STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, on Monday convened a high-level meeting of State GAD/Personnel Secretaries to assess the progress of General Administration Department (GAD) functioning across states and union territories.
The meeting also served as an opportunity to familiarize the participants with the new governance initiatives launched by the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the meeting, Dr. Singh shared a futuristic vision for governance, focusing on leveraging technology to drive reforms aimed at achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The gathering saw participation from nearly all the states and UTs, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and fostering collaboration among administrative leaders.
The Minister emphasized the importance of capacity building and technological integration in governance. He reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency, integrity, and efficiency, citing initiatives like Mission Karmayogi, which institutionalizes capacity-building for civil servants across all levels.
One of the key highlights was the discussion on grievance redressal mechanisms, where Dr. Singh noted a significant increase in public trust, with complaints rising from 2 lakh in 2014 to over 25 lakh in 2024. He also acknowledged the concerns raised about the development of civil servants, particularly at the Deputy Secretary and Joint Secretary levels, and highlighted initiatives like the National Learning Week and Mission Karmayogi that aim to address these gaps.
Dr. Singh also addressed suggestions for creating a mentoring framework for senior officers to guide younger batches, a proposal which aligns with the DoPT’s mentorship program, started in 2016, aimed at providing officers with exposure to central government priorities.
The conference also explored the role of technology in administration, with discussions on face recognition systems, eHRMS, and digitalization initiatives aimed at enhancing administrative efficiency. Dr. Singh urged states to adopt these technologies to streamline governance processes.
In closing, the Minister expressed confidence that these collaborative efforts would significantly improve public service delivery and governance, benefiting citizens across the country.