et al., 2012). In addition, several Middle Eastern countries often quote their ranking
positions to demonstrate how they have improved from their previous lower ranking or aim at set
ranking positions to aspire to achieve a better ranking (KSA National Transformation Plan (2016);
Ducass (2017)).

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Another context in which EGDI was used is related to examining the impact of e-government
development on government corruption from an economic perspective Máchová; Volejníková;
Lněnička, (2018). In addition, the EGDI was also used to measure the impacts of e-government
on the shadow economy (Rohman and Veiga, 2017) and the impacts of national culture on e-
government development (Zhao, 2011).
Despite the EGDI's undeniable popularity and ranking systems, some academics have expressed
reservations about the methodology used to assess e-government growth using the EGDI.
Whitmore (2012), for example, argues that the EGDI's calculation should be modified and
suggests that factor analysis be used to ensure that the index accurately calculates what it is meant
to measure. Kabbar and Dell (2013) proposed a revised EGDI called E-Government Development
by GDP (EGDGDP) that incorporates the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). They argue that the
adjusted EGDGDP provides a better assessment of the countries' e-government development
because it measures a country's performance relative to what would be expected of that country
according to its GDP rather than the absolute measure currently to each country.

E-Government Development Index of South Asian countries

It is possible to classify the regions of the countries that make up Southeast Asia as regions that
still possess diverse resource strengths. According to Miller et al.’s research from 2020,
governance still needs to be more efficient in government procedures, as it does not adhere to
governance rules. According to Breslin and Nesadurai (2018), the government sectors of certain
transnational South Asian countries are even dominated by non-state players who function as
pressure groups. This is the case in the governance of these countries. Then Alhari and Fajrillah
(2022) also said that countries in the South Asia region are still quite a distance away and are
thought to be less involved in technical sophistication in government performance. As a result, it
is essential to quicken the pace at which innovative public services and widespread use of
technology are developed and implemented in a variety of industries.
According to Nguyen et al.’s research from 2020, public services in South Asia still only have a
limited number of services that the government offers, and some of those services are still
inaccessible to the people who use them. When compared to the ranks of developed countries,
South Asian countries such as Afghanistan (184th), Bangladesh (111th), Bhutan (115th), India

12
(105th), the Maldives (104th), Nepal (125th), Pakistan (150th) and Sri Lanka (95th) were ranked
lower in the 2022 EGDI data report (Saniagati and Welly, 2021).
According to Qumara (2019), digital transformation is a fundamental shift that is required since
e-government is a measurement of how satisfied the general public is. In addition to this, the ICT
component plays a significant part in realizing good governance and figuring out how to cut down
on corruption, maintain transparency, increase public accountability and innovate in service
delivery (Yulianto et al., 2021).

Successful e-Governance practices around the world

The advent of technological development has fueled many countries worldwide to adopt
numerous EG services (Tahrani, 2010). EG is a revolutionary service tool serving multiple
departments within the governments around the world (Nour, 2008), and the scale of activity
increased tremendously (Smith, 2008). The majority of organizations around the world introduced
online services with the help of their own websites (UN, 2010). The online services are used very
often for jobs, tax filing and renewing licenses (West, 2004). The telecommunication sector has
the strongest adoption of e-services as mobiles technologies being the alternate means of
communication, especially in LDCs. (ITU, 2012).
It is to be understood that not all the EGov applications around the world are only successful.
During the study of international reports and case studies, many cases of failures were identified.
One of the surveys projected that among the number of the EGov initiatives undertaken by various
countries only few of them were considered successful implementation (Heeks, 2006). According
to the UN, only few countries achieved progressive development in terms of EG implementation.
The number of EGov initiatives failed globally due to a lack of awareness and over-ambitious
planning (M.P. Gupta and D. Jana, 2003; Heeks, 2002).
It is evident that most of the nations around the world adopted ICT in their service administration
providing the most essential services to its citizens. In the context of India also, most of the service
sector is being impacted by EG, especially with the implementation of “Rashaan Card”.
Consequently, Govt. of India has launched the initiatives of EG providing most of the essential
services by electronic means as much as possible (Nagaraja, 2016).
How can e-Government contribute to advancing sustainable development?

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The experts agreed that e-Government can help drive transformative changes and modernize
government in support of sustainable development. Experts also emphasized the critical role that
Government can play as open innovation platforms, which facilitate co-creation, innovation, and
economic growth by empowering multiple stakeholders to cooperate in public value creation.
Governance processes enabled by new technologies, through electronic and mobile services, e-
consultation and e-participation, open up new ways of interaction and collaboration between
governments and public institutions, businesses, and social groups as well as individuals –
irrespective of their geographical location. Leveraging the internet, mobile devices and social
media helps improve quality of and access to government services, including e-education and e-
health.
Key Highlights Thematic Area
- Close coordination across government agencies
- Facilitating collaboration with other stakeholders
- Removal of administrative barrier
- Decrease in administrative burden
- Process optimization Collaborative Good Governance
- Reduce red-tape and bureaucratic measures through Whole-of- Government
- Open government and Open Government
- Increase in transparency, accountability, efficiency
- Helps good governance
- Enhancing trust in government
- Improve security
- Reduction of corruption
- Better detection of fraud and reducing errors
- Trusted service provision
- Awareness of rights/ citizen awareness
- Effectiveness in use of resources
- Reduction of cost

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- Multichannel approaches
- Improve in quality of service
- Better public service Innovation in Service Delivery
- People centric personalized service delivery
- Special services adapted to people’s need
- Innovation in public sector
- Adding public value
- Citizen empowerment
- Social equity
- Social inclusion
- Accessibility
- Inclusive participation Citizen Empowerment through
- Citizen participation/ engagement E-Participation and E-Inclusion
- Digital inclusion of Vulnerable Groups
- Public services to rural and remote areas
- e-participation and e-inclusion of vulnerable groups
- e-procurement
- Better education to advance ICT use
- Spread digital literacy
- Break language barrier
- Open government data
- Better quality and access to services and information
- Creating job opportunities Inclusive Economic
- Promoting financial inclusion Development through Innovative
- Fair distribution of welfare Partnerships
- Economic effects/ benefits
- Link between government, business and citizens
- Green ICT
- Green government
- Green e-economy
- Disaster prediction

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- Effective disaster risk management Environmental Sustainability
- Low consumption, pollution, irradiation through Predictive Governance
- Reduce unnecessary travel and transport and Smart Green Government
- Paper smart initiative
- Preservation of environment

What are the challenges in implementing e-Government for sustainable development?

The experts highlighted the complex nature of e-Government in general, and in the context of
sustainable development. Given the broad diversity of definitions of both e-Government and
sustainable development, experts suggested that it would be beneficial to define the concept of
“e-Government for sustainable development”, so as to build a common understanding. They also
recommended that Governments develop evidence-based e-Government policies to advance
sustainable development and implement them by leveraging innovative policy modelling
techniques and tools.
Experts agreed that priorities and obstacles for e-Government implementation are country-
specific and should be considered within the context of each country. E-Government’s
contribution to sustainable development can be assessed by measuring meaningful services for
people that are accessible and usable through affordable channels, including mobile devices and
mediators. Direct and proxy indicators can be used for measuring the effectiveness of e-
Government policies and usage of e-services and impact. The experts also suggested applying
different metrics for measuring e-Government for sustainable development in developing and
developed countries.
The EGM highlighted the critical importance of building transformative capability of government
institutions to drive changes through e-Government programs while avoiding waste of
investments in technologies. Political will with long-term commitment and institutional
coordination is needed for tackling interrelated sustainable development issues with the support
of e-Government systems. Experts stated that strong leadership capacity should be developed at
all levels for government-wide coordination and should be enabled by common infrastructure
across the government. Nurturing a culture of communication among agencies is key for

16
collaborative and responsive governance to ensure integrated and balanced responses to
sustainable development challenges across its dimensions.

