{"id":525,"date":"2017-04-06T12:04:42","date_gmt":"2017-04-06T06:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/?p=525"},"modified":"2017-04-06T12:04:42","modified_gmt":"2017-04-06T06:34:42","slug":"roundtable-towards-concerted-action-on-democratic-accountability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/blog\/2017\/04\/06\/roundtable-towards-concerted-action-on-democratic-accountability\/","title":{"rendered":"Roundtable: Towards concerted action on democratic accountability"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"dslc-theme-content\"><div id=\"dslc-theme-content-inner\"><div class=\"pbs-main-wrapper\"><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/dscn4621\/\" xlink=\"href\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-520 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4621-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"DSCN4621\" width=\"333\" height=\"249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4621-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4621-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4621-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4621-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 333px) 85vw, 333px\" \/><\/a>IT for Change organized a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">one day<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"> round table <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">titled<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"> \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Towards concerted action on democratic accountability in the digital age\u201d on 11 March 2017. <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The meeting was intended to build upon the momentum of our November\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">2016<\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/blog\/2017\/02\/15\/voice-in-the-indian-context-furthering-accountability\/\" xlink=\"href\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"> workshop <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">in New Delhi<\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">on \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">D<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">emocratic accountability in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">the digital age.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The opening session began with a <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Presentation-for-March-11_-IT-for-Change.pdf\" xlink=\"href\">presentation<\/a> by IT for Change. To set the context for further engagement and discussion, a snapshot of the latest developments in digitalized welfare and data, in and for, governance, along with some possible directions for policy measures from other nations were presented to the group. Several ideas and contestations around digitalized welfare service delivery, citizen engagement and data governance were discussed. At the end of the presentation, two key questions were presented to the group to take forward the deliberations for the rest of the day.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/?attachment_id=528\" xlink=\"href\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-528 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSCN4562-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"DSCN4562\" width=\"296\" height=\"221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSCN4562-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSCN4562-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSCN4562-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSCN4562-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 85vw, 296px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">What should a digitalized service delivery model that guarantees democratic accountability look like?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">How can legal-institutional systems for data-in-governance and data-for-governance be designed to ensure public interest and the promotion of people&#8217;s rights?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><br \/>\nThe presentation was followed by a round of inputs and reactions from the participants on the current state of digitalized welfare and the ways in which exclusions were playing out. From the ways in which the <i>Aadhar<\/i> architecture is embedding itself into the welfare system and creating multiple forms of ruptures, to the wild-west regulatory environment that current data governance systems operate in, participants spoke to these themes from their backgrounds in legal research, civic activism, digital policy research and administrative experience.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">A wide range of accountability concerns about the digital governance systems were debated and discussed, in the following sessions on digital welfare and data in and for governance. The round table also allowed for articulation of next steps in the process, which started with the November workshop and the creation of the <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/charter-on-democratic-accountability\/\" xlink=\"href\">charter<\/a> on democratic accountability in December 2016. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Legal scholar Usha Ramanathan noted that there was a disturbing trend of \u201cpersonalized privatization\u201d in the Indian state that needed to be named as such to be able to confront it. The provision of subsidies were being recast in the language of controlling leakage or making a contribution to the market. The ambition Usha commented, was \u201cto create an Indian silicon valley and efforts such as ISPIRT and India Stack were important pipelines to creating a technological monopoly.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Several participants brought up the fact that despite evidence about the many irregularities in the <i>Aadh<\/i><i>a<\/i><i>ar<\/i> system, challenges to it were being summarily dismissed. Further, deliberate campaigns of misinformation were being used to push it as the core platform for governance. <span lang=\"en-US\">Not only was <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">d<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">ata within the <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Aadh<\/i><\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>a<\/i><\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>ar<\/i><\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> system <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">being linked to more and more <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">welfare systems, <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">but this data pool <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">had become the <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">default<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> property of t<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">he <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">state. <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">Further, t<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">he welfare system <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">itself <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">was bein<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">g <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">weakened by <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">a <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">breakdown in service deliver<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">y <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">through<\/span> <span lang=\"en-US\">a replacement <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">with cash <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">payments<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">, thus ending government intervention in vital sectors such as education, health and pensions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/dscn4600\/\" xlink=\"href\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-517 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4600-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"DSCN4600\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4600-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4600-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4600-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSCN4600-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The issue of unproblematic surrender of biometrics to the state was also raised in the round table. In the context of some data governance laws introduced in the presentation by IT for Change, such as the European Union\u2019s Right to be Forgotten, it was observed how even the digitally active and those with skills to understand or grasp some part of these safeguards were often unaware of their rights, and the full implications of what the trade-offs were when they \u2018bought into\u2019 the digital. How could the marginalized then grapple with the complications of being online?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/?attachment_id=528\" xlink=\"href\"><br \/>\n<\/a>The lack of choice with which citizens were being forced into these things is a matter of concern, observed Nikhil Dey from the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS). <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">H<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">e noted<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> tha<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">t<\/span> <span lang=\"en-US\">the idea of <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">good governance <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">used by the World Bank, has imposed a <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">notion of \u2018good\u2019 <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">that <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">becomes automatically associated with \u2018efficient\u2019. <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">T<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">he real test <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">is <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">of \u2018democratic governance\u2019, <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">which<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> hinge<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">s<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> on whether <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">governance <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">is participatory, whether it offer<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">s<\/span> <span lang=\"en-US\">real <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">choice and whether the platforms it uses can be subject to audit. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The issue of demonetisation, the budding financial technology industry (fin-tech) based on the <i>Aadh<\/i><i>a<\/i><i>ar<\/i> platform and the aggressive cashless agenda of the Indian government were also discussed in the round table. Anjali Bhardwaj, director of the National Campaign for People\u2019s Right to Information (NCPRI), spoke to the larger question of <span lang=\"en-US\">citizenship <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">in the times of digital governance <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">and the manner in which it created codes of legitimacy and illegitimacy<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">She brought up the case of <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">the slums of <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">Delhi<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> where NCPRI worked, <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">where residents were constantly told from <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">the very beginning, \u201cyou are illegal.