Artificial Intelligence (AI) is turning governance on its head, helping governments all over the world to make evidence-based decisions, expedite procedures, and effectively provide services to their citizens. The implementation of AI in governance is revolutionising public administration in India by tackling persistent issues including inefficient bureaucracy, service delivery delays, and inadequate transparency. Given how quickly digital technologies are being adopted in India, AI presents a huge opportunity to transform governance through automation, personalised services, and predictive analytics. But implementing AI to achieve good governance also means overcoming obstacles with regard to inclusion, accountability, and data privacy. This conclusion, which is backed up by pertinent data and examples, assesses AI's potential and effects on Indian government.
In order to improve administrative effectiveness and citizen services, India is actively using AI in industries including healthcare, agriculture, urban development, and law enforcement. According to McKinsey projections, AI may boost India's GDP by up to $957 billion by 2035 through higher productivity and better business and governmental decision-making. Here are some notable instances of AI's effectiveness in public administration:
AI Chatbots for Citizen Services: During the COVID-19 epidemic, millions of residents were able to receive real-time information and services thanks to chatbots powered by AI, such as the "MyGov Helpdesk" chatbot. This project served as an example of how AI may enhance the accessibility and speed of public services.
Healthcare and Predictive Analytics: By evaluating public health data and monitoring infections in real-time, AI systems assisted in anticipating and controlling disease outbreaks throughout the pandemic. These materials helped state governments make the most efficient use of their medical resources.
AI in Agriculture: Farmers may maximise irrigation and minimise crop loss by using drones and predictive algorithms to monitor crop health and weather trends. By giving farmers access to market pricing and weather forecasts in real time, AI- powered systems like Kisan Suvidha increase agricultural production. The Smart Cities Mission in India, which uses AI to control traffic congestion, cut pollution, and improves urban mobility, has also been a huge success. These illustrations show how AI may help the Indian government make the shift to more effective, inclusive, and responsive governance.
Microsoft and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) have collaborated to create an AI-enabled sowing app for agriculture that notifies farmers on the optimal time to plant, how to apply fertiliser and manure based on soil tests, how to treat seeds, and other topics.The software was used by 3,000 farmers in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (AP) in 2017, increasing kharif yields by 10–30%.
Encouraging Diversity with AI-Powered Services: Additionally encouraging inclusion are AI-based governance systems that offer tailored services to a variety of demographic groups. Linguistic obstacles can be overcome by using NLP technology to enable AI chatbots and government portals to function in many regional languages. Digital accessibility is being promoted via AI-powered speech interfaces and image recognition technologies that enable persons with disabilities to connect with public services on their own.
Statistics on Inclusivity: Government statistics state that real-time advising services and subsidies provided by AI-based governance technologies are believed to have helped over a million farmers and 500,000 small companies. Similar to this, AI technologies in healthcare are closing the healthcare gap between urban and rural areas by enabling remote diagnostic services access for rural people.
AI for Financial Inclusion: To identify eligible beneficiaries and reduce welfare distribution leakages, platforms such as Aadhaar and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) use AI algorithms. This promotes financial inclusion.
AI Improving Accountability, Transparency, and Efficiency: By eliminating human interference, which frequently breeds corruption, and automating administrative duties, AI has shown its potential to improve accountability and transparency in government. Trust in public institutions is increased by the safe and unchangeable records that blockchain technology with AI provides. AI systems are also being utilised by the government to automatically audit financial transactions, allowing them to spot irregularities in public expenditure and fraud.
Anti-Corruption Initiatives: By decreasing misallocation of money and guaranteeing that benefits reach the appropriate beneficiaries, AI-enabled monitoring technologies have already assisted in detecting abnormalities in 20% of financial transactions across government assistance schemes. AI is revolutionising Indian governance by improving transparency, facilitating more effective service delivery, and giving individuals access to individualised services. AI-powered technologies are assisting government in anticipating problems and making data-driven choices in a variety of fields, including healthcare and agriculture. Empirical data indicates that AI has yielded notable advancements in several domains of governance, such as financial inclusion, urban planning, and public safety. But in order to fully harness AI's promise for good governance, India has to solve its problems with digital inequality, algorithmic bias, data privacy, and accountability. The government must put robust laws to guarantee inclusion and encourage the ethical usage of AI. Investing in digital infrastructure and skill development along with forming public-private partnerships will be essential to creating a governance system that uses AI sustainably and ethically.