Key Highlights Thematic Area

- Alignment of e-Government program to national plan

- Lack of political stability
- Lack of regulatory framework for access of information,
data protection, public procurement
- Lack of open competition in telecom system
- Quality of governance and leadership
- Ineffective public administration Low quality of Governance and
- Bureaucracy Leadership
- Lack of efficiency, effectiveness
- Lack of transparency, accountability
- Lack of trust
- Lack of political support
- Limits to economic efficiency; investment coordination
- Working in silos
Weak Institutional Capacity for
- Lack of collaboration between sectors
Collaboration
- Data in silos
- Lack of human capital
- Presence of corruption
- Operational gap in high level civil servants to think in
perspective of SD
Weak Human Resources
- Lack of awareness on e-Government potential
Capacity and Organizational
- Lack of focus on bridging the digital divide
Culture
- Lack of capacity building
- Lack of interaction with population
- Lack of digital competencies
- - Mindset and attitude; resistance to change

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 - Lack of budget; financial stability
- Lack of investments on telecom infrastructure
- Lack of (cyber) security
- Lack of basic infrastructure Poor Infrastructure, low Digital
- Low penetration of ICT infrastructure Connectivity and Lack of
- Need for supplies Funding
- Concentration of activities and internet infrastructure in
very few countries
- - No systematic/ technical interoperability
- Delivery of meaningful services
- Lack of user-centric services
Low Degree of Innovative
- Lack of innovation
Service Delivery and Lack of
- Low quality of data
Open Data
- Lack of open data
- Need for technical guidance
- Digital divide from economic/ demographic/ geographic
factors
Low Take-up/ Usage and
- Low ICT literacy
Digital Divide
- Low take-up
- No usability

The current situation of e-Governance in Nepal

Nepal IT Policy 2000 aims to interlink all ministries, departments, and offices with the GoN with
internet to provide services online. The eGMP Consulting Report prepared by KIPA was figured
alongside the most feasible government projects. The mission of the report was to provide value-
added quality service through ICT. (KIPA, 2006) In addition, the policy highlighted the use of e-
commerce and distant education with having EG at the facilitator role for the government.
ADB reinforced “transformation” program that has prioritized twenty-two services including
NID, driving-license, LRMS and rural e-community (Illawara Technology, 2007). In the words
of Bekkers, EG is the major action plan to improve Nepal’s fragile government. Since the
outcomes on the use of ICTs in public organizations are specific and situation-dependent, there

18
is a significant need for recording evidence of some pilot EG program implementations for future
reference. (Bekkers, 2007).
The availability of updated and trustworthy information in the government websites (Rani and
Kautish, 2018) (Kaur and & Kautish, 2019) are lagging a lot. The innovative strategies in the EG
projects hence ensure that the government services are not impacted by poor delivery services,
this is done by equipping the surveillance devices over resident’s personal and private
information. (Thomas, 2012)
The citizen-oriented data made available on the internet and activities made available on the
smartphones have accumulated a heavy amount of data in unstructured form. Hence, Nepal EGov
services can initiate using the Big Data and Data Mining technologies to resolve many
governmental services that are getting problems due to data inconsistencies. (Shakya, 2018)
E-governance in Nepal encompasses a wide range of applications such as passport and visa
registration, employment opportunities to youth, land record registration, property registration,
electronic record management, online registration platforms and so on. Examples of e-governance
in Nepal include online tax payment services, vehicle renewal and registration, driving license
form filling, municipality services, digital land management systems and more.

Progress:
Policy and Legal Framework: Nepal has established a legal framework for e-governance with
the Electronic Transactions Act (2008). However, further refinement and updates are needed for
comprehensive support.
Infrastructure: The internet penetration rate in Nepal has been steadily increasing, reaching
around 45% in 2023. However, disparities exist between urban and rural areas, with rural areas
lagging behind significantly.
Services Offered: The government has launched a portal, Nagarik App, offering various services
like birth certificate applications, company registration, and bill payments. However, the range
and accessibility of services remain limited compared to more developed countries.
Citizen Engagement: Efforts are underway to promote citizen participation through online
platforms and mobile apps. However, digital literacy gaps and limited internet access in rural
areas hinder full engagement.

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Challenges:
Limited resources: Nepal faces challenges with limited investment and resources for
infrastructure development and e-government initiatives.
Inadequate infrastructure: The lack of widespread and reliable internet connectivity, particularly
in remote areas, hinders the reach and effectiveness of e-government services.
Digital literacy gap: A significant portion of the population, especially in rural areas, lacks the
necessary skills and knowledge to use e-government services effectively.
Cybersecurity concerns: Concerns about data privacy and security pose challenges in building
trust and encouraging wider adoption of e-government platforms.

Initiatives:
The government has launched the "Digital Nepal Framework 2018-2023" to promote digital
transformation across various sectors, including e-governance.
The "e-Nagarmandal" program aims to promote e-governance at the local level, encouraging local
governments to adopt technology for service delivery and citizen engagement.

Overall:
Nepal is making progress in developing e-government, but significant challenges remain.
Addressing infrastructure limitations, bridging the digital literacy gap, and enhancing
cybersecurity measures are crucial for further advancement.
The government recently launched the "Nepal E-governance Master Plan (2020-2025)", which
outlines a roadmap for further development and aims to address some of the existing challenges.
International organizations like the UN and World Bank are collaborating with the Nepalese
government to support e-government initiatives.

Current Situation of e-Governance in India:

India has made considerable strides in e-government development, but challenges still exist.
Here's a breakdown of the current situation:
Progress:

20
Policy and Legal Framework: India has a well-established legal framework, including
the Information Technology Act (2000) and the National e-Governance Plan (2006),
providing a foundation for e-government initiatives.
• Infrastructure: India boasts a wider internet penetration rate compared to Nepal,
reaching around 70% in 2023. However, disparities persist between urban and rural areas,
and challenges in digital infrastructure remain.
• Services Offered: India offers a wider range of e-government services compared to
Nepal, encompassing various sectors like tax filing, passport renewal, land record
management, and bill payments. Initiatives like "Digital India" aim to further expand
service offerings.
• Citizen Engagement: India encourages citizen participation through online platforms
and mobile apps. However, digital literacy gaps and limited internet access in rural areas
hinder full engagement.

Challenges:
• Digital Divide: While internet penetration is improving, significant disparities exist
between urban and rural areas, limiting access to e-government services for a large
segment of the population.
• Digital Literacy Gap: A considerable portion of the population, especially in rural areas
and among older demographics, lacks the necessary skills and knowledge to utilize e-
government services effectively.
• Cybersecurity Concerns: Data privacy and security breaches pose challenges in building
trust and encouraging wider adoption of e-government platforms.

Initiatives:
• The "Digital India" initiative aims to transform India into a digitally empowered nation,
focusing on several aspects like infrastructure development, digital literacy, and
promoting e-governance services.
• The "Aadhaar" project provides a unique digital identity for Indian citizens, facilitating
online service delivery and reducing identity theft.

21
Overall:
India is a leader in e-governance development in the region but faces the ongoing challenge of
bridging the digital divide and enhancing digital literacy. Addressing these issues is crucial for
ensuring inclusive and effective e-government services for all citizens.
Several state governments in India are also implementing their own e-governance initiatives
tailored to their specific needs and contexts.
Collaboration between the government, private sector, and civil society is crucial for further
e-government development and addressing existing challenges.

E-Readiness in Nepal:
e-Readiness does not show only the number of computers, internet connections, telephones and
mobiles, etc. in the country but rather it is a multidimensional concept. It measures the ability to
participate in an increasingly networked world. It also can be viewed as the ability to pursue value
creation opportunities facilitated by ICTs. The value to a community of assessing its readiness
lies in evaluating its opportunities and challenges. For developing countries, an eReadiness
assessment can help establish basic benchmarks for regional comparison by market verticals and
for national planning (Zaied et al. 2007). The Harvard University prepared a guide for measuring
e-Readiness for the developing countries which defines e-Readiness as the degree to which a
community is prepared to participate in the Networked World.
It is gauged by assessing a community’s relative advancement in the areas that are most critical
for ICT adoption and the most important applications of ICTs. Budhiraja and Sachdeva (2002)
refers to the definition given by World Economic Forum Consultation Report on EReadiness
which defines E-Readiness as the ability of the ICT networks to effectively adapt to the social
and economic advancement. They also quoted a definition given by The Asian Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) group which defines a country as e-ready that is 'ready' for e-commerce, has
free trade, industry self-regulation, ease of exports, and compliance with international standards
and trade agreements

ER is a measure of a country’s readiness and willingness to attain benefits, which arise from the
ICT activities (Kautish et al, 2016, 2018, 2019). ER is widely used to measure ability of a country

