Caste Structures and E-Governance in a Developing Country

Castes, or endogamous kinship relationships, are prevalent in communities across the world and particularly in developing countries. Caste plays a strong role in determining community structures and political power. However, the role of caste as a factor in shaping e-governance design and outcomes is absent in the literature. This paper addresses this particular gap by examining some cases from India. The paper specifically considers whether the priorities of dominant caste groups determine e-governance design and implementations, to the exclusion of marginal and non-dominant castes. Further, it examines if e-governance introductions change or affect the relations of caste groups. The research relies on Structuration theory to provide a framework through which to study these issues. Data from three case studies from India are used to conduct the analysis, and these include the Bhoomi project from Karnataka, the Gyandoot project from Madhya Pradesh, and the VKC project from Puducherry. All three are information kiosk-based projects for providing e-governance services for citizens living in villages and rural areas.