Varghese, A. (2024). E-Governance and Smart Policing in Kerala, India: Towards a Kerala Model of Algorithmic Governance?. In: Kuldova, T.Ø., Gundhus, H.O.I., Wathne, C.T. (eds) Policing and Intelligence in the Global Big Data Era, Volume I. Palgrave’s Critical Policing Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-68326-8_7
Through its e-governance initiative, the Kerala government has developed comprehensive plans for the integration of everyday state services with algorithmic systems. One of the key aspects of this effort is the digital transformation of policing in the state. This chapter examines the ongoing integration of algorithmic systems in Kerala’s policing and assesses these changes within the context of the Kerala model. It considers the existing policing culture, which has strong roots in colonial history, and analyses what the current shift toward e-governance aims to change or replace. Algorithmic governance, often justified by the promise of increased efficiency, can distance practices from democratic accountability. The Kerala government is confronted with the challenge of finding alternatives to this approach as it seeks to incorporate algorithmic infrastructures into the Kerala model.