DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE IN INDIA: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF E-GOVERNANCE ON PANCHAYATI RAJ INSTITUTIONS

The integration of digital technologies into systems of governance has generated profound changes in the architecture of local self-government in India. This study critically examines how e-governance initiatives – most notably the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project and the e-Gram Swaraj platform—are transforming the efficiency, accountability, and participatory functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). By adopting a mixed-methods approach, this paper presents both quantitative evidence and qualitative insights from diverse states to illustrate how digitalization is reshaping grassroots governance. The research finds that while digital tools have improved record-keeping, transparency, and planning processes in several states, structural challenges such as infrastructural deficits, digital illiteracy, and uneven adoption across regions continue to limit impact. The study situates India’s experience within broader global debates on digital democracy, drawing parallels with practices in countries like Estonia, Brazil, and South Africa. It argues that India’s digital transition is promising but incomplete: without sustained investments in capacity-building, inclusivity, and technological equity, digital governance risks reinforcing rather than overcoming existing inequalities. The paper concludes that digital transformation in rural governance must be understood not as a purely technological shift but as a deeply political process with implications for democratic deepening in the 21st century.