The two-day National Conference on e-Governance Reforms kick-started today in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, bringing together representatives of the Central, State/UT Governments and experts to deliberate on digital transformation, innovative governance practices and technology-enabled public service delivery.

The inaugural session featured a welcome address by Smt. Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, DARPG, Government of India, followed by addresses by Shri Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Chief Secretary, Government of Himachal Pradesh, and Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Shri Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG, delivered the vote of thanks.

In his address, the Chief Minister said, the reforms must be brought about to ensure the welfare of the beneficiaries and modern technology can prove to be a key instrument in addressing the future challenges. He said that the state Government was focusing on good governance and the departments must make earnest efforts to provide quality services to the people of the State nearer to their homes. He applauded Union Minister of State (PP) Dr Jitendra Singh and DARPG for organising the conference in Himachal Pradesh.

Citing nominations received under National Awards for e-Governance and the Prime Minister's Awards, Secretary DARPG in her address highlighted the innovative work done by Districts, States and Ministries to make governance more robust and citizen centric. She underlined that the challenge before the government was to scale up such practices and to take an innovation that works in one place and make it work in many places. She emphasized that closing the distance between a successful pilot and a national practice was the objective of the National Conference.

Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and the state administration for their support and hospitality in hosting the conference, the Secretary noted the visionary leadership and continuous guidance provided by Union Minister of State (PP) Dr. Jitendra Singh in driving DARPG’s governance initiatives. Acknowledgment was also extended to Union Minister for Health Shri J. P. Nadda. Both the ministers have  conveyed their best wishes for the National Conference.

Chief Secretary of Government of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Kamlesh Kumar Pant highlighted how e-governance is enabling citizens to access government services at their doorsteps. He outlined various initiatives undertaken by the Himachal Pradesh government and explained how digital governance is helping reduce procedural hurdles. He emphasised that the objective is to eliminate barriers, promote equality and ensure that public services reach people more efficiently.

The session brought together senior leadership from the Central and State Governments for deliberations on governance reforms and the role of digital innovation in public administration.

The Day One of the Conference showcased five key initiatives of the Government of Himachal Pradesh, including Him Parivar, Sukhashraya, Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), Green Himachal and the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna. The presentations highlighted the range of governance initiatives being undertaken across sectors such as health, social justice, education, environment and forest conservation.

The other sessions featured presentations on award-recognised initiatives demonstrating the use of digital platforms, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in governance. The initiatives included AgriStack, e-Jagriti, the AI-enabled Clinical Decision Support System in e-Sanjeevani Telemedicine Service, the Multi Hazard Early Warning Decision Support System and iGOT Karmayogi. The presentations wer  also made on eAarogya Dhamni, the District Court Case Management System (DCMS), ICMR-MINDS, the India Hypertension Control Initiative and Digi Yatra.

Day Two of the conference, scheduled for 17 October 2026, will feature sessions on cybersecurity, best e-governance practices, replication, data analytics, and State-, district- and grassroots-level initiatives, followed by the valedictory session.

The National Conference on e-Governance Reforms seeks to strengthen the exchange of ideas and experiences among government institutions and promote effective, innovative and citizen-centric governance through digital transformation.

 

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NKR/Aanand

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