In an exclusive conversation with CXO News and APAC News Network, Golok Kumar Simli, Principal Advisor & CTO, Ministry of External Affairs, GoI explains the digital strategies of government departments and how GenAI is emerging as a governance tool.
What are the smart governance initiatives undertaken by the government departments?
The Government departments has been leveraging the digital technologies and data-driven approaches to enhance efficiency, transparency and citizen experience for delivery of citizen services and thereby enriching the smart governance practices. To quote an example, the Passport Seva Program (PSP) of External Affairs Ministry has always focused on achieving the mantra of ‘4 Ss’ (Speed, Scale, Security and Sustainability).
It begins with online portals/e-forms as part of digital applications & processing and extends to many interfaces at the backend such as interconnected government databases, verification of breeder documents at source through DigiLocker, mobile apps, chatbots & AI assistance, strengthening of data security & privacy and users/citizens feedback for continuous improvements.
How would you recommend a robust data strategy for government departments undergoing digital transformation?
A robust data strategy of Government Departments is must for enhancing decision-making capabilities, optimizing data management and improving public services.
The development and implementation of a data strategy involves following key considerations–
• Define the purpose and set measurable objectives such as increasing data accessibility, improving data quality, enablement of data-driven-decision-making across departments, improving service delivery and transparency etc.
• Create a dynamic data governance framework that imbibes governance structure, rules of engagements (compliances, policies & standards), data stewardship to oversee quality, compliance and adherence to governance policies, four (4) quadrants data handling approach (People, Execution Model, Rules of Engagements and Tools & Technologies).
• Data collection and management which involves data inventory (databases, data sets, data sources), data quality management (cleaning, validation and standardization), data integration such as integration of data from various sources e.g. legacy systems, external sources etc)
• Data infrastructureand technology e.g. cloud computing data lakes/data warehouses, interoperability, data security and privacy
• Data analytics and insights that include business intelligence & collaboration, advance analytics, open data initiatives encouraging innovation and civic engagement.
• Foster data-driven culture, provide training and development
• Ensure legal compliances and ethical use of data. Conduct regular audits and assessments of data practices, define KPIs to monitor the effectiveness of data strategy e.g. data quality metrices and impact on dcesion-making.
How is the PPP model helping to improve service delivery experiences of citizens and ensuring sustainability over a time period?
The industry engagement PPP model in citizen centric service delivery is becoming the key business model and driver for Government departments and a win-win scenario for both the clients and service providers. It has helped to create the required IT/Non-IT infrastructure, facilities & amenities needed at service delivery centres, makes it smoother for technology refreshments.
The model also enabled efficient operations at a scale by leveraging manpower resources form private sectors for non-sovereign functions, added to a culture of digital ethics aligned to organisational change requirements, training and capacity building necessity. It has also fostered the ethos of innovation for new opportunities. The large transformations within Governments be it Aadhaar, Passport Seva, GEM, GST etc. are some of the best examples of such initiatives.
What are the key strategies for navigating the digital frontier to ensure effective and collaborative governance?
I. Embracing Digital Transformation- This includes eGovernment Services by implementation of digital platforms for public services to enhance accessibility and efficiency; Smart Infrastructure by investing in smart cities and IoT to improve urban management and citizen quality of life and Digital Literacy by promoting digital literacy among citizens to ensure equitable access and use of technology.
II. Ensuring Cybersecurity and Data Privacy – This includes robust Cybersecurity Measures by establishing strong cybersecurity frameworks to protect critical infrastructure and data; Data Privacy Regulations by implementing comprehensive data protection laws to safeguard citizen information; Incident Response Plans by developing and regularly updating the incident response plans to address potential cyber threats.
III. Fostering Digital Inclusion- This includes Universal Internet Access by ensuring widespread and affordable access to high-speed internet for masses at large; Accessible Technology by developing technology solutions that are accessible to all citizens, including those with disabilities.Inclusive Policies by formulating and adhering policies that address the digital divide and promote inclusive growth.
IV. Enhancing Digital Governance – This would include Regulatory Frameworks by updating legal and regulatory frameworks to address new digital realities; Transparency and Accountability by using digital tools to enhance government transparency and accountability; Public Engagement by utilising digital platforms to facilitate citizen engagement and participation in governance.
V. Promoting Innovation and Digital Economy – Innovation Ecosystems by fostering innovation through support for startups, research &development ; Digital Skills Development by enhancing workforce skills to meet the demands of the digital economy; Public-Private Partnerships by leveraging public-private partnerships to drive technological advancements & long term sustainability.
How can GenAI help as a tool in governance with the aim at capacity building by scaling up for 1.4 billion people?
In simplest terms, in GenAI we can expect a lot from the model which is interactive, engaging and tuned to address linguistic barriers. The aim is to leverage capabilities of GenAI into Indian enterprise IT and masses at large which could be transformative but requires a strategic approach tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities we have within the Indian context. The power of GenAI could be leveraged to address the barriers of demography, rural-urban, education, digital literacy, economic conditions etc.
We need to identify specific Use Cases e.g. content generation, process automation, predictive analytics, AI-driven support like chatbots, virtual assistants etc. Localization and language support could be another area to look for given India’s linguistic diversity, Addressing cultural sensitivity that reflects local cultural contexts including regional preferences to enhance relevance and accuracy. To meet the computational demands of GenAI models, we need to invest in scalable could infrastructure, encourage edge computing solutions for remotest part of the country.
The essence is to ensure high quality data collection and management practices and adhere to India’s data protection laws, such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act when it comes to Data Privacy and Compliance requirements.Ethical AI practices are must to reduce bias in AI models ensuring transparency, fairness, inclusivity andmust be guided by robust security measures to protect AI models and the data they process, especially core sectors like finance, healthcare and government where data sensitivity is high.
While the GenAI scalable solutions are capable of dealing with more than 1.4 billion people, we need to develop talents in the area of AI by partnering with educational institutions, creation of AI Centres for Excellence and also train/re-train existing workforce.
How to build an effective cyber strategy for an organisation? Please tell us your experience in building cyber security strategy across government departments.
An effective cyber strategy requires a holistic approach in terms of People, Processes, Execution Model, Rules of Engagement aligned to Law of the Land and Tools & Technologies deployed. The protection and response mechanism should be based on a zero trust architecture, human centric approach, minimal recovery time having business sense and safeguards for evolving threats.
A resilient and sustainable cyber security posture capable of addressing cyber threats from anywhere, anytime and any-device would help build a true cyber risk ready environment.The critical elements of Cybersecurity are Governance, IT Risks and Operational Technology. Understanding Data in terms of your workload, workforce, workplace, workflow (application) and Web helps build a best cyber defence and response machinery.
I am an ardent follower of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ which teaches us the principle that can bevery well applied in defining the cybersecurity posture i.e. the mantra of ‘Awareness and Vigilance’, which guide us about the importance of being alert and aware of your surroundings and evolving threats.
Rupa Kumari & Rajneesh De, APAC News Network