22
to take part in e- activities. ER indicators provide an outline of a country’s situation and can easily
form baseline for comparison and future planning. It also helps in the improvement and
identifying the areas where support is required. It is also one of the useful tools to measure the
minimum required levels of infrastructure, education, training, and supportive government
policies to cater to benefit from ICT (Dada, 2006).
Nepal’s ER has significantly improved from the world ranking of 135 in the year 2016 to the
world ranking of 117 in the year 2018 with the improvement of EGDI score of 0.4748 in 2018 in
comparison to EGDI score of 0.3458 in 2016. This indicator shows the improvement of Nepal’s
EG index ranking thereby putting the country towards a significant development in ICT. (UN,
2018).
Similarly, the E-Participation Index of Nepal has jumped tremendously into the world ranking of
55 in 2018 in comparison to that of 89 in 2016. The E-Participation Index (EPI) score has
improved from 0.5085 in 2016 to 0.7809 in 2018. This shows that the e- Participation in the
country has increased significantly. This indicates that Nepal is getting better in terms of
technology implementation and usage, which shows that there is a very favorable environment of
the implementation of EG in the country. (UN, 2018).
Policy Framework: Nepal has established a basic legal framework for e-readiness through the
Electronic Transactions Act (2008). This provides a foundation for promoting and regulating
online activities.
Growing Internet Penetration: The internet penetration rate in Nepal has been steadily
increasing, reaching around 45% in 2023. This indicates a growing potential for utilizing online
services and technology.
Government Initiatives: The government has launched initiatives like the "Digital Nepal
Framework 2018-2023" and the "Nepal E-governance Master Plan (2020-2025)" to promote
digital transformation.
E-Readiness in India:
In this regarding recently (2015) the govt of India has started a project called Digital India. Digital
India comprises of various initiatives under the single programme each targeted to prepare India
for becoming a knowledge economy and for bringing good governance to citizens through
synchronized and coordinated engagement of the entire Government. This program has been
envisaged and coordinated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY)

23
in collaboration with various Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments. All the
existing and ongoing e-Governance initiatives have been revamped to align them with the
principles of Digital India. The vision of Digital India program aims at inclusive growth in areas
of electronic services, products, manufacturing and job opportunities etc. It is centered on three
key areas.
a. Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen
b. Governance & Services on Demand and
c. Digital Empowerment of Citizens
With the above vision, the Digital India program aims to provide Broadband Highways, Universal
Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Program, EGovernance: Reforming
Government through Technology, eKranti – Electronic Delivery of Services, Information for All,
Electronics Manufacturing: Target Net Zero Imports, IT for Jobs and Early Harvest Programs.
For this, Govt of India has taken following initiatives 1. MyGov.in has been implemented as a
platform for citizen engagement in governance, through a “Discuss”, “Do” and “Disseminate”
approach. The mobile App for MyGov would bring these features to users on a mobile phone. 2.
The Government of India has undertaken an initiative namely Bharat Net, a high speed digital
highway to connect all 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats of country. This would be the world’s largest
rural broadband connectivity project using optical fiber. 3. BSNL has introduced Next Generation
Network (NGN), to replace 30 year old exchanges, which is an IP based technology to manage
all types of services like voice, data, multimedia/ video and other types of packet-switched
communication services. 4. BSNL has undertaken large scale deployment of Wi-Fi hotspots
throughout the country. The user can latch on the BSNL Wi-Fi network through their mobile
devices. 5. To deliver citizen services electronically and improve the way citizens and authorities
transact with each other, it is imperative to have ubiquitous connectivity. The government also
realizes this need as reflected by including ‘broadband highways’ as one of the pillars of Digital
India. While connectivity is one criterion, enabling and providing technologies to facilitate
delivery of services to citizens forms the other. Policy initiatives have also been undertaken (by
DeitY) in the e- Governance domain like e-Kranti Framework, Policy on Adoption of Open
Source Software for Government of India, Framework for Adoption of Open Source Software in
e-Governance Systems, Policy on Open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for
Government of India, Email Policy of Government of India, Policy on Use of IT Resources of

24
Government of India, Policy on Collaborative Application Development by Opening the Source
Code of Government Applications, Application Development & Reengineering Guidelines for
Cloud Ready Applications. International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 123 – No.8, August 2015 26 BPO Policy has been approved to create BPO centres in
different North Eastern states and also in smaller / mofussil towns of other states. Electronics
Development Fund (EDF) Policy aims to promote Innovation, R&D, and Product Development
and to create a resource pool of IP within the country to create a self-sustaining eco-system of
Venture Funds. National Centre for Flexible Electronics (NCFlexE) is an initiative of
Government of India to promote research and innovation in the emerging area of Flexible
Electronics. Centre of Excellence on Internet on Things (IoT) is a joint initiative of Department
of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY), ERNET and NASSCOM. The estimated
impact of Digital India by 2019 would be cross cutting, ranging from broadband connectivity in
all Panchayats, Wi-fi in schools and universities and Public Wi-Fi hotspots. Success of this
programme will make India Digitally empowered and the leader in usage of IT in delivery of
services related to various domains such as health, education, agriculture, banking, etc.
India has climbed up six places to 61st rank in the Network Readiness Index 2022 report prepared
by US-based non-profit body Portulans Institute, the telecom ministry said on Saturday. The
country's overall score has improved to 51.19 in 2022 from 49.74 in 2021. India has improved its
position by six slots and is now placed at 61st rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2022
(NRI 2022) report. The report states that India secured 1st rank in 'AI talent concentration', second
rank in 'Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country' and 'International Internet
bandwidth', third rank in 'Annual investment in telecommunication services' and 'Domestic
market size', fourth rank in 'ICT Services exports', fifth rank in 'FTTH/Building Internet
subscriptions' and 'AI scientific publications'.

Major challenges with e-Governance implementation in Nepal and India

Nepal is one of the fast-growing developing countries in Asia with having the latest ICT image
of the first 4G service hosting Asian country in the world. Despite having abundant growth in the
use of IT and mobile devices, the country remains behind in the light of darkness while it comes
to its development in front of western countries; this is strict because of the low literacy rate of
the country. The per capita is too low and the poverty is still pulling back the development of the

25
nation. The ever-fluctuating political instability, corruption and tough geographical vegetation of
the country standstill causing the EG implementation in Nepal to face intense challenge. Nepal is
yet to develop its infrastructure and ability to incorporate full-fledged EG.
Below listed are some of the major challenges for EG implementation in Nepal:

1. Literacy
The literacy rate of Nepal was only around 64.66% in 2015 (“Nepal | UNESCO UIS,” n.d.) which
is very low in comparing to its neighboring countries. With the presence of multiple languages
and religion in the country, there also exist language issues. English cannot be considered the
third language as most of the population even could not speak and understand the National
language due to illiteracy. (Chapagain, 2006).

2. Lack of human resources

Today the national economy of Nepal is persistent with the remittance of Nepali migrant workers
staying and working abroad in the Gulf countries. The education system is not so good and
assurance of getting good opportunity is very low in the country, which has affected the flow of
competent human resources outside the country. This has ultimately created the situation of
human resource lagging in the multiple fields of business. On the other hand, the government
personnel selected nationally lags the minimal computer knowledge requirements leading into
their reluctance towards use of technology.

3. Political Uncertainty
Political uncertainty is the biggest challenge for Nepal. The undeterminable changes in the
country’s political representation have negatively impacted many infrastructure developments
projects in the past and still today the same problem persists uniformly as the situation never
improved in the last decade. The implementation of EG is still lacking which is evident from the
case of NID card itself as the project is getting extended from last few years and despite the
distribution in some part of the country, the project is still in the phase of public acceptance.

4. Lack of Coordination

26
The lack of coordination and senior guidance is one of the biggest challenges ever in Nepal.
(Kharel, 2012). There are very few leaders in Nepal who remained certain with their views and
deeds, the country has a lot of political influence that resulted in low participation of the experts
in coordinating activities. Therefore, the Implementation of EG requires strong leadership without
which the implementation is impossible.

