India Eyes AI-Led Governance in Next Reform Phase: Dr Jitendra Singh

The Minister said governance has shifted from a regulatory approach to one centred on facilitation, transparency and accountability.

India is preparing to enter a new phase of governance reforms that will place artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital public services at the centre of public administration, 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 and states to discuss the future of governance. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, DARPG Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma, Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed, Additional Secretary Puneet Yadav, district collectors and policymakers from across the country attended the event.

Dr. Singh said the government has completed more than a decade of administrative reforms, including the removal of nearly 2,000 obsolete rules, and is now moving towards a governance model that is faster, more responsive and driven by technology. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a "Reform Express", he said the next stage of reforms should support the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 by combining innovation with citizen-focused service delivery.

AI, digital platforms and citizen services to shape future governance

The Minister said governance has shifted from a regulatory approach to one centred on facilitation, transparency and accountability. He stressed that future reforms should integrate artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity and e-governance platforms capable of delivering services more efficiently while responding to citizens' evolving expectations.

Highlighting India's digital transformation, Dr. Singh noted that more than 56 crore Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar-enabled services, Direct Benefit Transfer and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have reshaped interactions between citizens and the government. He added that UPI now processes over 18 billion transactions every month, placing India among the world's leading digital payment ecosystems.

He also pointed to the growth of the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), which has expanded from handling around 2 lakh grievances annually in 2014 to nearly 25 lakh today. According to the Minister, the platform now uses AI-powered multilingual chatbots while retaining human oversight during the final stage of grievance resolution to balance efficiency with empathy.

Other reforms highlighted included Digital Life Certificates using facial recognition technology, e-Office, Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore, State Collaborative Initiatives, and the National e-Services Delivery Assessment, all designed to improve transparency, efficiency and last-mile service delivery.

Shillong conference focuses on collaborative and future-ready administration

Dr Singh said organising governance conferences across different regions of India has encouraged stronger collaboration between the Centre and states while allowing successful administrative practices to be shared more widely. He expressed hope that the meeting would produce a "Shillong Declaration 2.0," building on earlier commitments to governance reform.

He praised Meghalaya's governance initiatives, including the development of the New Shillong Administrative City, and described the Northeast as a major beneficiary of the government's development agenda. He also referred to Prime Minister Modi's appreciation of Meghalaya's Living Root Bridges, calling them an example of community-driven development.

The Minister urged states and Union Territories to adopt proven governance practices from one another and focus future reforms on AI-enabled administration, integrated citizen services, cybersecurity, evidence-based policymaking and resilient institutions. He also highlighted the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters and Cleanliness, which has generated more than ₹4,000 crore through the disposal of obsolete materials while freeing nearly 700 lakh square feet of office space across government establishments.

He concluded by saying the conference should serve as a platform to accelerate governance reforms and help build a smarter, more efficient and citizen-centric administration in line with India's long-term development goals.