Clouding citizenship: the digital state

Narayanan, Rajendran and Ramesh, Padmini (2026) Clouding citizenship: the digital state. In: Realising right: a handbook of welfare in India. Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, pp. 394-413.

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Abstract

The last two decades have seen a steady transformation of how welfare delivery has happened in India, creating a "Digital State". Notwithstanding economic efficiency gains and the ease of “targeting”, this shift has purportedly risked the subordination of citizenship to administrative convenience. By transferring accountability from the state to citizens, such a digital state often obscures the human costs and complexities involved in accessing rights. Governance strategies increasingly prioritise scale over accuracy and deprioritise consent. A participatory approach and a legal framework for digital accountability are likely to make welfare delivery more inclusive and less prone to potential misrepresentation of individuals' needs and realities.

Item Type:	Book Section
Authors:	Narayanan, Rajendran and Ramesh, Padmini
Document Language:	Language English
Subjects:	Social sciences > Political Science > Public policy Social sciences > Political Science > Civil & political rights Social sciences > Public administration
Divisions:	Azim Premji University - Bengaluru > University Publications > Centre for the Study of the Indian Economy (CSIE)
Full Text Status:	Public
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/7645
Publisher URL:	https://azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/

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