AI, cybersecurity to drive next phase of governance reforms: Union Minister Jitendra Singh in Shillong

India's next phase of administrative reforms will focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and integrated digital public services, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on July 13 while inaugurating a 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 Meghalaya government, has brought together senior officials from the Centre and states, district collectors and policymakers to discuss the future of governance reforms.

Addressing the inaugural session, Singh said the Centre had repealed nearly 2,000 obsolete rules over the past decade and was now shifting towards technology-driven reforms aimed at making governance more agile, efficient and citizen-centric.

He said the next phase of reforms would prioritise artificial intelligence-enabled public administration, integrated digital services, cybersecurity, process re-engineering, evidence-based policymaking and resilient institutions capable of responding to emerging challenges.

Singh said governance conferences are now being held across different regions instead of remaining confined to New Delhi, enabling states to share successful administrative practices. Referring to Shillong's role in the reform process, he expressed hope that the conference would culminate in a "Shillong Declaration 2.0" to take the reform agenda forward.

Highlighting Meghalaya's contribution, the minister praised the state's New Shillong Administrative City project, saying it combines modern infrastructure with digital governance and long-term planning. He also noted that Meghalaya's Living Root Bridges had recently been highlighted by the Prime Minister, describing the state as a model for community-led development.

Singh said digital initiatives such as Jan Dhan, Aadhaar-enabled services, Direct Benefit Transfer and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have transformed public service delivery, while the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) has evolved into one of the world's largest technology-enabled grievance platforms, now supported by AI-powered multilingual chatbots.

He added that governance reforms over the past decade have included initiatives such as Digital Life Certificates based on facial recognition technology, e-Office, Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore, State Collaborative Initiatives and the National e-Services Delivery Assessment to improve transparency and last-mile service delivery.

Calling for greater collaboration among states and Union Territories, Singh said administrative reforms must evolve alongside technological advancements and changing public expectations.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, DARPG Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma, Meghalaya Chief Secretary Shakil P Ahammed and senior officials from the Centre and state governments attended the inaugural session.