Jammu Kashmir Proposes Rs 20 Crore AI Centre of Excellence for Governance | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday held detailed deliberations on adopting and expanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) in governance and public service delivery across the Union Territory.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, was attended by Administrative Secretaries, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission Abhishek Singh, Special Director General of the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) Vinay Thakur, and other senior officials.

Discussions focused on the potential use of AI-based interventions in citizen-centric governance sectors and on establishing an institutional and technological framework to accelerate such initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir. Participants examined how advanced technologies could improve administrative efficiency, decision-making and accessibility of government services.

The Chief Secretary said Artificial Intelligence offers significant potential to transform governance and enhance the quality and reach of public services in the Union Territory. He asked departments to identify areas where AI-driven solutions could improve efficiency, transparency and outcomes.

Dulloo also proposed the constitution of a high-level Steering Committee to guide AI implementation. The committee would be chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department, and include representatives from IIT Jammu, BISAG-N, the Information Technology Department and the police.

He directed the Information Technology Department to establish a dedicated mechanism to coordinate AI-related initiatives across departments and emphasised the need for specialised human resources to support implementation.

During the meeting, officials discussed the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Emerging Technologies in Jammu and Kashmir and the creation of Data Innovation Labs in skill development institutions to strengthen the region’s technology ecosystem.

Secretary Information Technology Piyush Singla informed the meeting that a Detailed Project Report worth Rs 20 crore for the proposed Centre of Excellence has been jointly prepared by the IT Department and IIT Jammu and submitted to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The project is proposed under a 90:10 Centre-UT funding pattern.

He said eight Data Innovation Labs are also proposed to be established in Industrial Training Institutes across the Union Territory with central funding to build grassroots capacity in data science and AI.

CEO of the IndiaAI Mission Abhishek Singh suggested creating a core AI team within the Union Territory to guide implementation and recommended identifying five priority sectors for pilot AI projects before scaling them further.

IIT Jammu Director Prof Manoj Gaur said the institute has strong research capabilities in disaster mitigation and risk reduction that could support AI-driven governance initiatives in the region. BISAG-N Special Director General Vinay Thakur assured technical support and suggested establishing a dedicated Project Management Unit for implementation.

Inspector General of Police Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti informed the meeting that the police department has developed an AI-based tool aimed at improving investigation and litigation processes. The system is currently at an advanced stage and is designed to function without internet connectivity.

Officials also discussed potential AI applications in sectors including disaster risk management, agriculture and horticulture advisory services, health triage and disease surveillance, office workflow automation, education, infrastructure monitoring, youth employment platforms and grievance redressal systems.

On the occasion, the Chief Secretary also launched the inaugural issue of Digital Dhara,  a bi-monthly magazine of the Information Technology Department aimed at promoting digital awareness and documenting developments in IT governance in Jammu and Kashmir.