Blockchain-Based Digital Identity Framework for Trusted e-Governance

Abstract

The digitalization of government services has increased the efficiency, accessibility and transparency of public administration, with an impact on the speed of change. Government service digitalization has increased the efficiency, accessibility and transparency of public administration, which affects the speed of change. But traditional digital identity management systems still have a lot of issues to overcome, such as centralised data storage, identity theft, unauthorised access, data tampering, privacy breach, and inadequate interoperability between government departments. These issues erode citizens' confidence and affect the safe and secure service delivery of e-Governance. A decentralized, immutable, transparent and cryptographically secure platform for identity management has emerged in the form of blockchain technology. Blockchain-based digital identities give citizens more control over their personal data and allow existing governments to provide secure digital identities and trusted authentication for information sharing between governments and individuals. The paper provides a detailed research on Blockchain-Enabled Identity Systems for Secure e-Governance by exploring various aspects of blockchain-based identity systems, including technologies, components, authentication mechanisms, and security features, which contribute to secure e-governance. The proposed framework combines Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), smart contracts, cryptographic verification, permissioned blockchain networks, and decentralized identity management to create a secure identity infrastructure for public service delivery. Additionally, the paper explores the opportunities and prospects of blockchain for improving data integrity, transparency, accountability, and efficiency, and curbing fraud and administrative burden. The proposed framework clearly shows how a blockchain-based identity system can play a significant role in strengthening citizen-centric governance, especially when it comes to improving authentication accuracy, safeguarding sensitive information, simplifying the cross-departmental verification of citizens' identities, and enabling secure digital transformation initiatives within modern governments.