Jaipur: Artificial intelligence has become indispensable to governance, but the real test is to use it wisely, not simply adopt it, Union minister Jitendra Singh said Thursday.Speaking at the concluding session and National e-Governance Awards ceremony of the 29th National Conference on e-Governance at the Rajasthan International Centre, Singh, minister of state for science and technology (independent charge), said AI-driven governance is no longer optional in the digital era. However, he cautioned that technology cannot fully replace human judgement and that effective governance must combine digital tools with human intervention.Singh said the Centre carried out an “unprecedented” exercise to repeal obsolete and irrelevant laws, simplify administrative processes, and make governance more transparent and efficient. He cited Mission Karmayogi and the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as key examples of India’s evolving governance framework.India’s e-governance and administrative reforms, he said, have drawn international recognition, with countries such as Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka and South Africa adopting several Indian digital governance practices.Urging states to pair the long-term vision of India@2047 with measurable short-term targets, Singh said rapid technological change demands constant adaptation. He referred to VCRs and STD booths, once common but obsolete within two decades, and asked participants to reflect on how the role of govt officials would change by 2047 as digital systems reshape governance.Rajasthan’s IT and communication minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said the conference marked the start of a new phase in technology-enabled governance. He said discussions and recommendations by experts would be examined closely, and suitable innovations would be implemented as pilot projects across districts.The conference ended with the release of the Jaipur Declaration, which sets out a roadmap for transparent, citizen-centric and technology-driven governance.