5. Weak Infrastructure
Nepal has the most dangerous roads connecting the mountains, hills and terai. Due to the
geographical imbalance of landscape and hardship in transporting the goods around the country,
the minimal infrastructure requirement is also not fulfilled. Most of the government organizations
still are using outdated hardware and equipment to accomplish their daily transactions. The lack
of telecommunication infrastructures also stands as the major challenge for the implementation
of EG. In Nepal, most of the government organizations are still using poor and outdated network
devices and equipment. According to eGMP, the government organizations must develop the
infrastructures in order to achieve the goal, vision, and objectives of EGov. (Purusottam Kharel,
2013)

The below listed major factors stand as the challenge for EG implementation in Nepal.
1. Building Infrastructure: In order to enjoy the benefits of EG, more EGov projects must have to
be implemented by constructing sufficient level of infrastructure particularly in rural areas and
regions across the country including Tarai, Hills, and Mountains.
2. Comprehensive Policy and Legitimate Framework: Updating the ancient meaningless Byelaws
and supreme legitimate power functioning, the generalization of procedures to avoid
administrative blockages and establishment of single window delivery system procedure must be
introduced in order to ensure speedy disposal of legal cases. Besides this there is also the need of:
• Civil protection laws.
• Cyberlaw enactment policies.
• Information rights laws and policies.
• Single window policy.
• Legalization for digital payments.
3. Publicly applicable technologies and integrated management:

27
Updating of data in the local language, incorporation of the local language and local content on
the internet in a substantial manner, standardization in all area like encoding, application logic for
common application formulating data dictionaries.
4. Capital: The move towards excessive R&Ds, funds, budget allocation, lack of review on
organizational capacity building, non-availability of proper’ skilled human resources create major
problem in formulating the policies for EG system.
5. Official negligence, lack of coordination and positive attitude on part of government officers
and officials impede the progress of the application of EG in Nepal.
6. Training for conveying skills & inculcating motivation among government as well as non-
government officials are very essential for EG implementation.
Critical Success Factors for e-Governance implementation in Nepal and India:
There are some essential components, which must be followed for the right implementation of
EGov in Nepal, which is listed below:
1. Announcement and Consciousness
The success of EGov system implementation highly depends on the announcement and
consciousness to the public about the program of development and implementation of EGov.

2. Regular and Periodic Evaluation

The GoN has been investing significant cost and means towards the study of the implementation
of EG policy and procedures. Therefore, regular and periodic evaluation of the progress and index
of performance needs to be monitored and recorded for the future.

3. Capacity Building
The capacity-building strategies should be taken into account considering the fact that Nepal is a
geographically diverse country with having different districts are at different levels of altitude
from Terai basin, Hilly basin up to Mountainous region. Therefore, the role of the capacity
building team is at the program level to provide leadership and vision including policy
formulation, preparing roadmaps, prioritization, preparing frameworks and guidelines,
monitoring progress including the capacity management.

4. Technology and Infrastructure

28
Technology and Infrastructure, both provide support to the Department of Information
Technology in implementing the EG project. Hence, both of these needs to be adequately
available for use.

5. Monitoring & Evaluation

The Program Management Unit (PMU) for National EG project must develop a comprehensive
Monitoring & Evaluation MIS system at the program level in order to track the physical and
financial progress of the project.

6. Project and Commercial Evaluation

Project and Commercial Evaluation is the chamber, which identifies resources to provide
assistance in project conceptualization, development, and implementation to various
implementing zones and areas within the country.

7. Research and Development

The EG Research and Development team provides consultancy and research inputs in the areas
of EG. The Technical Standards including interoperability standards, Government Enterprise
architecture (GEA) frameworks, NeGIF framework, Information Security Policy, and Procedures,
etc. are governed though the national EG R&D Teams at GIDC and also at Ministry of
Information and Communications

Importance and urgency of comparative analysis research

It is important to make a comparison of how e-government has developed throughout the
countries that make up South Asia (Gronlund, 2011). There are several reasons for this. First and
foremost, it serves as a standard against which these countries’ adoption and execution of e-
government programs may be measured and compared. Policymakers and academics can discover
the strengths and weaknesses of the current system by conducting an analysis of the capability of
the government’s e-government service. As a consequence, policy interventions can be more
precisely targeted. Second, conducting a comparison analysis makes it easier to determine which
practices and tactics are most successful at the regional level. By examining the experiences of

29
neighboring countries, policymakers (Stanimirovic et al., 2012) can gain valuable insights into
effective methods for enhancing the delivery of e-government services, thereby expediting their
own development efforts. The necessity of this research is highlighted by the growing
acknowledgment of the role that e-government plays in the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals set forth by the United Nations. E-government has the ability to improve
service delivery, eliminate corruption, stimulate citizen participation and promote inclusive
governance. Achieving sustainable development requires all of these things. Hence, it is crucial
that e-government has this potential. As a result, it is necessary to have an understanding of the
present state of egovernment in the countries that make up South Asia (Kaya, 2020) to identify
areas that require immediate attention and intervention.

30
 Chapter 5: Research Methodology

The research technique used in this study is a mixed one. The mixed method incorporates
qualitative and quantitative research. This study uses a sequential explanatory strategy, with the
first stage consisting of the collection and analysis of quantitative data, followed by the collection
and analysis of qualitative data. The first stage of research in this study used quantitative methods
with secondary data, specifically EGDI sample data of Nepal and India from E-Government
Survey Report 2022, The Future of Digital Government prepared and published by United
Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

In the second stage, qualitative data about policy and legal frameworks, challenges and barriers
and critical success factors are collected from study of different case study reports, journals,
research reports, internet sources, Government and Non-Government reports.

This quantitative study investigates the level of changes that counties participated in the United
Nations e-government survey experienced during the last decade The EGDI score data (and its
principal components) was used in this investigation.

Research Design/Research framework

The figure below shows the theoretical framework of the study, and it is defined in detail below:

31
H1: The OSI indicator positively influences the EGDI by measuring the quality and availability
of online government services. A higher OSI score indicates a more advanced and efficient e-
government system, contributing to an improved EGDI ranking.

H2: The TII indicator has a significant impact on the EGDI. A higher TII indicates better
telecommunication infrastructure, which enables more efficient and effective delivery of e-
government services, leading to a higher EGDI.

H3: The HCI indicator can positively impact the EGDI by enhancing the digital skills and
capabilities of individuals, leading to increased engagement with e-government services. A higher
HCI can contribute to a more educated and tech-savvy population, facilitating their effective
utilization of online government platforms and thereby improving the overall EGDI.

H4: The EPI positively impacts the EGDI by measuring the level of citizen engagement and
participation in digital government processes. Higher EPI scores indicate greater public
involvement, leading to improved transparency, accountability and responsiveness in e-
governance.

3. Sample and population

Nepal and India of South Asia make up the sample for this research, with population involving
193 member states of United Nations whose EGDI is available from UN Survey for E-
Governance Development 2022. Purposive sampling, in which the sample is selected based on
characteristics of the target population that are already known, was used to collect the data for
this study.

4. Data Presentation and Analysis:

a) Quantitative Data Analysis:

• The findings from the observations are presented using charts, graphs, and tables to illustrate
trends, patterns, and key insights related to comparative picture of e-government
development in Nepal and India.

b) Qualitative Data Analysis:

• Content analysis was used to extract meaningful information from review of literature and

32
 observations regarding other aims related to policy and legal frameworks, challenges and
barriers, Critical Successful Factors (CSFs) and others.

5. Tools and Software:

• Microsoft Office Suite for data presentation (charts, graphs, and tables) and report writing.

6. Comparative analysis framework

• The purpose of this paper is to offer an objective basis for the investigation of the reasons
for comparison between Nepal and India by providing a framework for comparative
analysis. It will develop a comparative analysis framework based on relevant factors that
influence e-government development. It is possible that government policies, infrastructure,
digital literacy, public involvement, service delivery and legal frameworks are among these
elements. This analysis will emphasize the similarities and differences in the development
of e-government and provide insight into the reasons for these differences. The analysis will
be
• Also, we used MS Office tools to analyze the Nepal and India’s EGDI data. We obtained
EGDI data for Nepal and India from the website of the United Nations E-Government
Knowledgebase, and we have used all available EGDI Data for the survey years 2003 to
2022. As the data is numerical, quantitative research is conducted using it. To achieve that,
we looked at the Nepal and India’s EGDI Index values as well as its sub-components from
which overall EGDI Index values is derived. Then, after verifying the EGDI Index values
from year 2003 to 2022 about EGDI Index values and sub-component values, we were able
to analyze it and draw conclusions about our findings.

