Union Minister Stresses AI Integration and Transparency at NFICI Annual Meeting
“Almost 100 percent disposal of Right to Information (RTI) appeals with pendency coming down every year,” says Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh
A Robust technology driven grievance redressal mechanism made accessible to public in the last 10 years under PM Modi
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressed and later interacted with Central and State Information Commissioners at the 13th Annual General Body Meeting of the National Federation of Information Commissions of India (NFICI) held at the Central Information Commission headquarters today. During the meeting, Dr Singh highlighted NFICI's pivotal role in advancing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, and emphasised the Modi government's commitment to transparency and citizen-centric governance since 2014.
Referring to the RTI Act as a mechanism for "maximum disclosure and minimum exemptions," Dr Singh noted that India’s Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) has become a global model for grievance redressal. He cited technology-driven solutions that have reduced the effective time for grievance redressal to as little as five days.
The Minister directed Information Commissioners to integrate Artificial Intelligence and other modern tools to enhance the efficiency of public information disclosure. He also stressed the importance of human intervention, recalling the establishment of a Human Desk to gather feedback from citizens after grievance resolution. Dr Singh reiterated the government's focus on transparency, accountability, and citizen-centric governance.
During the interaction, Dr Singh listened to the grievances and suggestions of State Information Commissioners and assured them of a positive response. He praised the Central Information Commission (CIC) for its efforts to increase efficiency, noting the significant reduction in the pendency of RTI appeals. He also commended the CIC for remaining operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the ease provided to residents of Jammu and Kashmir with the opening of a branch in the union territory.
Dr Singh recalled that the CIC received its independent office complex only after 2014 when the new government came into power, having previously operated from a rented space. In a motivational message to young CIC officers, he referred to them as the torchbearers and conscience keepers of "VISION 2047."
Chief Information Commissioner of India, Heeralal Samariya, informed the Minister about the steady progress in the disposal of second appeals, with nearly 17,000 appeals resolved annually. Secretary CIC, Mrs Rashmi Chowdhary, briefed the Minister on the initiatives undertaken by the Information Commissions.