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Anganwadi Supervisor Paper-1 Top-ups · Chapter 1

E-Governance, Public Policy, RTI and Administrative Reforms

What to remember

  • E-governance means using information and communication technology to deliver services, share information and make government open and quick. Key plans: National e-Governance Plan (2006) and Digital India (2015).
  • Public policy is what a government chooses to do or not to do. It moves through stages: agenda, formulation, adoption, implementation and evaluation.
  • The Right to Information Act, 2005 gives every citizen the right to ask for government records. Basic time limit for a reply is 30 days. Appeals go to the senior officer and then to the Information Commission.

E-governance: meaning, types and models

E-governance is the use of digital tools to make the work of government simple, moral, accountable, responsive and transparent (SMART governance).

Types of interaction:

TypeMeaningExample
G2CGovernment to CitizenBirth certificate, ration card, land records online
G2BGovernment to BusinessTax filing, tenders, licences
G2GGovernment to GovernmentFile sharing between departments, e-Office
G2EGovernment to EmployeePayroll, service records, leave systems

Stages usually described: presence (website), interaction (forms), transaction (payment and service), and transformation (whole process redesigned).

Benefits: speed, lower cost, less corruption, 24-hour access, better records. Limits: digital divide, low literacy, power and network gaps, cyber risk and privacy worries.

E-governance in India

  • National Informatics Centre (NIC) was set up in 1976 to build government IT systems.
  • National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), 2006: mission mode projects, such as land records, e-courts, passport, income tax and Common Services Centres (CSCs). CSCs are village-level counters for digital services.
  • Digital India (2015): programme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Pillars include broadband highways, universal phone access, public internet access, e-governance, e-Kranti, information for all, electronics manufacturing, IT for jobs and early harvest programmes.
  • Aadhaar: 12-digit unique identity issued by UIDAI. The Aadhaar Act is of 2016.
  • Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): subsidy sent directly to bank accounts, helped by the Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile (JAM) trinity.
  • Other platforms: DigiLocker (documents), UMANG (many services in one app), Government e-Marketplace (GeM, purchase), MyGov (citizen participation), BharatNet (rural broadband), e-Courts, PFMS (public fund tracking).
  • Information Technology Act, 2000: India's main cyber law. It gives legal recognition to electronic records and digital signatures and defines cyber offences. Amended in 2008. The Controller of Certifying Authorities regulates digital signature certificates. The Supreme Court struck down Section 66A in the Shreya Singhal case (2015).

E-governance in Andhra Pradesh

  • Hyderabad's e-Seva (around 2001) became a model for one-stop citizen services. Mee Seva came later for many departments.
  • The Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) monitors data and services of departments.
  • Grama and Ward Sachivalayam system (started 2019-20) brought many services to village and ward level.
  • Spandana and later grievance systems collect public complaints.
  • AP FiberNet aimed to link homes and offices with broadband.
  • Check the latest official release for current AP digital platforms, such as messaging-based governance services.

Public policy

Meaning: a purposeful course of action taken by government to solve a public problem. Policy is broad. A programme or scheme is a way to carry it out. A law gives legal force.

Stages (policy cycle):

  • 1. Agenda setting: the problem gets attention.
  • 2. Formulation: options are designed.
  • 3. Adoption: the decision-maker approves it, often by law or an order.
  • 4. Implementation: departments carry it out.
  • 5. Evaluation and feedback: results are checked, and the policy is revised or ended.

Approaches or models:

ModelMain idea
RationalChoose the option with the best cost-benefit result
Incremental (Lindblom)Policy changes in small steps from the past
ElitePolicy reflects the preference of a small ruling group
GroupPolicy results from competition among interest groups
Systems (Easton)Demands and support go in; policies come out; feedback follows
InstitutionalRules and structures of institutions shape policy

Key ideas:

  • Harold Lasswell is linked with "policy sciences." Thomas Dye defined policy as whatever governments choose to do or not to do.
  • NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015. It is a policy think tank, and it works on the idea of cooperative federalism.
  • New Public Management stresses results, efficiency and customer focus.
  • Good governance (as described by the UN) has eight features: participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus orientation, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, and accountability.

Right to Information Act, 2005

Came into force fully on 12 October 2005. It replaced the weaker Freedom of Information Act, 2002. Early state laws came from Tamil Nadu and Goa, and the Rajasthan movement led by MKSS pushed the demand.