Comparative Study of EGDI Indexes and sub-components of Nepal vs India:

• Identify and select a set of popular indexes used for comparative analysis of e-government
development in different countries.
• Utilize online resources viz. United Nations (UN) E-Government Development Database
(UNeGovDD) website to collect datasets for the comparative analysis.
• Analyze different sub-components take makeup the overall EGDI index and compare each
subcomponents value for Nepal and India as well as their development trajectory across

33
 different years.
• Present the comparison in a tabular format or using other visual aids for easy understanding.

7. Conclusions & Recommendations:

• Based on the findings from the literature review, data analysis, and comparative study,
conclusions & recommendations regarding the state of e-government development in Nepal
compared to India along with basic findings regarding policy & legal frameworks,
challenges and barriers as well as Critical Success Factors to successful implementation of
e-Government System in these two countries is summarized and recommended.

8. Presentation of Findings:

• A presentation summarizing the key findings, analysis, and recommendations regarding the
state of e-government development in Nepal compared to India along with major findings
regarding policy & legal frameworks, challenges and barriers as well as Critical Success
Factors to successful implementation of e-Government System in these two countries is
presented and final recommendations are made to be adopted at last.

9. Report Writing:

All the findings, analysis, and recommendations has been compiled into a comprehensive
report format with clear sections, including an introduction, objectives & aims, literature
review, methodology, data presentation & analysis, Discussions, Conclusions and
Recommendations. Finally, all the sources used in the study has been properly cited in
References Section.

By following this methodology, the case study can effectively investigate the importance and
need of comparative analysis, give a comparative picture of e-government development in Nepal
and India, challenges, and critical success factors related to e-government implementation.

34
 Chapter 6: Data Analysis, Findings & Discussions

This chapter will discuss about the secondary data collected regarding EGDI indexes of
Nepal and India and carry-out the comparative analysis using appropriate tools and techniques.
Then, the findings of the analysis done in terms of achievement of stated objectives of the study
is discussed.

Datasets about the e-Government Development Index (EGDI) and its subcomponents for Nepal
and India were collected from the UN’s website of e-Government Knowledgebase of year 2003
to 2022 and analyzed for comparative analysis. The findings of the analysis are presented
herewith in the form of tables, charts, graphs, pie-charts, cluster column lines and others.

Quantitative Analysis and Discussions:

Comparative Picture of EGDI Index Rank and EGDI Index Values of Nepal and India:

It was found that e-Government Development Index Rank of India in 2022 is found to be 105
with EGDI index value of 0.588 which is higher than that of Nepal which is ranked at 125 with
EGDI index value of 0.512.

From the line graphs given below showing the trajectory of EGDI Index ranks and values of
Nepal and India, we can easily deduce that despite the EGDI Index values of both Nepal and
India has more or less grown in positive manner from 2003 to 2022 besides some exception years,
the EGDI Index ranks of India which was around 87 from 2003 to 2005 has gone worse since
then and seems to be getting slowly better recently while that of Nepal seem to be following
similar pattern indicating despite the positive progress in e-government in both countries, other
countries have done better than them. Studying increasing trends of EGDI index values of India
and Nepal, it is evident that the growth of e-government development has been more significant
in India compared to Nepal.

35
 EGDI Index Rank Trajectory

125 118
113 119
107 100 105
87 86 87 96
150 153 164 165
130 132 126 135 132 125
117

2003 2004 2005 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

E-Government Development Index rank India

E-Government Development Index rank Nepal

EGDI INDEX VALUES

Nepal India

1.200
1.000
0.800
0.600
0.400
0.200
0.000
2003 2004 2005 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
India 0.373 0.388 0.400 0.381 0.357 0.383 0.383 0.464 0.567 0.596 0.588
Nepal 0.268 0.281 0.302 0.273 0.257 0.266 0.234 0.346 0.475 0.470 0.512

Comparison of Sub-components that make-up EGDI Indicator for Nepal and India:

As stated earlier, the EGDI Index value is average of index values of OSI, TCI and HCI values
which themselves are made up of other basic components. The growth pattern of each of these
components is analyzed and presented in graphical manner below.

Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII) and its components

Mobile cellular Percentage of Fixed (wired) Active mobile
telephone Individuals broadband broadband EGDI
Country TII 2022 TII 2022 EGDI Group
subscriptions per using subscriptions per subscriptions per 2022
100 inhabitants the Internet 100 inhabitants 100 inhabitants
Nepal High TII 0.5123 120 37.7 4.36 61.4 High EGDI 0.5117
India Medium TII 0.3954 83.6 43 1.66 52.54 High EGDI 0.5883

36
 Comparison of Telecommunication Infrastructure Index
(TII) Values
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Telecommunication Infrastructure Index value Nepal

Telecommunication Infrastructure Index value India

It is very clear that there has been significant progress in regards to development of Telecom
infrastructure and adoption of ICT Services in both countries. Nepal is found to have surpassed
India in development of Telecom Infrastructure and adoption of ICT Services for delivery of e-
government services. Mobile subscriptions and wired broadband subscriptions per 100
inhabitants are higher for Nepal to India resulting in Nepal being placed in High TII Group while
India is placed in middle TII Group.

OSI and its components

Country OSI Group OSI 2022 IF CP SP EPI TEC EGDI Group EGDI 2022
Nepal Middle OSI 0.4592 0.9615 0.7 0.4533 0.2386 0.5294 High EGDI 0.511
India Very High OSI 0.7934 1 1 0.8267 0.5909 0.8824 High EGDI 0.5883

Comparison of Online Services Index

(OSI) Values
1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024

Online Service Index value Nepal Online Service Index value India

37
In regards to delivery of Online Services, India has done pretty well lately by implementing
different online services compared to Nepal which has itself carried out many improvements in
this regard. The OSI values of India is found to be 0.7934 while that of Nepal is 0.4592. So, Nepal
is grouped in middle OSI Group while India is grouped as Very High OSI Group.

Human Capital Index (HCI) and its components

Expected Year of
Adult Literacy (%) Gross Enrollment Ratio Mean Year of Schooling
Schooling
HCI HCI
Country
Group 2022 Index Index Index Index
Year Source Year Source Year Source Year Source
Value Value Value Value

High
Nepal 0.5636 67.91 2018 UNSECO 75.69 2019 UNSECO 13.15 2019 UNSECO 5 2019 UNDP
HCI
High
India 0.5761 74.37 2018 UNSECO 69.67 2020 UNSECO 11.87 2020 UNSECO 6.5 2019 UNDP
HCI

Comparison of Human Capital Index (HCI)

Values
0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021

Human Capital Index value Nepal Human Capital Index value India

HCI Values of India is found to be higher than Nepal since 2003 till 2022 but Nepal has done
brilliant progress to almost catch-up with India in this regard with minor difference of about
0.0125. Though literacy rate of Nepal at 67.91% and mean of schooling is lower than that of India
at 74.37%, gross enrollment ratio and expected year of schooling is better for Nepal.

38
E-Participation Index (EPI) and its components
Country EPI Group EPI 2022 Rank E-information E-consultation E-decision-making
Nepal EPI 0.2386 143 0.3455 0.0714 0.05
India High EPI 0.5909 61 0.8182 0.3571 0.1

Comparison of E-Participation Index (EPI)

Values
160 1.2
140 1
120
100 0.8
80 0.6
60 0.4
40
20 0.2
0 0
2003 2004 2005 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

Nepal EPI Rank India EPI Rank Nepal EPI Value India EPI Value

E-Participation index is a composite measure comprising of E-Information, E-Consultation and

E-Decision-making which gives a benchmark for measuring citizen engagement & participation.
As per data collected, Nepal lags significantly in case of E-Participation Index (EPI) as compared
to India which has done well and consequently grouped as High EPI nation. Nepal is found to be
very poor in E-Consultation and E-Decision-making.

E-Government Development Index (EGDI)

EGDI Rating EGDI OSI TII HCI Level of
Country Region Rank
Group Class 2022 2022 2022 2022 Income
Nepal Asia High EGDI H1 125 0.5117 0.4592 0.5123 0.5636 LMC
India Asia High EGDI H2 105 0.5883 0.7934 0.3954 0.5761 LMC

39
The above chart gives a clear comparative picture of e-government development status in Nepal
compared to India which in this case study is measured using EGDI Index and its sub-components
parts. Though EGDI values of Nepal and India are close enough with values of 0.5117 and 0.5888
respectively, it is found that HCI for both nations are comparative and Nepal is ahead in TII and
lags in OSI compared to India as per e-government development 2022 survey database of UN.

