This document discusses enabling participatory democracy through information and communication technologies (ICT). It argues that existing democracies have become disconnected from citizens and that ICT could help address issues like information asymmetry and limited civic engagement. However, significant barriers like rural-urban and gender divides in Internet access must be overcome. If ICT assets become more accessible and governments use technologies to facilitate two-way information sharing and public opinion formation, it could help make democracies more participatory.

1. Enabling Participatory Democracy

2. The need for democratic society
 As an operational system which enables citizens to be
part of decision making process which affects their
quality of life
 As an environment which enhances individual
capabilities
 As a process which facilitates balanced development

3. Existing Political systems
 Within democracy itself, there are different forms
which are known to exist
 Predominantly, the world has known and practiced
liberal democracy
 The current system has alienated citizens from the
government, falling pray to authoritarianism and
immobilizm
 The only mode of participation is election-limited
representation

4. Technology and the state
 What role can technology have in democracy
 Asymmetry of information
 To create conditions of free and equal practice of
political self-determination
 Technology is bringing down cost of governance,
increasing accountability and efficiency of official
resources
 Conduct of the government improves while
strengthening foundation of state institution

5. ICT in India: Current scenario
 As of Dec, ‘13-213 million internet users with
penetration rate of 15.8 percent
 Internet connectivity has risen on the back of mobile
telephony with projection of 75 percent of internet
users on internet-enabled devices
 As of June, ‘14-185 million internet users were on
mobile devices
 The entire mobile eco-system contributed 1.3 percent
of GDP (2012)

6. Civic engagement through ICT
 In a short span, internet and mobile technology has
become a part of life. By 2014, the world will have 3
billion internet users, two-third in the developing
world alone. This calls for questioning the role of ICT
 Three main arguments to judge the role of ICT in
governance and society-
I. Success of ICT in correcting the defects of the
electoral system
II. Extent of spread of information through ICT from
state to society
III. Initiation of public opinion using ICT and enabling
of civic engagement

7. The age old Rural-Urban divide
 Prima facie, figures show that internet penetration is
higher in urban spaces with 67 percent of total users
 The use of ICT remains restricted with rural
geographies relying on traditional communication
means
 Majority of 833 million rural citizens do not have
access to broadband or mobile internet
 Paradoxical situation where the majority of the
population has no access to communication
technology
 Rural youth will be at loss the most (68 percent)-their
interests and opinions are yet to reach national
advocacy level

8. Reaping the Demography
 Quality of education and quantity of employment
remain the pertinent issue
 Unemployment among youth (15-29 yrs) is higher with
higher level of education
 Females are at further disadvantaged position
 The failure of the state in providing a stable future to
youth translates into discontent and unrest in present
 Destructive discourse could germinate regarding the
function of the state
 ICT can channel horizontal information flow-dialogue
among the individuals given the presence of such
required assets

9. Citizen and government:
The dialogue
 Having information need not necessarily imply the
conversation will occur
 Government has been ensuring that information flows
out to the masses-basic precondition
 Delivery of G2C services however is not reaching the
marginalized and weak
 Problem is compounded by low literacy of the
technical kind which obstructs any analysis of
information that is present

10. Technology as an asset
 The initial step towards civic engagement is the
ownership of assets which facilitate it
 Current situation points at constrained access to
technology oriented assets by households
 Rural households are the most disadvantageous
 The state function should include not only delivery of
ICT enabled services but also delivery of assets that
will run the services

11. Society’s demand function
 As societies progress from traditional agrarian nature
to industrial state, the consumption bundle changes
 Basic needs are replaced with the demand for equality,
welfare and state accountability
 Society determines the political, geographical and
cultural factors affecting its demand function
 An inherent assumption is the presence of government
in its role of providing public goods

12. Technology in development
 Technology plays a definite role in development
process
 As a means to this end, technology is part of society’s
consumption bundle
 Utility from ICT ranges in various forms-depending on
self-interest motive or in macro context, choosing a
policy initiative
 Technology facilitates citizen involvement, thereby
making democracy work
 The ability to share and access information is the
cornerstone of democracy in modern societies

13. Capability of participation
 Modern politics has to ensure public trust-for which a
shared framework of beliefs and interactive links is
required
 Citizens are the stakeholders in the government
(business entity)-participation is essential
 Participation in decision making process is the
enabling feature of direct democracy
 This capability is ensured through the use of
technology

14. The beginning
 Evidences across Indian states reveal that
implementation of ICT in governance relies on certain
level of growth
 Making further inroads depends how selective
successes can be implemented in lesser developed
regions
 The process of engagement should initiate from the
presence of responsibility of participation
 Hindering this process is the digital divide and also
relevancy of content

15.  Going forward-
need to analyze the dynamics of civic engagement
 State needs to sustain conditions for participation and
economize the costs of such participation
 The role of ICT is ultimately of mediator-what
ultimate use of it will be made depends on the two
actors on stage