Main provisions:

ItemPoint
Who can askAny citizen
Whom to askPublic Information Officer (PIO) of the public authority
Time to reply30 days; 48 hours if the matter concerns life or liberty
FeeSmall application fee; poor (BPL) applicants are exempt
Proactive disclosureSection 4: departments must publish details of their work on their own
First appealTo an officer senior to the PIO, within 30 days
Second appealTo the Information Commission, within 90 days
PenaltyOn a PIO who delays or refuses without reason: Rs 250 per day, up to Rs 25,000
ExemptionsSection 8 (such as national security, trade secrets, cabinet papers, personal information with no public interest)
Excluded bodiesCertain intelligence and security organisations (Section 24), except on corruption and human rights matters

Information Commissions: the Central Information Commission (CIC) and State Information Commissions (SIC). A Commission can receive complaints and order disclosure. The Chief Information Commissioner is appointed by the President. A State Chief Information Commissioner is appointed by the Governor. A committee including the Prime Minister or Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition recommends names. The 2019 amendment gave the Centre the power to set the tenure and pay of Commissioners. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 changed the personal information exemption. Check the latest official text.

Related transparency tools: Citizen's Charter, social audit, and Right to Services laws in states.

Administrative reforms and accountability

  • First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966): first led by Morarji Desai, later by K. Hanumanthaiah. It advised the Lokpal and Lokayukta idea.
  • Second ARC (2005): chaired by Veerappa Moily. It issued 15 reports, including ones on right to information, ethics in governance and e-governance.
  • Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013: Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to inquire into corruption. The Lokpal started working in 2019.
  • Central Vigilance Commission (CVC): set up in 1964 on the Santhanam Committee's advice and made statutory in 2003.
  • Citizen's Charter: a promise by an office on service standards and time. The idea began in the UK in 1991, and India took it up in 1997.
  • Sevottam: a model to improve service delivery.
  • Mission Karmayogi (2020): capacity building of civil servants.
  • Minimum government, maximum governance: a slogan of reform.

Exam traps

  • NeGP was 2006. Digital India was 2015.
  • NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission. It does not replace the Finance Commission.
  • Standard RTI reply time is 30 days. For life and liberty it is 48 hours.
  • First appeal is within 30 days. Second appeal is within 90 days.
  • RTI is a statutory right. Do not confuse it with the Right to Services laws of states.
  • G2C is for citizens. G2G is among departments.
  • The IT Act, 2000 is not the same as the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
  • The 1966 ARC was first. The Moily commission was second (2005).

One-liners

  • 1. NIC was formed in 1976.
  • 2. NeGP was launched in 2006.
  • 3. Digital India was launched in 2015.
  • 4. UIDAI issues the 12-digit Aadhaar.
  • 5. UMANG brings many government services into one app.
  • 6. CSCs are village-level digital service centres.
  • 7. RTI Act came fully into force on 12 October 2005.
  • 8. Section 4 of RTI deals with proactive disclosure.
  • 9. PIO must reply within 30 days.
  • 10. Second appeal under RTI goes to the Information Commission.
  • 11. The second ARC chairperson was Veerappa Moily.
  • 12. Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in 2013.

Why these topics matter for an Anganwadi Supervisor

A supervisor deals with records, registers and service delivery. Digital tools such as the Poshan tracker and online attendance reports make her work more transparent. RTI lets parents and citizens ask how funds and food supplies are used. Social audit and grievance systems give beneficiaries a voice. Knowing how a policy moves from decision to field action helps a supervisor see her own place in the chain: she is part of implementation and a source of feedback for evaluation.

Practice questions

  1. The Right to Information Act came fully into force in

    1. 2002
    2. 2008
    3. 2005
    4. 1997
    Answer

    C. 2005

    The RTI Act was enacted in 2005 and fully came into force on 12 October 2005.

  2. The standard time limit for a PIO to reply under RTI is

    1. 15 days
    2. 60 days
    3. 7 days
    4. 30 days
    Answer

    D. 30 days

    The basic limit is 30 days; 48 hours for life and liberty.

  3. For matters of life and liberty, RTI information must be given within

    1. 15 days
    2. 48 hours
    3. 24 hours
    4. 7 days
    Answer

    B. 48 hours

    This is the special short limit in the Act.

  4. A second appeal under RTI is made to the

    1. Information Commission
    2. High Court
    3. Civil court
    4. Lokpal
    Answer

    A. Information Commission

    The Information Commission hears second appeals, within 90 days.

  5. The Digital India programme was launched in

    1. 2000
    2. 2015
    3. 2019
    4. 2006
    Answer

    B. 2015

    It was launched on 1 July 2015.