Nepal India

40
 Qualitative Analysis and Discussions:

Major findings regarding Policy and Legal Frameworks, Barriers and Challenges to successful
implementation of e-government system and Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are discussed here.

Policy and Legal Frameworks:

1. Policy Frameworks:

• IT Policy (2000, 2004 (draft), 2010): These policies likely laid the groundwork for IT
infrastructure and development in Nepal, which is a crucial element for e-government
initiatives.

• Telecommunications Policy (2004): This policy likely addresses the communication

infrastructure needed to support e-government services.

• E-Governance Master Plan (eGMP): This plan, formulated in collaboration with Korea,
served as a roadmap for e-government development between 2007 and 2011 and eGMP2
for 2015-2019.

• NeGIF (Nepal e-Government Interoperability Framework): NeGIF is a key

component of Nepal's e-government framework, alongside the policies and legal acts.
NeGIF establishes standards and guidelines to ensure that different government agencies'
IT systems can communicate and share data seamlessly. eGIF provides the know how to
achieve interoperability of data and information within and outside the government. It
enables any ministry/agency to provide and receive information and integrate its processes
with other agencies using a predetermined framework. This promotes interoperability and
allows for the integration of various e-government services. The National Information
Technology Centre (NITC) is responsible for developing and maintaining NeGIF
[Government of Nepal Official National Portal].

2. Legal Frameworks:

• Electronic Transactions Act (2006) and Electronic Transactions Rules (2007): This
act and rules is likely the cornerstone of Nepal's e-government legal framework. It

41
 provides the legal basis for electronic transactions, including those between citizens and
government entities.

• Legislative bills related to printing, public service broadcasting, media regulation, and
social network management are under consideration.

• Noteworthy policies include the National Cyber Security Policy (2080) and the Radio
Frequency Policy of Telecommunications Service (2080).

3. Initiatives:

• Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT) is working on a

concept paper on artificial intelligence (AI) and coordinating the 'Digital Nepal
Framework.'

• The 'Digital Nepal Acceleration Project' is being implemented with World Bank support
to reduce the digital divide.

• Efforts are made to address cyber threats with the operation of a 24/7 cyber security
monitoring centre.

4. E-Governance Commission:

• The federal government has established the E-Governance Commission, under

Chairmanship of Prime Minister and co-chaired by minister of Communications and
Information Technology, through Formation and Operation Order, 2022, for the
promotion of electronic system in public service delivery and government functions.

• The commission is responsible for formulating and implementing cyber security policies,
developing IT employment policies, and ensuring the security of electronic systems.

• It will provide suggestions to the government for integrated policy formulation related to
cyber security and e-governance, establish norms for database and network setup, and
coordinate with international institutions for software export.

• The E-Governance Commission has decided to prepare an e-Governance Blueprint of

Nepal and establish a One Stop Shop i.e., Citizen Service Centre.

42
 • The commission is working on interoperability through the establishment of a Data
Exchange Platform.

These policies, legal frameworks, initiatives, and the establishment of the E-Governance
Commission demonstrate Nepal's commitment to advancing e-governance, enhancing digital
infrastructure, and improving public service delivery through technology.

INDIA:

1. Legal Frameworks:

o Information Technology Act (2000): This act provides the legal framework for e-
commerce, electronic contracts, and digital signatures, crucial for e-government services.

o Aadhaar Act (2016): Establishes a legal framework for the Aadhaar identification
system, which is widely used for e-government services in India.

2. Policies and Initiatives:

• National e-Governance Policy (2006): This comprehensive policy outlines a vision and
strategy for e-government adoption across various sectors.

• State e-Governance Policies: Many Indian states have their own e-governance policies
that align with the national policy but cater to specific needs.

• Mission Mode Projects (MMPs): These are focused initiatives to deliver specific e-
government services (e.g., Aadhaar, PDS).

3. National e-Governance Plan (NeGP):

• Aims to provide a common vision for e-government adoption across India.

• Includes initiatives like e-Kranti, E-Panchayat, E-District, and Crime and Criminal
Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).

4. Digital India Initiative:

• Launched to transform India into a digitally empowered society.

43
 • Includes projects like Digital Locker, e-Hospital, MyGov, and BharatNet.

• Aims to create digital infrastructure, deliver government services digitally, and achieve
universal digital literacy.

5. Specific Initiatives:

• E-Panchayat aims to computerize Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for better service
delivery.

• E-District focuses on electronic delivery of high-volume citizen-focused government

services.

• Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) aims to improve policing
through e-Governance principles.

• Public Distribution System (PDS) aims to computerize end-to-end processes for better
management.

6. e-Governance Portals and Services:

• National Portal of India provides access to various government services and information.

• e-Courts portal facilitates efficient and transparent judicial services.

• e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) promotes fair and competitive trade in

agricultural produce.

7. Digital Payments and Financial Inclusion:

• Initiatives like UPI and AEPS promote digital payments and financial inclusion.

• Aadhaar has facilitated financial transactions, subsidy delivery, and verification.

8. Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN):

• Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) serves as the technology backbone for GST
implementation.

44
 • Streamlines registration, tax filing, and compliance processes, enhancing tax transparency
and compliance.

Overall, India has implemented a range of digital initiatives and policies to enhance governance,
improve service delivery, and promote digital inclusion and transparency. These efforts leverage
technology to address various challenges and transform the delivery of government services and
welfare programs.

KEY SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERNCES in e-Government System in Nepal and India:

Similarities:

• Legal Frameworks: Both Nepal and India have established legal frameworks to support e-
government development. For example, both countries have enacted Electronic Transactions Acts
to provide a legal basis for electronic transactions.

• Initiatives and Policies: Both countries have formulated policies and initiatives to promote e-
government and e-governance. They have developed master plans, policies, and initiatives aimed
at leveraging technology for improving governance, service delivery, and citizen engagement.

• Interoperability Standards: Both Nepal and India recognize the importance of interoperability
in e-government systems. They have established frameworks and standards to ensure seamless
communication and data sharing among government agencies.

• Focus on Digital Inclusion: Both countries are working towards reducing the digital divide and
promoting digital inclusion. They have initiatives aimed at providing access to digital services
and empowering citizens through digital literacy programs.

Key Differences:

• Comprehensiveness: India's legal and policy framework appears more comprehensive, with
a dedicated National e-Governance Policy and state-level policies.

45
• Focus: India's approach seems to involve both broad policy direction and specific mission-
mode projects for targeted service delivery. Nepal's framework might be less detailed.

• Digital Identity: India's Aadhaar system provides a robust digital identity infrastructure,
potentially enabling wider e-government service adoption.

• Scale and Maturity: India's e-government initiatives are more extensive and mature
compared to Nepal. India's Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, encompasses a wide
range of projects aimed at transforming governance through digital technologies. In contrast,
Nepal's e-government development is at an earlier stage, with fewer initiatives and a smaller
scale of implementation.

• Infrastructure: India has a more developed digital infrastructure compared to Nepal,

including better internet connectivity and technological penetration. This infrastructure
facilitates the implementation of e-government services and initiatives.

• Resource Allocation: India has dedicated significant resources to e-government

development, reflected in the scale and scope of its initiatives. In contrast, Nepal may face
challenges in resource allocation and capacity building for e-government initiatives.

• Regulatory Environment: While both countries have enacted laws to support e-government,
the regulatory environment may differ in terms of enforcement and implementation. India's
legal framework for e-government may be more robust and comprehensive compared to
Nepal.

• International Collaboration: Nepal has collaborated with countries like Korea for its e-
governance master plan, whereas India has developed partnerships with various international
organizations and countries for its e-government initiatives, including collaborations with
countries like the United States, Japan, and Singapore.

Overall, while Nepal and India share similarities in their efforts to promote e-government and e-
governance, there are notable differences in terms of scale, infrastructure, resource allocation,
regulatory environment, and international collaboration. These differences reflect the varying
stages of development and priorities in each country's e-government journey.

46
Barriers and Challenges to successful implementation of e-government system

Barriers and Challenges in Nepal:

• Infrastructure Constraints: Limited access to reliable electricity and internet connectivity in

remote areas of Nepal hinders the effective implementation of e-governance initiatives.

• Digital Divide: Disparities in access to technology and digital literacy levels among different
population groups contribute to a digital divide, limiting the reach and impact of e-governance
services.

• Capacity Building: Lack of skilled personnel and technical expertise within government
agencies poses a challenge to the successful implementation and maintenance of e-governance
projects.

