Chief Secretary outlines vision for digitally empowered J&K at ‘Tech Saksham’ workshop

Presiding over ‘Tech Saksham’, a landmark capacity-building workshop jointly convened by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and NICSI of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) at the Convention Centre, Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today set a resolute tone for the digital future of J&K.

He emphasised that digital governance is no longer a mere supporting function, but the absolute backbone of a transparent, efficient and responsive public service delivery mechanism.

The workshop was also attended by Shantmanu, State Election Commissioner, J&K; Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary, Home Department; Dr Piyush Singla, Secretary Information Technology Department; and Mahima Madan, Chief Executive Officer, JaKeGA.

Varindra Seth, Deputy Director General NIC, Alok Tiwari, MD NICSI; Jaskaran Singh Modi, State Informatics Officer; and Sanjay Gupta, ASIO NIC, were also present.

The Chief Secretary announced that the administration is firmly shifting towards a ‘Whole-of-Government’ approach. This strategic move is designed to break down departmental silos through interoperability and shared digital architecture, ensuring seamless and accelerated service delivery for all citizens.

The Chief Secretary highlighted that for a region defined by its geographical diversity, digital platforms serve as an essential bridge. He stressed that robust digital systems are instrumental in significantly reducing administrative barriers, compressing service timelines, curtailing corruption and ultimately sustaining the bond of trust between citizens and the administration.

He favoured that digital platforms must feature user-friendly interfaces and local language support to ensure no citizen is left behind in this revolution. He further noted that structured, well-governed data will serve as the bedrock for deploying Artificial Intelligence in public administration, turning raw information into actionable intelligence for better governance.

The Chief Secretary made it clear that strict adherence to cybersecurity protocols and the development of comprehensive crisis management plans across all departments are non-negotiable imperatives. He called for continuous capacity building of government personnel and urged robust collaboration between government departments, NICSI/ NIC and premier academic institutions to accelerate the digital roadmap.

The Chief Secretary’s address highlighted two major milestones in the shape of MeitY sanctioned Centre of Excellence in AI, which will be hosted at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu through a Special Purpose Vehicle to drive region-specific research and innovation. Additionally he made out that the Government is actively contemplating to establish two dedicated IT Parks at both Jammu and Srinagar. These parks are envisioned as vital catalysts for nurturing the local start-up ecosystem and driving large-scale employment generation for the youth.

Addressing the gathering, State Election Commissioner J&K, highlighted the all-pervasive role of information technology across all sectors of governance.

Offering a thought-provoking analogy on Artificial Intelligence, Shantmanu cautioned that while AI should be embraced as a tool, it must also be studied with the rigorous vigilance reserved for a potential adversary. He stressed the need to thoroughly understand AI to harness its full potential while proactively mitigating the risks of its misuse. Drawing on his recent observations of election management frameworks in other states, he further underscored the transformative impact of IT tools in enhancing transparency for voters, candidates and the electoral machinery.

The workshop comprised specialised knowledge-sharing sessions on vital frontier technologies, starting with a crucial deep-dive into Cyber Security led by National Cyber Security Expert Amit Dubey, followed by an exploration of Cloud capabilities by Rajendran Dandapani, Director and President, Zoho Corporation. The technical agenda culminated in a dedicated session on Artificial Intelligence by Alok Tiwari. Vote of thanks was presented by Jaskaran Singh Modi, State Informatics Officer NIC J&K at the culmination of the session.