Haryana seeks World Bank's help to boost AI, digital governance

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini met a World Bank delegation to discuss leveraging AI, digital governance, and skill development for citizen-centric services, aiming to make administration more transparent, faster, and effective for the public.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday held a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank here and discussed in detail ways to give a new direction to Artificial Intelligence, digital governance, skill development and data-driven administration in the state.

The Chief Minister said that Haryana does not want to limit technology merely to innovation; rather, the government's objective is to ensure that its benefits reach the common citizen directly. According to a release, he said that technology is meaningful only when it makes people's lives easier and makes government services more transparent, faster and more effective.

AI Sandbox to be Showcased Globally

During the meeting, World Bank officials informed the Chief Minister that the AI Sandbox developed by the World Bank in collaboration with the Haryana Government will be showcased on the global stage at the Korea Digital Summit, to be held in Korea from October 19 to 22. IT ministers and digital sector experts from across the world will be apprised of its achievements during the summit. World Bank officials also invited the Chief Minister to participate in the summit.

Enhancing Digital Governance

The Chief Minister described the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) as one of the state's most important digital initiatives and said that it is enabling eligible beneficiaries to receive the benefits of government schemes in a timely and transparent manner. He said that several states across the country are studying this model. Keeping in view the needs of the times, PPP 2.0 will now be developed to make it more modern and user-friendly.

He said that Haryana intends to move forward towards seamless exchange of information among various departments by developing a comprehensive Data Exchange Policy and Data Lake. This will make policy formulation and administrative decision-making more accurate and effective.

Push for AI and Skill Development

The Chief Minister urged the World Bank to expedite the launch of the Haryana AI and Development Project and said that the proposed AI Gurukul under the project would equip youth with skills aligned with future requirements. Special focus would also be laid on training as per industry requirements and developing skill centres in every district.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister also suggested developing a dedicated AI model for Haryana. He said that this model, by understanding the state's laws, rules and government procedures, would help officials take quick and accurate decisions and provide citizens with faster, simpler and quality services.

Seeking Support for Environmental and Administrative Solutions

The Chief Minister requested the World Bank's cooperation in developing an Air Quality Decision Support System to make air quality management in the state more effective. He said that officials who recently returned from a study tour of China had shared information about the modern systems being adopted there. Haryana, too, under its Clean Air Programme, will rapidly move towards effective control of air pollution by adopting globally advanced technologies and AI-based solutions.

He also sought the World Bank's cooperation in studying the challenges faced by various government departments and developing simple, practical and cost-effective technological solutions for them.

Fostering Innovation and Partnership

The Chief Minister appreciated the AI Sandbox established by the World Bank and said that the platform is providing an opportunity to test new technologies in a safe and effective manner. He informed that around 250 companies and startups participated in the recently held Innovation Challenge, which is a testament to the rapidly developing innovation ecosystem in Haryana. These innovations will now be implemented across various government departments so that their direct benefits reach citizens.

He lauded World Bank's continued support and expressed confidence that through joint efforts, Haryana would further strengthen its identity among the leading states in the country in the areas of responsible and safe Artificial Intelligence, better governance, greater employment generation and citizen-centric services. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)