Technology and the 'Right to Service' in India: Getting Reddy'd
Jennifer Ann Drobac, Oliver R. Goodenough · SSRN Electronic Journal · 2015
Government bureaucracies are notorious worldwide as sources of “red tape” and delay. Even in countries with a relatively responsive government structure, speed of service can be a source of concern. Over the past few years civil service gridlock in U.S. and Indian states has become politically untenable. Indian politicians have promulgated initiatives to make government in India, both at the federal and state levels, more responsive to the needs of its people. As part of this movement, many of the Indian states have adopted “Right to Service” legislation. While moral, statutory, and even constitutional responses for amelioration deserve consideration, this Essay endorses technology as a potential solution for the frustrating and even crippling inefficiencies of government services systems. In assessing the potential of technology, we draw on the experience of our home country, the U.S. This experience provides examples of success and failure in the government use of technology to facilitate its interactions with its citizens. Even simple technological innovations can improve access to services. India might consider technology as a catalyst for change.