Jaipur, JUly 02:
Calling for a governance model where technology is guided by human wisdom, ethics and accountability, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that human-led Artificial Intelligence Governance model for India will be the defining force behind the nation’s journey towards 2047.
Addressing the Awards Session of the 29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) in Jaipur, the Minister said Artificial Intelligence has ceased to be a matter of
AI to be Defining
choice and has become an essential component of governance. The real challenge, he said, is not Artificial Intelligence itself, but whether governments possess the vision and maturity to deploy it responsibly with citizens remaining at the centre of every technological intervention.
The Minister said India’s digital transformation is not driven by the objective of replacing human decision-making with machines, but by the commitment to empower public institutions with technologies that improve transparency, accountability, efficiency and service delivery. He said governance of the future must combine the speed and analytical capabilities of Artificial Intelligence with human judgement, constitutional values and democratic accountability, ensuring that technology strengthens governance without diminishing the role of public institutions or civil servants.
The Awards Session marked the culmination of the 29th National Conference on e-Governance, jointly organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Government of Rajasthan. Organised around the theme “Viksit Bharat 2047: AI-enabled, Data-driven and Secure Digital Governance,” the conference brought together policymakers, senior administrators, technology experts, innovators, industry leaders, researchers and representatives of local governments from across the country to deliberate on the next phase of India’s digital governance journey. Rajasthan Chief Secretary Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPG, Smt. Nivedita Shukla Verma, Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Member of Parliament Smt. Manju Sharma, senior officers of the Central and State Governments and distinguished delegates participated in the Awards Session.
Congratulating the Government of Rajasthan for hosting the national conference, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the enthusiastic participation from every State and Union Territory reflected the growing confidence of governments in technology-enabled public administration. He appreciated the wholehearted cooperation extended by the State Government and said the conference exemplified the “Whole-of-Government” approach, where the Centre, States, academia, industry and civil society collectively contribute to shaping governance reforms for the future. He added that such collaborative platforms have become essential for building governance systems capable of responding to rapidly changing technological and societal needs.
Recalling the evolution of the National Conference on e-Governance, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Government had consciously decided to move flagship governance conferences beyond New Delhi so that reform initiatives become truly national in character. He said holding these conferences across different regions has widened participation, strengthened ownership among States and enabled governments to learn directly from one another’s experiences. Similar outreach, he added, has subsequently been adopted across several other Ministries and scientific institutions, creating stronger engagement between government, stakeholders and citizens while expanding the national ecosystem of innovation.
Referring to the conference theme, the Minister said it resonates with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, where technology serves as an instrument for inclusive development and good governance. He said the Government’s governance reforms during the past decade have consistently been guided by the principle of “Maximum Governance, Minimum Government,” with digital technologies enabling greater transparency, faster service delivery and enhanced public accountability. Artificial Intelligence, data-driven administration and secure digital platforms, he said, are now integral to creating governance systems that are responsive to citizens’ aspirations.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said Artificial Intelligence should be viewed as an enabler of governance rather than a substitute for human responsibility. “The real question is not Artificial Intelligence alone; the question is how intelligent we are in using Artificial Intelligence,” he remarked, stressing that India must build a governance model where Human-led AI becomes the guiding philosophy for public administration. Technology, he said, should amplify human capability, strengthen institutional credibility and improve citizens’ experience while remaining firmly anchored in ethics, transparency and public trust.
The Minister also urged policymakers to view Viksit Bharat 2047 through the lens of the future rather than the limitations of the present. Drawing attention to the pace at which technology has transformed everyday life over the past two decades, he said many innovations once considered indispensable have become obsolete within a short span of time. Governance, therefore, cannot be designed solely around present-day realities. Public institutions, administrative systems and even the role of civil servants, he said, will continue to evolve alongside emerging technologies. Preparing governance for 2047 demands the ability to anticipate change rather than merely respond to it, ensuring that India’s administrative framework remains agile, future-ready and capable of meeting the aspirations of a developed nation.
Over the two days of deliberations, Jaipur emerged as a vibrant platform where policymakers, administrators, technology leaders, innovators, researchers and representatives of grassroots institutions exchanged ideas on the future of governance in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Jitendra Singh said the conference demonstrated that India’s digital governance journey has moved well beyond digitisation of services and is now entering a new phase where Artificial Intelligence, data-driven decision-making, Digital Public Infrastructure and secure digital ecosystems are collectively shaping the future of public administration.
The Minister said the Government’s approach towards Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally different from a purely technology-driven model. India, he said, is committed to deploying AI in a manner that complements human intelligence rather than replacing it. Referring to the Prime Minister’s vision of Maximum Governance, Minimum Government, Dr. Jitendra Singh said every technological intervention introduced during the last decade has sought to make governance simpler, more transparent and more accountable while ensuring that the citizen remains the central stakeholder. Technology, he said, should reduce complexity, eliminate unnecessary procedures and strengthen public trust in institutions.