In summary, AI presents India with a revolutionary chance to improve governance through the development of more inclusive, transparent, and responsive institutions. AI has the potential to be a potent weapon for good governance, promoting social and economic advancement while guaranteeing that the advantages are felt by all facets of society, provided the proper regulations and protections are in place. Innovation, responsibility, and teamwork are essential on the path to AI-driven governance, guaranteeing that technology will continue to be a force for the public good in the years to come.
REFERENCES
Books
Bansal, P. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds, Westland Publications.
Bhattacharya, A. (2019). AI Revolution in India: The Road Ahead, SAGE Publications. Chatterjee, D. (2020). Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics in India, Routledge.
Articles and Papers
Bhatnagar, S. (2021). "The Role of AI in Enhancing Public Services in India," AI & Society, 36(3), 801-815.
Ghosh, A. & Rai, S. (2019). “AI for Public Good: Governance and Implications in India.” Indian Journal of Public Administration, 65(2), 302-318.
Mehta, A. & Sharma, K. (2022). “Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Governance: A Case Study of India’s National AI Strategy," Technology and Society, 68, 101755.
Prakash, N. & Jha, A. (2021). “AI and E-Governance: Leveraging Machine Learning in Indian Administrative Services," Government Information Quarterly, 38(1), 119-135.
Sanjay Singhania, “The Role of AI in Shaping India’s Digital Economy”, Dated 11 March 2024, URL: https://indiaai.gov.in/article/the-role-of-ai-in-shaping-india-s-digital-economy
Sharma, S. (2020). “Artificial Intelligence and Governance: Policy Implications for India," Journal of Indian Public Policy and Governance, 12(4), 45-63.
Government Reports
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), (2021). AI for All: Artificial Intelligence for Inclusive Governance in India, Government of India, URL: https://www.meity.gov.in/ artificial-intelligence-committees-reports
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), (2024), AI for All: Artificial Intelligence for Inclusive Governance in India, Government of India, URL: https://pib.gov. in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2037115
Ministry of External Affairs, Economic Diplomatic Division, URL: https://indbiz.gov.in/ai-may- add-us957bn-to-indian-economy-by-2035/#:~:text=The%20research%20suggests%20 that%20AI,rise%20to%20US%247.4%20trillion
NITI Aayog (2018), National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence #AIForAll, Government of India, URL: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-03/National-Strategy-for-Artificial- Intelligence.pdf
NITI Aayog (2020), Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE) 2020: AI for Public Good.
Government of India, URL: https://indiaai.gov.in/raise
NITI Aayog (2021), National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence #AIForAll, Government of India, URL: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-08/Part2-Responsible-AI-12082021. pdf
Academic Journals
Sharma, R. & Verma, P. (2019). "E-Governance and AI in India: Opportunities and Challenges,"
International Journal of Electronic Governance, 12(2), 89-102.
Singh, D. P. & Kumari, R. (2021). "AI in Public Policy: Governance and Regulatory Framework in India." Journal of Indian Law and Policy, 9(1), 120-145.
Gupta, A. (2020). "Artificial Intelligence and Local Governance in India: A New Frontier." AI & Ethics, 1(2), 165-178.
Pathak, M. & Joshi, S. (2021). "AI and Democratic Governance: Safeguarding Civil Liberties in India." Indian Journal of Democratic Studies, 14(1), 97-114.
Conferences and Proceedings
Kaur, M. & Gupta, P. (2021). "AI for Public Sector Governance: Strategies for Ethical AI Implementation in India," In Proceedings of the Indian Conference on Ethics and AI, ACM, 45-57.
Narayan, S. & Banerjee, T. (2019). "Governance and AI: Challenges for India in the 21st Century," In Proceedings of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Springer, 345-362.
Kapoor, V. & Aggarwal, N. (2020). "AI and Smart Governance in India: Leveraging AI for Sustainable Development Goals," In Proceedings of the Indian Smart Cities Conference, IEEE, 112-130.
