Shillong

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday urged state governments to embrace next-generation administrative reforms and leverage artificial intelligence to improve public service delivery, while stressing that technological progress must be matched by a change in administrative mindset.

Speaking after inaugurating the two-day National Conference on "NEXTGEN Administrative and e-Gov Reforms" at the State Convention Centre here, Singh said technology alone cannot transform governance unless there is a corresponding shift in the way governments function and officials adapt to change.

"Technology is evolving very fast, and while the government is quick and prompt in adopting the technology, yet the mindset is not changing. The mindset is not changing at an equal pace, and we are not able to make the optimal use of all the options and tools available," he said.

The conference was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in collaboration with the Meghalaya government.

Singh said decentralising national conferences has helped strengthen coordination between the Centre and states and provided a platform for sharing best governance practices.

"We learn from the best practices of each other and Meghalaya has set an example with the New Shillong Administrative City. This concept, accompanied by the digital model of governance that is sought to be created here, is something which was not visualised a decade earlier," he said.

Highlighting the Centre's digital governance initiatives, the Union minister said the DARPG now handles nearly 2.5 million public grievances through an AI-driven platform that enables prompt responses.

He said the government has introduced an AI-powered chatbot in 22 languages to assist citizens, while initiatives such as the Digital Life Certificate using face-recognition technology have significantly improved service delivery.

Singh also spoke about the Centre's "Prashasan Gaon Heroes" initiative aimed at strengthening governance at the grassroots and the Swachhta Campaign, launched in 2021, which has helped free up office space and generate revenue through scientific disposal of scrap.

Calling for continuous reforms, he reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of "Reform, Perform and Transform" and stressed the need to integrate artificial intelligence and cybersecurity into public administration while eliminating obsolete government rules.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said administrative reforms must focus on improving efficiency and delivering better services to the public.

He acknowledged that resistance to change often prevents officials from proposing innovative ideas and called for gradual but consistent improvements in governance.

"The ultimate goal should be to serve the public and make a difference in their lives," Sangma said.

The chief minister highlighted the state's CM Connect initiative, which uses technology and direct public interaction to address citizens' grievances, and said feedback from frontline officials and the public should guide policymaking.

He also cited the state's Cabinet Retreat as a platform for departments to discuss plans, challenges and ideas, fostering greater inter-departmental collaboration.

The inaugural session was attended by Chief Secretary D.P. Wahlang, senior officials of the DARPG and the Meghalaya government, among others.

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Meghalaya's governance initiatives, best practices by Prime Minister's Award-winning projects and programmes of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) were discussed at the event.