Dr Jitendra Singh Calls for Human-Led AI to Shape India's Digital Future

Speaking at the awards session of the 29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) in Jaipur, the minister said AI is no longer optional for governments.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that human-led Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be central to India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, stressing that technology should strengthen governance without replacing human judgement, ethics and democratic accountability.

Speaking at the awards session of the 29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) in Jaipur, the minister said AI is no longer optional for governments. The real challenge, he noted, lies in using the technology responsibly while ensuring citizens remain at the heart of every digital initiative.

The conference, organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Government of Rajasthan, was held under the theme "Viksit Bharat 2047: AI-enabled, Data-driven and Secure Digital Governance."

AI should strengthen governance, not replace people

Dr. Jitendra Singh said India's digital transformation is focused on making governance more transparent, efficient and accountable by combining AI with constitutional values and human oversight. He emphasised that technology should empower public institutions and civil servants instead of replacing their role in decision-making.

He highlighted several digital governance initiatives, including the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), the SAMADHAN DIDI multilingual AI chatbot developed with BHASHINI, the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) and the IndiaAI Mission, saying these programmes are helping improve service delivery while maintaining security and public trust.

The minister also underlined the importance of Mission Karmayogi in preparing civil servants with skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital governance and evidence-based policymaking, while initiatives such as Special Campaign 5.0 are improving administrative efficiency across government departments.

Jaipur Declaration charts roadmap for digital governance

During the conference, Dr. Jitendra Singh presented the National Awards for e-Governance 2026, recognising 17 outstanding initiatives from central ministries, state governments, district administrations, gram panchayats and academic institutions. The awards included 10 Gold Awards, six Silver Awards and one Jury Award across seven categories. He also praised Rajasthan's progress in digital governance, particularly the Raj-Kaj integrated administrative platform, which has improved paperless governance, transparency and administrative efficiency.

The conference concluded with the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration on e-Governance 2026, outlining a shared roadmap for advancing AI-enabled, data-driven, secure and citizen-centric governance in support of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. Dr. Jitendra Singh said India's future as a developed nation will depend not only on technological progress but also on preserving human wisdom, institutional integrity and democratic accountability as AI becomes increasingly integrated into governance.