• Interoperability: Ensuring interoperability among different government systems and databases

remains a challenge, hampering the seamless exchange of information and services across
departments and agencies.

• Legal and Regulatory Framework: Inadequate legal and regulatory frameworks may impede the
adoption of e-governance initiatives and hinder efforts to address issues such as data privacy and
cybersecurity.

• Financial Resources: Limited budget allocation for e-governance projects and competing
priorities for government spending constrain the implementation of comprehensive e-governance
solutions.

• Political Instability: Nepal's history of political instability and frequent changes in government
leadership can disrupt the continuity and sustainability of e-governance initiatives.

Barriers and Challenges in India:

• Digital Divide: Despite significant progress, India still faces challenges related to the digital
divide, with disparities in access to technology and internet connectivity between urban and rural
areas, as well as among different socio-economic groups.

47
• Cybersecurity Concerns: With the increasing digitization of government services, cybersecurity
threats such as data breaches and cyberattacks pose significant challenges to the integrity and
security of e-governance systems.

• Interoperability: Achieving interoperability among the diverse IT systems and databases across
different government departments and agencies remains a complex challenge, impacting the
seamless delivery of e-governance services.

• Capacity Building: Building and maintaining the technical capacity and skills of government
officials and IT professionals to effectively manage and implement e-governance projects is
essential but often lacking.

• Complex Bureaucratic Procedures: Lengthy and complex bureaucratic procedures within

government departments can delay decision-making and implementation processes, hindering the
timely execution of e-governance initiatives.

• Privacy Concerns: As e-governance initiatives involve the collection and storage of vast
amounts of citizen data, ensuring data privacy and protection against misuse and unauthorized
access is a significant challenge.

• Socio-cultural Factors: Socio-cultural factors, such as low levels of digital literacy, language
diversity, and varying levels of awareness and acceptance of e-governance among citizens, can
impede the uptake and usage of digital services.

Addressing these barriers and challenges requires a multi-faceted approach, including investment
in infrastructure, capacity building, strengthening regulatory frameworks, promoting digital
literacy, and fostering collaboration between government, private sector, and civil society
stakeholders.

Major insights, innovative ideas & suggestions, and lessons learned for better
success of e-government development in Nepal and India:

Insights:

• Integration of Emerging Technologies: Both Nepal and India should focus on integrating

48
 emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and Internet of Things in e-
governance initiatives to enhance efficiency, transparency, and security.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Both countries can benefit from leveraging data analytics to
gain insights, identify trends, and improve policy formulation and implementation in e-
governance.
• Expansion of Digital Infrastructure: There is a need to prioritize the expansion of digital
infrastructure, including broadband networks and mobile coverage, to ensure widespread
access to digital services, especially in rural and remote areas.
• Interoperability and Collaboration: Both countries should promote interoperability and
collaboration among different government departments and agencies to streamline processes,
reduce duplication, and provide a unified experience for citizens.
• Citizen-Centric Approaches: Enhancing citizen engagement, participation, and feedback
mechanisms is crucial for both countries to empower individuals and foster a sense of
ownership in governance processes.

Innovative Ideas & Suggestions:

• Building Digital Infrastructure: Both Nepal and India should focus on building a strong
digital infrastructure that provides affordable and reliable internet connectivity across the
country.
• Promoting Digital Literacy: Promoting digital literacy and awareness programs is essential
to empower citizens and enhance their participation in e-governance initiatives.
• Public-Private Partnerships: Fostering collaboration and partnerships between the
government, private sector, and civil society can leverage expertise and resources to develop
innovative solutions and implement e-governance initiatives effectively.
• Integration of Emerging Technologies: Exploring the potential of emerging technologies
like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain can unlock new possibilities for
e-governance and lead to innovative solutions.
• Citizen-Centric Approach: Adopting a citizen-centric approach by focusing on
understanding citizens' needs and preferences, designing user-friendly interfaces, and
ensuring a seamless user experience is vital for the success of e-governance initiatives.

49
Lessons Learned & Best Practices:

• Strong Leadership and Political Will: Clear vision, commitment, and support from top-
level leadership are crucial for overcoming implementation challenges and ensuring sustained
progress in e-governance initiatives.
• Capacity Building and Digital Literacy: Providing training and skill development
opportunities to government officials and citizens can enhance their understanding and
utilization of digital platforms and services.
• Collaboration and Coordination: Collaboration and coordination among various
stakeholders, including citizens, civil society organizations, and the private sector, are vital
for the success of e-governance initiatives.
• User-Centric Design: Designing user-friendly interfaces, ensuring accessibility, and
incorporating citizen feedback are essential for enhancing user experience and promoting user
engagement in e-governance systems.
• Security and Privacy: Implementing robust data protection measures, encryption techniques,
and secure authentication mechanisms are crucial for protecting sensitive citizen information
and instilling confidence among users.

By implementing these insights, innovative ideas & suggestions, and lessons learned, both Nepal
and India can enhance the effectiveness, inclusivity, and impact of their e-governance initiatives,
leading to improved service delivery, citizen engagement, and overall governance outcomes.

50
 Chapter 8: Conclusions & Recommendations

All the findings, analyses and interpretation in previous chapters confirm the achievement of all
the objectives and aim of the study, both primary and secondary stated in Chapter 2.

E-governance initiatives in India have emerged as crucial drivers of administrative efficiency,

transparency, and citizen empowerment. Through initiatives such as the Digital India Initiative,
Aadhaar, GSTN, mobile governance, e-government portals and services, and digital payments,
the Indian government has made significant progress in transforming service delivery, improving
governance outcomes, and promoting financial inclusion. These initiatives have facilitated access
to government services, reduced bureaucratic processes, enhanced transparency, and empowered
citizens. However, challenges such as the digital divide, low digital literacy levels, data security
concerns, and infrastructure limitations need to be addressed to ensure the effective delivery of e-
governance. Despite these challenges, the transformative power of e-governance initiatives in
India offers promising prospects for a more inclusive, efficient, and citizen-centric government.
Continued efforts in leveraging digital technologies and addressing the existing challenges will
pave the way for a digitally empowered society in India

The comparative quantitative analysis of e-government development in Nepal and India reveals
several key insights into their respective trajectories, achievements, and challenges. Despite both
countries demonstrating positive growth trends in their e-Government Development Index
(EGDI) values over the years, significant disparities and areas of improvement exist between
them.
1. EGDI Ranking and Values: India has consistently maintained a higher EGDI ranking
compared to Nepal, with a relatively higher EGDI index value. However, both countries have
witnessed positive growth in their EGDI values over time, indicating a general trend towards e-
government advancement.
2. Telecommunications Infrastructure and ICT Adoption: Nepal has surpassed India in
certain aspects of telecommunications infrastructure and ICT adoption, particularly in metrics
such as mobile subscriptions and wired broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. This

51
suggests that Nepal has made commendable progress in laying the groundwork for e-government
services.
3. Online Services Delivery: India has demonstrated significant advancements in the
delivery of online services, as reflected in its higher Online Services Index (OSI) values compared
to Nepal. The implementation of various online services has contributed to India's improved OSI
ranking, showcasing its commitment to digital governance.
4. Human Capital Index (HCI) and Education: While India maintains a slight lead in HCI
values, Nepal has made remarkable progress in narrowing this gap, especially in metrics such as
gross enrolment ratio and expected years of schooling. This highlights Nepal's efforts to enhance
human capital development, a critical component of successful e-government implementation.
5. E-Participation Index (EPI): India outperforms Nepal in terms of e-participation, as
evidenced by its higher EPI value. However, Nepal lags significantly in e-consultation and e-
decision-making, indicating the need for targeted interventions to improve citizen engagement
and participation in governance processes.

In conclusion, while both Nepal and India have made commendable strides in e-government
development, there are notable differences in their progress and areas of focus. Nepal's emphasis
on telecommunications infrastructure and ICT adoption underscores its commitment to laying a
strong foundation for digital governance. On the other hand, India's advancements in online
service delivery and e-participation reflect its proactive approach towards leveraging technology
for citizen engagement and service delivery.

The comparative analysis of e-Government Development Index (EGDI) and its subcomponents
for Nepal and India provides valuable insights into the progress, challenges, and opportunities in
e-governance development in both countries. Here are the key conclusions drawn from the
analysis:
1. Progress and Challenges: Both Nepal and India have made significant strides in e-
government development over the years, as evidenced by the positive trajectory of their EGDI
values. However, challenges such as infrastructure constraints, digital divide, capacity building
issues, and regulatory gaps continue to impede the full realization of e-governance potential.

