Dilip Cherian | With AI & data analytics, will govt files now move quickly?

The Modi Sarkar is devoting a lot of thought to the 100 years of independence in 2047, with several task forces charged with drawing up a roadmap for the future. Among these, the Group of Secretaries on Governance headed by I&B secretary Apurva Chandra is currently studying a draft VisionIndia @2047 prepared by a group of brainstormers, including 30 IAS officers, 10 non-IAS officials, 40 academicians and 80 entrepreneurs, all aged 40 years or less. The focus of their deliberations is office automation, the use of data analytics, AI and machine learning. If the ideas of this group pass the approval of the Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these will be included in the VisionIndia@2047 document on governance being prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

The members of this group were selected by the DARPG. Besides the officers, 40 young faculty members from premier institutions such as IITs and IIMs were picked. Also added to the group were entrepreneurs from 80 start-ups (40 seed-stage start-ups and 40 advanced start-ups were also identified). Sources have informed DKB that these members met for three days earlier this year and presented their recommendations, which have now been shared with senior officials in different ministries. Governance is reportedly one of the nine sectors identified for this initiative.

Whatever else happens, if their ideas on automation and data analytics can help government files move faster than currently, we will consider it a job well done.

Railway Board gets a new team

The much-awaited appointments Railway Board-level appointments have finally come through and ended the much-hyped speculation over a likely extension to V.K. Tripathi, the current chairman and CEO of the Board. Tripathi has been replaced by Anil Kumar Lahoti who will occupy the top office until August 31, 2023. Mr Lahoti had been named as member, infrastructure, of the Railway Board barely a few days ago.

Many observers were surprised at the government’s decision to deny giving an extension to Mr Tripathi. They feel that this endorses the old speculation that Mr Tripathi was brought in as chairman and CEO of the Board for a period of one year, merely six months ahead of retirement, simply to oversee the rollout of the new Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS). Now that the IRMS is done, Mr Tripathi has been allowed to hang his boots and hand over the charge to Mr Lahoti.

The new chairman and CEO will get a new team, with the recent empanelment of six officers for holding Level 17 posts under IRMS. They include Roop N. Sunkar, Mohit Sinha, Satish Kumar and Braj Mohan Agarwal, besides Mr Lahoti.

Interestingly, the empanelment of two officers Anjali Goyal and Jaya Varma Sinha was deferred for late filing of the Annual Immovable Property Return and denial of vigilance clearance. Presently, Ms Goyal is the general manager of Banaras rail locomotive factory while Ms Sinha is an additional member (traffic), Railway Board.

Defying EC order, Karnataka govt reinstates 2 babus

Despite an Election Commission order, the Karnataka government has reinstated two IAS officers K. Srinivas and S. Rangappa, less than a month after they were suspended in the voter data theft case. Mr Srinivas has been posted as managing director of Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation and Mr Rangappa has been appointed as the executive director of the Karnataka State Minerals Corporation. Their reinstatement is likely to intensify the Opposition’s attacks on the BJP government.

After receiving complaints against an NGO which has been accused of collecting personal information about voters, with its members posing as government officials in some instances, the Election Commission had ordered the suspension of the two officers and directed a 100 per cent check of the deletions and additions in the electoral rolls after January 1, 2022, in the three constituencies of Shivajinagar, Chickpet and Mahadevapura, under the charge of these babus. It had also ordered a departmental inquiry against Mr Rangappa, who was also serving as an additional district election officer, BBMP (central) in charge of Shivajinagar and Chickpet Assembly constituencies, and K. Srinivas, who was also serving as an additional district election officer in charge of Mahadevapura Assembly seat.

The Basavaraj Bommai government’s action is likely to provoke the Opposition parties who have been calling for stern action against officials and other employees who are allegedly involved in the scam.