NITI Aayog’s New Digital Venture To Aid Officials In Policymaking And Governance

Government policy think tank NITI Aayog is all set to roll out its digital cross-sectoral knowledge platform, NITI for States, an initiative that will create a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for policymaking and governance.

NITI Aayog may also integrate artificial intelligence into its new platform which is slated for launch on Thursday (March 7), ET reported.

The platform will feature a user-friendly interface accessible on various devices, including mobile phones. 

It aims to support the digital transformation of governance by providing government officials with practical knowledge and insights to improve decision-making. Moreover, the platform extends support to functionaries such as district collectors and block-level officials, offering them access to innovative practices adopted across different states and UTs.

The platform will feature a multi-sectoral live repository of 7,500 best practices, 5,000 policy documents, 900+ datasets, 1,400 data profiles and 350 NITI publications.

It encompasses knowledge products across 10 sectors, including agriculture, education, energy, health, livelihoods and skilling, manufacturing, MSME, tourism, urban development, water resources, sanitation, and hygiene. 

Additionally, it addresses two cross-cutting themes—gender and climate. Integration with NITI Aayog’s National Data Analytics Platform enhances its data sources for effective decision support.

The platform also aims to share data and best practices, fostering cross-learning in line with NITI Aayog’s State Support Mission. Its goal is to enhance the efficiency and informed decision-making of the bureaucracy. There is currently no DPI plug-in solely dedicated to strengthening the spirit of cooperative federalism.

NITI Aayog’s internal team is developing and training AI for the platform, incorporating data, policies, and best practices. The process involves multiple iterations to ensure accuracy, as emphasised by the official.

Six states have joined the platform for access and engagement, and efforts have been made to encourage all states to contribute their data and best practices for platform enrichment.

In addition to the online portal, NITI Aayog will introduce a voice-enabled Viksit Bharat Strategy Room at its premises, with future plans to support multilingual capabilities in 22 languages. The room incorporates the platform repository, allowing for immersive data visualization during in-person discussions and decision-making.

The National eGovernance Division played a key role as the service provider in setting up the room.

The technology includes speech-to-text and text-to-speech software, complemented by multilingual capabilities through the government’s Anuvadini initiative, making the centre voice-enabled. 

Meanwhile, last month the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) declared the forthcoming issuance of guidelines for a principle-based framework concerning the authentication of digital payment transactions. Emphasising the importance of security, especially the necessity for an additional factor of authentication (AFA).

Earlier, The Union government had allocated incentives amounting to INR 1,441 Cr for the promotion of digital payments during the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24). This allocation, announced in the interim Budget 2024, was intended for the advancement of RuPay debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI transactions (person-to-merchant). 

Ensuring a secure digital transaction ecosystem is imperative today, and much progress has been made through government initiatives, policies, and tech innovations.