Shillong Declaration 2.0
This document is intended to serve as roadmap for an agile, technology-driven ecosystem
SHILLONG, July 13: While Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh touted an “AI-driven” administrative overhaul from the podium in Shillong on Monday, the true success of the proposed “Shillong Declaration 2.0” will be measured by whether digital reforms can finally reach the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo hills, where basic administrative access remains a struggle.
Inaugurating a two-day National Conference on NextGen Administrative and e-Governance Reforms, Singh announced that India is entering a new phase of transformation. This stage, he said, will be defined by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital public infrastructure into daily governance.
The conference, jointly organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and the Government of Meghalaya, aims to produce “Shillong Declaration 2.0.” This document is intended to serve as a roadmap for an agile, technology-driven ecosystem.
Addressing the local context, Singh highlighted the New Shillong Administrative City project as a potential model for combining modern infrastructure with digital planning. He noted that for these reforms to work, the government must move from “regulation to facilitation,” placing the citizen at the centre of service delivery.
“Technology is advancing rapidly, but our thinking must evolve at the same pace,” Singh said, acknowledging that digital innovation requires a corresponding shift in administrative mindset to ensure empathy and efficiency.
The Minister cited the removal of nearly 2,000 obsolete rules as a primary step in simplifying the relationship between the public and the state. He also pointed to the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as a success story, noting that annual grievances handled by the platform have risen from 2 lakh in 2014 to 25 lakh today. The system now utilises AI-powered multilingual chatbots to manage the load.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, state Chief Secretary Dr Shakil P. Ahammed, and senior central officials attended the inaugural session. While the Minister celebrated national milestones like the 18 billion monthly UPI transactions, the local discussions focused on how these high-level reforms can be adapted to improve land records, birth certificate issuance, and last-mile connectivity in rural Meghalaya.
The conference concludes tomorrow, with delegates from across the country expected to finalise the new reform agenda for the coming years.
