India is entering a new phase of governance transformation powered by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital public infrastructure, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said while inaugurating the two-day National Conference on Next Generation Administrative and e-Governance Reforms in Shillong.
The conference, jointly organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and the Government of Meghalaya, brought together senior officials from the Centre, States and Union Territories to discuss the future of citizen-centric governance.
NEXT-GENERATION REFORMS FOR VIKSIT BHARAT
Dr Singh said the government has already undertaken major administrative reforms over the past decade by repealing nearly 2,000 obsolete rules and shifting governance from regulation to facilitation. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a “Reform Express,” he said the next generation of reforms would integrate AI, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure and evidence-based policymaking to build an agile governance ecosystem aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
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Highlighting India’s digital governance journey, the Minister said initiatives such as Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have transformed public service delivery. He noted that UPI now processes over 18 billion transactions every month, while the AI-enabled CPGRAMS grievance platform has witnessed annual grievances rise from around 2 lakh in 2014 to nearly 25 lakh, reflecting increased public trust.
FOCUS ON INNOVATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE MINDSET
Dr Singh stressed that governance reforms must go beyond technology and include changes in administrative thinking. He also highlighted initiatives such as Digital Life Certificates, e-Office, Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore, and the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters and Cleanliness, which has generated over ₹4,000 crore through scientific disposal of obsolete materials while freeing nearly 700 lakh square feet of office space.
Calling on States and Union Territories to adopt successful governance models, the Minister said the conference should help accelerate smarter, faster and more citizen-centric public administration across the country.
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