NEW DELHI/INDIA: Indian government is very actively working towards e-governance and the citizens with access to internet-enabled computers and smartphones too look forward to an easier life. After all, who doesn't like to use the online option provided by almost all the organizations and save time by avoiding the long queues at different utilities and departments.
However, the biggest irony is that many government or PSU websites that offer online solutions for public or enterprises are more of an online headache for them. Some of these have navigational issues, others are updated only once in few months, while many others have serious design or usability flaws.
Here are some of government websites that vie for the top honours in 'unfriendliness' and are bound to irk you:
IRCTC
IRCTC has been claimed by many as one of the best government websites but all that glitters is not gold. Even though the booking time under Tatkal quota has been reduced to 24-hours, but logging in the IRCTC website during the early morning hours is simply next to impossible.
What is worse, it has been so for a long time without being addressed. A site that should be optimised for all type of internet connections, including the slower ones, isn't so. Hence, you will find a lot of issues in opening the site and being able to effectively search and/or book and cancel a ticket quite an ordeal.
The site is quite content heavy. In fact, it is heavy because of the number of advertisements displayed on it. Also, it takes a lot of time to fill up the information like 'To' and 'From' information and then viewing the trains available etc and if you successfully manage to log-in and fill up the form, by then safely expect the tickets to be 'sold out'. Why not have basic pre-filled information being retained for each login?
BSNL
BSNL's website is as patchy as its cellular network. Though seemingly more regularly updated as compared to other Sarkari websites, BSNL's website is a labyrinth in itself. The content on the website is badly sorted and the developers have left it for the visitors to sift through the information useful to them.
In case you are looking for broadband plans, then be prepared for this: A journey through multiple tabs, jargons and convoluted information that might leave you pulling you hair than enlightening you about BSNL's over-priced plans. If you click on Home BB Plans, a pop-up will open with BSNL assuming all Indians live in Maharashtra!
Passport
Planning to travel abroad? Getting your passport renewed online? Then make sure your computer or your laptop and internet do not suffer any glitches. In case any tech issue happens while you are filling up your form, you have to fill all the information all over again.
And that would be quite a journey in itself given how much of precise detail needs to be filled!
MTNL
The state-run MTNL website gives you an impression as if you are viewing a page straight out of a website that belonged to the beginning of this millennium.
Though almost all information is available on its page, the website has navigational challenges. For example, if you are navigating through the tabs provided on the top, the drop down menu hides behind the advertisements running below and you can't see the last drop-down menu option.
NDMA
NDMA website is a 'disaster' in itself. The name of the website overlaps the tabs which are given below. As you move over the tabs, especially 'About us' and 'NDRF', instead of a standard cursor for hyperlink, it shows you 'I' cursor which is generally viewed while highlighting.
Immediately below it, you can see a poorly done slideshow accompanied by incomplete caption and two almost unrecognizable buttons for 'previous' and 'next'. Well that is quite a quake for the user.
Environment ministry
If you think environment ministry is 'idle' then it indeed is. Other than the website's homepage, the website suffers from serious update issues. The events and the press section do not seem to be updated at all. Incidentally, the 'Events' section was last update in March 2010. So much for a caring ministry that prides itself in saving India's dwindling ecology!
Agricultural Marketing Information Network
If you have to check the daily prices for the cereals, vegetables etc, and you happen to visit the Agmarknet website, you can imagine landing in a (vegetable) soup, or may be a fish market.
Department of Health and Family Welfare
Running under the government of India and ministry of health and family welfare, this departmental website seems to offer over 50 active links.
But upon clicking them, you'll be redirected to a blank page on the same link with an arrow marking 'Back'. It is as 'unhealthy' as any modern-day website can get.
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