From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Dec 8: The President of India Pranab Mukherjee launched the country’s first and the world’s largest multi-mode mobile governance platform – Mobile One – offering over 4,000 services from both the government and private sectors to the citizens in Bengaluru on Monday.

Mukherjee launched the Karnataka’s initiative of unified mobile platform at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in the presence of State Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.

Under the Mobile One multi-mode mobile governance platform of Karnataka, over 600 services pertaining to 37 different government departments as also from the private sectors will be made available anytime, anywhere, anyhow model round the clock throughout the year at any location in the state on any mobile device.

The citizens will be offered the facility of enabling the citizens to pay utility bills, property tax, book bus and railway tickets, file income tax returns, m-passport, driving licenses and many other activities with their smartphones.

Over 4000 services including G2C, B2C and G2B services can be availed through this mobile governance initiative.Citizens can even take a simple picture of road potholes or street lights and send it automatically to the concerned officials for redressal.

This initiative named as ''ICARE,” is one of a kind government-citizen engagement model.The app is available for download on android and iOS platforms and all major mobile service providers such as Airtel, BSNL, Vodafone, Aircel, Idea and Reliance among others. Citizens can access services through this platform by dialling unique 3-digit number 161.

Mobile One is in tune with Digital India

The Karnataka 'Mobile One’ will integrate digital media and advertising going forward to enable it to be a self-sustaining model for some select services via advertising revenue, user fees and subscription models. Payments through a variety of modes including debit, credit cards, online wallet, PayGov are enabled.

The President, in his speech, underscored the need to bridging the digital divide between digital 'haves’ and 'have-nots’ and said the 'Digital India’ programme launched by Prime Minister NarendraModi on Independence Day envisaged creation of a digitally-empowered society and knowledge economy.

The 'Karnataka Mobile One’ programme of the State Government was one of the key components of the digital India programme by ensuring the availability of government services in real time from mobile platforms. It is in this context that the ‘Karnataka Mobile One’ is an initiative of great foresight, he said.

Mukherjee said responsiveness in catering to the needs of the citizens is a challenge the public administration of our country has to deal with. The efficacy of public institutions depends on the delivery mechanism and the institutional framework of rules, regulations and procedures, which has to evolve continuously to respond to changing times.

''There is pressing need, on the one hand, to improve organizational capabilities to cater to the increasing demand for services and improvement in the quality of service delivery, and on the other, to improve transparency and accountability,’’ he said emphasising the need for innovative solutions based on technology.

Mobile Phone Revolutionised Communication System

Mobile phone has revolutionized the communication system like none other. It has brought people closer, shrunk distance and alleviated geographic separation. The total number of mobile phone subscribers in India is 93 crore with a density of 75 percent. 41 percent of the subscribers reside in rural areas. The monthly growth rate of mobile phone subscription of 0.76 percent in the rural areas is higher than the 0.55 percent in the urban areas. These numbers have significance from the policy perspective of governance, he said.

Mukherjee praised the 'Aadhaar’ project initiated by the UPA regime without naming it and said it provided every resident with a unique identification number aimed at improving delivery and easy access to benefits and services. The Direct Benefits Transfer Scheme launched in January 2013 leveraged the Aadhaar system to improve targeting, eliminate waste, usher in greater transparency, reduce transaction costs and enhance efficiency.

This initiative demonstrated how good governance practices can be consolidated using suitable technology models. E-governance holds great promise for a quantum leap in governance standards. The need of the hour is to leverage India’s leadership position in ICT to introduce technology-intensive solutions for governance.

Dramatic Developments in IT Sector

Dramatic developments in the IT sector have transformed the society. It has created an eco-system for the Government to tap technology-enabled solutions for deployment in the area of governance for the benefit of the common man. Karnataka, for one, is an IT hub portraying a success story that has few parallels. It contributes to thirty percent of the total software exports of our country.

Not only has the State created a conducive environment for the expansion of the IT sector, it has skilfully combined innovation and government vision to bring about reforms touching the lives of citizens .E-initiatives like Bhoomi, which is an on-line system for land records management; Kaveri, which is a valuation and e-registration system of the Department of Stamps and Registration; e-swathu, which is a software that lists properties in urban local bodies and that has now been integrated with Kaveri; and e-procurement have set governance benchmarks. Karnataka also has the distinction of being the first Indian state to have a dedicated secretariat for e-governance. I commend your passion to deploy technology in governance.

''In this context, I want to express my delight at having been associated with the demonstration of 3D holography, which is a cutting-edge technology,’’ he said.

Happiness of Citizens Foremost Welfare Objective

''Happiness of citizens is the foremost objective of a welfare state. It is the fulcrum on which rests it’s other goals. Driving its fulfilment calls for good governance that has such sacrosanct elements as adherence to rule of law, participatory decision-making, equity, inclusiveness, responsiveness, transparency and accountability. The key parameter of success of public programmes is the meeting of the expectations of people. In the context of good governance, it implies the availability of effective delivery mechanisms,’’ the President said.

''It is commendable that Karnataka, which is a leading centre of IT, has cohesively merged technology, innovation and governance to create a novel process of citizen-government engagement,’’ Mukherjee saidadding: ''Good decision-making calls for pooling of knowledge, experience and views of all stakeholders including citizens. Recognizing this mantra of statecraft, Karnataka pursues the deepening of bond between the government and the governed.’’

''This, according to me, epitomizes the philosophy of governance that our ancient treatises like Bhagavat Gita, Arthashastra and Manusmriti had propounded. These treasured scriptures provided a prescription for governance based on a collaborative system between government and citizens,’’ he said.

The Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala warmly appreciated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s administration style of functioning and delivering the services to the people. ''The Chief Minister has implemented what he had promised to the people by launching the Mobile One, e-governance initiative,’’Vala said

"With the launch of the Mobile governance, Karnataka set an example to other states. Now, other states have to follow the Karnataka’s model," he said and said it marked the dawn of a new era in the governance and it should be result-oriented.