\u201d <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">Control over <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">people\u2019s proof <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">of <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">identi<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">ty <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">was <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">very <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">common, <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">and local power brokers would just collect <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">voter cards before election<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">s<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">. Th<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">is<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> alienation <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">was<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> only getting worse <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">and becoming <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">exacerbated <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">through digital methods,<\/span> <span lang=\"en-US\">especially with <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">forced<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> digital <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">move<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">s<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> such as \u201cgoing <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">cashless\u201d. <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">P<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">eople\u2019s citizenship <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">was now<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> even more in question than it has ever been, <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">Anjali noted. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The role of <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">trade regimes and agreements <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">and how they<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> played <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">out<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> in technological choices <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">was raised by<\/span> <span lang=\"en-US\">IP lawyer, Swapna Sund<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">a<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">r <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">who<\/span> <span lang=\"en-US\">asserted that it was important we had control over digital resources, else we <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">would not be able to <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">control the outcome. She pointed to the fact that the underlying technologies for digital services that drive cashless endeavors are from foreign companies, <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">over <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">none of <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">which<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> we have any oversight, adding that \u201cUIDAI is simply skimming the top. Our bridges, tunnels, transportation systems \u2013 there is a complete lack of technological knowledge.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The India Stack initiative for example had made it very easy for private sector players to get access to the Aadha<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">a<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">r database, without any proper checks and balances, <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">or measure<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">s<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> to regulate<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> who had access to this data <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">and <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">to<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\"> what degree of <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">control<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Some central questions that were broached included the approach to take on data management and retention (centralized versus federated) and that with respect to digital delivery \u2013 optimum ways to maintain offline and online systems. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Stressing on the need for transparent, open data and information systems <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">at the local level <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">and not gathering what is not needed<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Nikhil Dey <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">argued that data management was better done at the local levels. \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">W<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">hether <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>C<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>hunni <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>S<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>ingh<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> got rations is not relevant to the guy on the top,\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">he said, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> \u201cbut in the village it is relevant who got what.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Himanshu Damle from the Public Finance Public Accountability Collective noted that <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">there <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">were<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">several lacunae <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">in our understanding of the data ecology<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">most importantly among them,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">an <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">acknowledge<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">ment <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">of<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> its <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">extreme malleability, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">which is in a state of flux<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He observed that, \u201cour approaches to governing data were in the past.\u201d Data has been intensified, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">but <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">regulation <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">continues to be <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> approached from a centralized point of view. He suggested looking at options that were more decentralized, such as block chains.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Parminder Jeet Singh from IT for Change <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">also <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">stated that as a society <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">when<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> we were b<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">u<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">ying into new social systems, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">longer term <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">cost<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">s<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> of this must be acknowledged to move forward on regulating the digital effectively, specifically with regard to striking a balance amongst the roles of state and corporates in different spaces \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">regional, national and international<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">New areas such as Artificial Intelligence <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">and<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> machine learning <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">must be considered when thinking about effective policies <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">to govern the domain. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The round table served as a building block towards creating a consensus around some <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">the major issues in digital governance systems. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">I<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">n the second half, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">the strategies for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">action were discussed by the participants. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">First, t<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">he charter was recognized as an important starting point, and the need to take the work on it forward <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">was also acknowledged as an imperative <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">in the coming months. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Connecting with other important networks and coalitions working in welfare sectors was also discussed as an important step. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">In addition to this, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">it was also decided that <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">systematic research <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">study would be <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">un<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">ertaken <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">to<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">establish <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">a sound repository of credible and valid<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">data on citizens\u2019 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">experiences using <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Aadh<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>a<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>ar<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">and the JAM platform<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> for service deliver<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Liberation Serif', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">y, through surveys, interviews and public hearings. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IT for Change organized a one day round table titled \u201cTowards concerted action on democratic accountability in the digital age\u201d on 11 March 2017. The meeting was intended to build upon the momentum of our November\u00a02016 workshop in New Delhi on \u201cDemocratic accountability in the digital age.\u201d The opening session began with a presentation by &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/blog\/2017\/04\/06\/roundtable-towards-concerted-action-on-democratic-accountability\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Roundtable: Towards concerted action on democratic accountability&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[29,16,30,27,28,8],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=525"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":530,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525\/revisions\/530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/mavc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}