52
2. Technological Integration: Integrating emerging technologies such as artificial
intelligence, blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT) into e-governance initiatives can enhance
efficiency, transparency, and security. Both countries should prioritize the adoption of these
technologies to drive innovation and improve service delivery.
3. Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data analytics for evidence-based decision-
making is crucial for informed policy formulation and implementation. Nepal and India should
invest in data infrastructure and analytics capabilities to harness the power of data for governance
improvements.
4. Expansion of Digital Infrastructure: Ensuring widespread access to digital services
requires the expansion of digital infrastructure, especially in rural and remote areas. Both
countries should focus on improving broadband networks, mobile coverage, and digital literacy
programs to bridge the digital divide.
5. Interoperability and Collaboration: Promoting interoperability and collaboration
among different government departments and agencies is essential for seamless service delivery.
Nepal and India should prioritize efforts to integrate systems, reduce duplication, and provide a
unified experience for citizens.
6. Citizen-Centric Approaches: Enhancing citizen engagement, participation, and
feedback mechanisms should be a priority for both countries. Adopting citizen-centric approaches
and leveraging digital channels for communication and interaction can empower citizens and
foster a sense of ownership in governance processes.
Based on these conclusions, the following recommendations are proposed for better success in e-
government development in Nepal and India:
1. Investment in Digital Infrastructure: Both countries should prioritize investment in
digital infrastructure to improve internet connectivity, mobile networks, and digital literacy
programs, especially in underserved areas.
2. Promotion of Digital Literacy: Government initiatives should focus on promoting digital
literacy and awareness programs to empower citizens and enhance their participation in e-
governance initiatives.
3. Public-Private Partnerships: Fostering collaboration and partnerships between the
government, private sector, and civil society can leverage resources and expertise to develop
innovative solutions and implement e-governance initiatives effectively.

53
4. Integration of Emerging Technologies: Exploring the potential of emerging
technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain can unlock new
possibilities for e-governance and lead to innovative solutions.
5. Adoption of Citizen-Centric Approach: Both Nepal and India should adopt a citizen-
centric approach by focusing on understanding citizens' needs and preferences, designing user-
friendly interfaces, and ensuring a seamless user experience in e-governance systems.
6. Capacity Building and Training: Investment in capacity building and training programs
for government officials and citizens is essential to enhance their understanding and utilization of
digital platforms and services.
By implementing these recommendations, Nepal and India can overcome existing challenges,
capitalize on opportunities, and further enhance the effectiveness, inclusivity, and impact of their
e-governance initiatives, ultimately leading to improved service delivery and governance
outcomes for their citizens.

54
 References:

• Younus, M., Pribadi, U., Nurmandi, A., & Rahmawati, I. Z. (2023). Comparative analysis of E-
Government Development Index: A case study of South Asian countries. Transforming
Government: People, Process and Policy. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373925053. DOI: 10.1108/TG-05-2023-0068

• Rai, S. K. (2022). Issues, challenges, and ways ahead to develop citizen-centric e-Governance
in Nepal. Journal of Management and Development Studies, 31(1), 31-48. Nepal Administrative
Staff College. https://doi.org/10.3126/jmds.v31i01.52852

• Chhangani, M. K. S., Meena, D. K., & Mandot, V. (2023). From paper to pixels: Exploring
India's journey in e-governance transformation. International Journal of Creative Research
Thoughts (IJCRT), 11(10). Retrieved from www.ijcrt.org.

• United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2022). E-Government Survey
2022: The Future of Digital Government [PDF]. Retrieved from
https://desapublications.un.org/sites/default/files/publications/2022-09/Web%20version%20E-
Government%202022.pdf

• United Nations. (n.d.). Nepal. United Nations E-Government Survey. Retrieved from
https://publicadministration.un.org/egovkb/en-us/Data/Country-Information/id/120-Nepal

• United Nations. (n.d.). India. United Nations E-Government Survey. Retrieved from
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• https://chat.openai.com/

• Nepal Telecommunications Authority. (2080). Telecommunication Insight Asoj-2080 [PDF].

Retrieved from https://www.nta.gov.np/uploads/contents/Telecommunication%20Insight%20Asoj-
2080.pdf

• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. (2024). Telecom Subscription Data as on 31st

December, 2023 [PDF]. Retrieved from
https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/PR_No.07of2024_0.pdf

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 Annexures:

2022 Nepal 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2005 2004 2003
E-Government Development
125 132 117 135 165 164 153 150 126 132 130
Index rank
E-Government Development 0.511 0.469 0.474 0.345 0.2344 0.266 0.256 0.272 0.302 0.280 0.268
Index value 7 9 8 81 2 44 77 5 11 74 39
E-Participation Index rank 143 137 55 89 110 134 127 152 73 75 61
0.238 0.780 0.508 0.2941 0.026 0.057 0.022 0.079 0.065 0.137
E-Participation Index value 0.369
6 9 47 1 3 14 72 36 57 9
0.459 0.687 0.398 0.1574 0.287 0.168 0.287 0.335 0.318
Online Service Index value 0.4 0.4
2 5 55 8 58 25 62 9 77
Telecommunication 0.512 0.469 0.241 0.167 0.1684 0.059 0.022 0.011 0.006 0.006 0.006
Infrastructure Index value 3 1 3 45 3 69 68 9 34 32 39
0.563 0.540 0.495 0.471 0.452 0.582 0.517
Human Capital Index value 0.3774 0.5 0.5 0.48
6 5 7 42 06 06 58

2022 India 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2005 2004 2003
E-Government Development 105 100 96 107 118 125 119 113 87 86 87
Index rank
0.588 0.596 0.566 0.463 0.3834 0.382 0.356 0.381 0.400 0.387 0.373
E-Government Development
3 4 9 75 3 87 73 4 13 89 09
Index value

E-Participation Index rank 61 29 15 27 40 75 58 49 57 59 41

0.590 0.857 0.955 0.762 0.6274 0.184 0.158 0.131 0.258

E-Participation Index value 0.2 0.25
9 1 1 71 5 2 73 14 6

0.793 0.852 0.951 0.746 0.535 0.368 0.478 0.582 0.567 0.521
0.5433
Online Service Index value 4 9 4 38 94 25 26 69 56 83

Telecommunication 0.395 0.351 0.200 0.142 0.1372 0.110 0.058 0.043 0.027 0.026 0.027
Infrastructure 4 5 9 98 3 17 32 5 7 13 44
Index value
0.576 0.584 0.548 0.501 0.502 0.643 0.619
0.4698 0.59 0.57 0.57
Human Capital Index value 1 8 4 89 49 26 5

OSI and its components

Country OSI Group OSI 2022 IF CP SP EPI TEC EGDI Group EGDI 2022
Nepal Middle OSI 0.4592 0.9615 0.7 0.4533 0.2386 0.5294 High EGDI 0.511
India Very High OSI 0.7934 1 1 0.8267 0.5909 0.8824 High EGDI 0.5883

Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII) and its components

56
 Mobile cellular Percentage of Fixed (wired) Active mobile
telephone Individuals broadband broadband EGDI
Country TII 2022 TII 2022 EGDI Group
subscriptions per using subscriptions per subscriptions per 2022
100 inhabitants the Internet 100 inhabitants 100 inhabitants
Nepal High TII 0.5123 120 37.7 4.36 61.4 High EGDI 0.5117
India Medium TII 0.3954 83.6 43 1.66 52.54 High EGDI 0.5883

Human Capital Index (HCI) and its components

Expected Year of
Adult Literacy (%) Gross Enrollment Ratio Mean Year of Schooling
Schooling
HCI HCI
Country
Group 2022 Index Index Index Index
Year Source Year Source Year Source Year Source
Value Value Value Value

High
Nepal 0.5636 67.91 2018 UNSECO 75.69 2019 UNSECO 13.15 2019 UNSECO 5 2019 UNDP
HCI
High
India 0.5761 74.37 2018 UNSECO 69.67 2020 UNSECO 11.87 2020 UNSECO 6.5 2019 UNDP
HCI

Open Government Data Index (OGDI)

Country OGDI Group OGDI 2022
Nepal Middle OGDI 0.3915
India Very High OGDI 0.9859

57