Over 70% Indians surveyed use net in dealing with government: Study

NEW DELHI: More than 70 per cent Indians surveyed use online channels in dealing with government services and they want more channels in the future, says a study by IT major Accenture.

"...More than 70 per cent respondents use Internet for submitting and tracking government forms and payments and 53 per cent say they want to use more online channels in the future," the study said.

The people in India want increased access to public services and are more inclined to use digital channels, including online and mobile resources, to conduct routine government business, it added.

Nearly 50 per cent of the people surveyed believe interacting with government is as easy as dealing with private companies, according to the survey.

This is higher than the results from six other countries -- Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the US and the UK.

"About one-third of respondents in those countries believe it's easier to interact with the government than with private-sector companies," the survey added.

" Digital citizens are empowered in ways that previous generations could only imagine," said Accenture's Health and Public Service business India head Krishna Giri.

He added governments around the world face a new reality of citizen expectations and they need to shift the ways of public service delivery.

Nearly one in five citizens say there are no barriers to preventing digital interactions with the government, the survey said.

"Of those who did report barriers, about 30 per cent were concerned with the government having access to personal information," it said, adding almost 71 per cent people said they would support a digital post.