  6. The National e-Governance Plan was approved in

    1. 2006
    2. 1976
    3. 2011
    4. 2015
    Answer

    A. 2006

    NeGP began in 2006 with many mission mode projects.

  7. The 12-digit unique identity number is issued by

    1. CVC
    2. NIC
    3. NITI Aayog
    4. UIDAI
    Answer

    D. UIDAI

    The Unique Identification Authority of India issues Aadhaar.

  8. NITI Aayog replaced the

    1. Election Commission
    2. Finance Commission
    3. Planning Commission
    4. Law Commission
    Answer

    C. Planning Commission

    It started on 1 January 2015.

  9. G2C in e-governance stands for

    1. Government to Company
    2. Government to Centre
    3. Government to Citizen
    4. Government to Council
    Answer

    C. Government to Citizen

    G2C covers services delivered to citizens.

  10. Sharing of files among departments through e-Office is an example of

    1. G2E
    2. G2G
    3. G2B
    4. G2C
    Answer

    B. G2G

    G2G is government to government.

  11. Payment of subsidy directly into bank accounts is called

    1. Price Support
    2. Priority Lending
    3. Public Distribution System
    4. Direct Benefit Transfer
    Answer

    D. Direct Benefit Transfer

    DBT reduces leakage, with Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile (JAM).

  12. Which Act is India's main cyber law?

    1. Information Technology Act, 2000
    2. Right to Information Act, 2005
    3. Copyright Act, 1957
    4. Aadhaar Act, 2016
    Answer

    A. Information Technology Act, 2000

    The IT Act gives legal recognition to electronic records and digital signatures.

  13. DigiLocker is mainly used to

    1. Track railway trains
    2. Pay income tax only
    3. Store and share official documents digitally
    4. Buy government goods
    Answer

    C. Store and share official documents digitally

    It is a cloud-based document wallet.

  14. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is used for

    1. Public procurement
    2. Voter registration
    3. Land records
    4. School admission
    Answer

    A. Public procurement

    GeM is the online portal for government purchase.

  15. The Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the IT Act in the

    1. Kesavananda Bharati case
    2. Maneka Gandhi case
    3. Vishaka case
    4. Shreya Singhal case
    Answer

    D. Shreya Singhal case

    The 2015 judgment held Section 66A violated free speech.

  16. Section 4 of the RTI Act requires public authorities to

    1. Appoint Information Commissioners
    2. Disclose information proactively
    3. Penalise erring PIOs
    4. Exempt security agencies
    Answer

    B. Disclose information proactively

    Section 4 is about voluntary disclosure.

  17. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission was chaired by

    1. Veerappa Moily
    2. K. Santhanam
    3. Ashok Mehta
    4. Morarji Desai
    Answer

    A. Veerappa Moily

    It was formed in 2005 and gave 15 reports.

  18. The Central Vigilance Commission was first set up on the advice of the

    1. Kothari Commission
    2. Sarkaria Commission
    3. Hanumanthaiah Committee
    4. Santhanam Committee
    Answer

    D. Santhanam Committee

    CVC began in 1964 and became statutory in 2003.

  19. A Citizen's Charter is

    1. A tax return form
    2. A law passed by Parliament
    3. A public promise of service standards by an office
    4. A list of Fundamental Rights
    Answer

    C. A public promise of service standards by an office

    It states what service and in what time citizens can expect.

  20. Who defined public policy as whatever governments choose to do or not to do?

    1. Charles Lindblom
    2. Thomas Dye
    3. Harold Lasswell
    4. David Easton
    Answer

    B. Thomas Dye

    This is Dye's well-known definition.

  21. Which model says policy changes only in small steps from past policy?

    1. Rational model
    2. Systems model
    3. Elite model
    4. Incremental model
    Answer

    D. Incremental model

    Charles Lindblom described it as 'muddling through'.

  22. The stage of the policy cycle in which departments carry out the decision is

    1. Agenda setting
    2. Implementation
    3. Formulation
    4. Termination only
    Answer

    B. Implementation

    Implementation puts the policy into practice.

  23. A government finds that a scheme gives poor results after review and changes it. This stage is

    1. Adoption
    2. Agenda setting
    3. Evaluation and feedback
    4. Legitimation
    Answer

    C. Evaluation and feedback

    Results are checked and the policy is revised.

  24. A village gets a Common Services Centre so people can apply for certificates online. This mainly reduces the

    1. Digital divide
    2. Fiscal deficit
    3. Tax burden
    4. Inflation
    Answer

    A. Digital divide

    CSCs bring online services to areas with little access.