White Papers and Working Papers
Joshi, A. & Ghosh, D. (2021). AI and Governance: Impacts and Policy Recommendations for India.
Centre for Policy Research, India.
Gupta, S. & Malhotra, R. (2020). AI for Public Governance: An Assessment of India’s Preparedness, Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Working Paper Series.
Singhal, V. & Srivastava, A. (2020). Ethical AI for Good Governance in India: A White Paper, Carnegie India.
Websites and Blogs
AI Now Institute (2018). Discrimination, Machine Learning, and Data Privacy, URL: AInow.org BBC News, “The technology that could end traffic jams," 12 December 2018, URL: https://www.
bbc.com/future/article/20181212-can-artificial-intelligence-end-traffic-jams
Business Standard, Here is how much Indians lost to cyber frauds between Jan and Apr of 2024, 27 May 2024, URL: https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/here-is-how-much- indians-lost-to-cyber-frauds-between-jan-and-apr-of-2024-124052700151_1.html
Business Standard, Cyber Frauds Cost India Rs 177 Crore in FY 2024: How to Protect Yourself URL: https://www.business-standard.com/finance/personal-finance/cyber-frauds-cost-india-rs- 177-crore-in-fy24-how-to-protect-yourself-124080600123_1.html
European Commission, “Progress on Climate Action," URL: https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/ climate-strategies-targets/progress-climate-action_en
European Commission (2021). Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying Down Harmonised Rules on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act).
GPAI (2020). Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved from GPAI.org
GST-Robo, Artificial Intelligence and GST, URL: https://www.gstrobo.com/blog/artificial- intelligence-and-gst/
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF). AI and Digital Rights in India, URL: https://internetfreedom.in/ category/ai-governance
McKinsey & Company (2022). The State of AI in 2022: A Global Perspective. Retrieved from McKinsey.com
Ministry of Law and Justice, Artificial Intelligence in Judiciary, Dated 9 August 2024, URL: https:// pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2043476#:~:text=The%20Supreme%20 Court%20of%20India,research%20and%20process%20automation%20etc.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, URL: https://morth.nic.in/
Ministry of Science and Technology, URL: https://www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in/sites/ default/files/AI%20Trend%20story.pdf
Ministry of Education (2021). Infrastructure in schools: A significant challenge, URL: https://pib. gov.in/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?opencat=11970
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2021), Quality of education in India.
National Judicial Data Grid, URL: https://njdg.ecourts.gov.in/njdg_v3/
NITI Aayog, Responsible AI for All, URL: https://www.niti.gov.in/responsible-AI-india
NITI Aayog, National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, URL: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/ files/2023-03/National-Strategy-for-Artificial-Intelligence.pdf
Observer Research Foundation (ORF), AI and Governance in India, URL: https://www.orfonline. org/research/ai-governance-in-india
OECD (2019), OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved from OECD.org
PwC (2021), AI Governance: The Challenges and the Path Forward. Retrieved from PwC.com Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (2016), General Data Protection Regulation. Retrieved from EUR-Lex.eu https://indiaai.gov.in/article/the-role-of-ai-in-shaping-india-s-digital-economy
The Brookings Institution: AI and Emerging Technologies in India, URL: https://www.brookings. edu/research/ai-and-emerging-technologies-in-india
The Brookings Institution (2022). The Need for AI Regulation: An American Perspective.
Times of India, “Bengaluru has Worlds Worst Traffic Congestion," URL: https://timesofindia. indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-has-worlds-worst-traffic-congestion-says-study/ articleshow/73753146.cms
The Centre for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP), URL: https://cstep.in/ publications-details.php?id=2283
Tomtom Ranking. (2023). URL: https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/ UNESCO, URL: https://www.unesco.org/en
World Economic Forum AI Governance in Emerging Economies: The Case of India, URL: https:// www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/AI-governance-in-emerging-economies
World Economic Forum (2021). Global Education Report 2021, URL: https://www3.weforum.org/ docs/WEF_Global_Education_Report_2021.pdf
McKincy Global Institute Mksaad.wordpress.com
