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CH 03      Building Confidence








                     3.2.8  The overall quality of a website’s content is also dependent, among other things
                            on the authenticity and relevance of the ‘linked’ information it provides. This
                            fact is all the more significant in the context of a Government website since
                            there is a lot of credibility attached with an official website. Therefore, all Indian
                            Government websites should make sure that the external hyperlinks, wherever
                            present on the site, MUST be verified and checked on a regular basis to ensure
                            that the information being provided ‘through’ them is up-to-date, accurate and
                            relevant.


                     3.2.9  Further, it MUST be ensured that ‘broken links’ or those leading to ‘Page Not
                            Found’ errors are checked on a regular basis and are rectified or removed from
                            the site immediately upon discovery. A number of technology tools are available
                            for convenient discovery of broken links.


                     3.3
                     Terms & Conditions


                     3.3.1  With the increased proliferation of Internet, more and more citizens are accessing
                            information from Government websites. Clearly defined Terms & Conditions
                            including well-worded disclaimers regarding the usage of websites MUST be
                            present on every Indian Government website.
                            Terms & Conditions shall address the following aspects:

                                •     Ownership Details
                                •     Usage Policy of Content
                                •     Legal Aspects
                                •     Responsibility towards hyperlinked Sites

                     3.3.2  Since it is the responsibility of all Indian Government Departments to uphold
                            and  maintain  the  trust  imposed  in  them  by  the  visitors  to  the  sites,  the
                            Government websites should not outrightly ‘disclaim’ the content of another
                            Government website. Instead, a politely worded statement clearly indicating the
                            ownership of the particular piece of content and the relevant details for further
                            queries and information may be provided. Once all Indian Government websites
                            follow standard content practices, the visitors should be able to move from one
                            Government website to another in a manner as seamless as possible.


                     3.3.3  The Terms & Conditions should also clarify whether the information available
                            on the website may be construed as a statement of law to be used for any legal
                            purposes or not. It should also be mentioned that in case of any legal dispute
                            arising out of the content on the Government website, the matter shall be heard
                            in a court of law within the jurisdiction of the State where the concerned owner



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