  25. A citizen's RTI request is refused without reason. The first step is to

    1. Wait for a year
    2. Write to the Lokpal
    3. Go straight to the Supreme Court
    4. File a first appeal with an officer senior to the PIO
    Answer

    D. File a first appeal with an officer senior to the PIO

    The first appeal is to a senior officer within 30 days.

  26. Which feature of good governance means people can follow decisions and see records?

    1. Effectiveness
    2. Transparency
    3. Consensus orientation
    4. Equity
    Answer

    B. Transparency

    Transparency is helped by RTI and proactive disclosure.

  27. The penalty on a PIO for delay under RTI is Rs 250 per day up to a maximum of

    1. Rs 5,000
    2. Rs 50,000
    3. Rs 25,000
    4. Rs 1,00,000
    Answer

    C. Rs 25,000

    The daily penalty is capped at Rs 25,000.

  28. In Andhra Pradesh, services at village and ward level are brought through the

    1. Zilla Parishad only
    2. Grama and Ward Sachivalayam
    3. Revenue Divisional Office
    4. State Planning Board
    Answer

    B. Grama and Ward Sachivalayam

    This system started in 2019-20.

  29. The earlier one-stop citizen services model in Hyderabad was called

    1. e-Seva
    2. Spandana
    3. Janmabhoomi
    4. Velugu
    Answer

    A. e-Seva

    e-Seva centres gave many bill payments and certificates at one point.

  30. Consider the statements about RTI: 1. First appeal is within 30 days. 2. Second appeal is within 90 days. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both timelines are standard.

  31. Consider the statements: 1. RTI Act is applicable only to government employees. 2. Any citizen can seek information. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    The right belongs to any citizen.

  32. Consider the statements: 1. Digital India is a programme of MeitY. 2. It started in 2015. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both statements are correct.

  33. Consider the statements: 1. NeGP started in 2015. 2. NIC was set up in 1976. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    NeGP began in 2006, so statement 1 is wrong.

  34. Consider the statements: 1. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in 2013. 2. The Central Vigilance Commission became statutory in 2003. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  35. Consider the statements: 1. Under RTI, personal information with no public interest can be exempted. 2. Intelligence organisations listed in the Act are excluded, except on corruption and human rights matters. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Section 8 and Section 24 provide these.

  36. Consider the statements: 1. G2E refers to services for employees of government. 2. G2B covers business-related services such as tenders. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct descriptions.

  37. Consider the statements: 1. The first ARC was set up in 2005. 2. The Second ARC gave 15 reports. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    The first ARC was formed in 1966; the second in 2005.

  38. Consider the statements: 1. The Freedom of Information Act, 2002 was replaced by the RTI Act, 2005. 2. The Information Commission can order disclosure. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  39. Match: A. DigiLocker 1. Documents B. UMANG 2. Many services in one app C. BharatNet 3. Rural broadband Which is the correct order (A-B-C)?

    1. 1-2-3
    2. 1-3-2
    3. 2-1-3
    4. 3-2-1
    Answer

    A. 1-2-3

    DigiLocker stores documents, UMANG is the multi-service app, BharatNet is rural broadband.

  40. Match the model with its idea: A. Rational 1. Best cost-benefit option B. Incremental 2. Small changes C. Elite 3. Ruling-group preference Which is the correct order (A-B-C)?

    1. 3-1-2
    2. 2-3-1
    3. 1-3-2
    4. 1-2-3
    Answer

    D. 1-2-3

    Each model is correctly matched.

  41. Match: A. Thomas Dye 1. Definition of public policy B. David Easton 2. Systems model C. Charles Lindblom 3. Incremental model Which is the correct order (A-B-C)?

    1. 2-1-3
    2. 3-2-1
    3. 1-3-2
    4. 1-2-3
    Answer

    D. 1-2-3

    Dye defined policy; Easton gave systems model; Lindblom gave incrementalism.

  42. Consider the statements: 1. The NITI Aayog works on cooperative federalism. 2. It replaced the Planning Commission. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both statements are correct.

  43. Consider the statements: 1. Citizen's Charters began in India before the UK. 2. India took up the idea in 1997. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    The UK began in 1991; India took up the idea in 1997.

  44. Which pillar-type idea does the SMART in SMART governance include?

    1. Accountable
    2. Centralised
    3. Authoritarian
    4. Secretive
    Answer

    A. Accountable

    SMART means Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent.

  45. The Chief Information Commissioner at the Centre is appointed by the

    1. Prime Minister
    2. Chief Justice of India
    3. Lok Sabha Speaker
    4. President
    Answer

    D. President

    A committee recommends names; the President appoints.

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