The National Informatics Centre uses AI to automate document analysis and detect fraud in government departments.
The government's vast work has got modern help: Artificial intelligence (AI).
Ministries as diverse as IT, coal and telecom are using the technology to improve services, ease workloads, improve logistics and block spam calls.
The purpose is to use AI for modernising governance, streamlining operations and driving economic growth across sectors.
The India AI Mission, a Rs 10,372 crore (Rs 103.72 billion) initiative of the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), has set an agenda: Drive the technology's innovation and adoption across the country.
MeitY is helping in implementing AI-driven initiatives to modernise public services.
For training and awareness, the ministry has tied up with Wadhwani AI.
The independent nonprofit institute provides government officials basic training in AI and emerging technologies as a part of a capacity-building exercise.
AI mission
"For the India AI mission, we have an agreement with MeitY and we have a dedicated team that works out of MeitY who are supporting the leadership in multiple initiatives of India AI," said Nakul Jain, director of products and programme at Wadhwani AI, in an earlier interview to Business Standard.
MeitY has built Bhashini, an AI-based translation tool for real-time translation of Indian languages.
Bhashini's machine translation and automatic speech recognition helps in making government services accessible to all.
"The Bhashini platform is just one example of how AI is being utilised to improve governance and foster inclusivity across the country.
"Our focus is on building digital bridges through technology," said a senior MeitY official.
"MeitY is leveraging predictive analytics, facial recognition and natural language processing to streamline operations and improve service delivery across ministries," said another official familiar with the ministry's work.
The National Informatics Centre, which comes under Meity, uses AI to automate document analysis and detect fraud in government departments.
Elsewhere in the government, AI's use is expanding.
Nearly half of India's government and public service organisations are preparing to adopt their first generative AI (GenAI) solutions by 2025, said a recent report by Ernst & Young, referring to an AI technology capable of generating text, images, videos or other data.
MeitY is working with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India to develop an AI audit tool to detect corporate fraud and track companies' performance.
Similarly, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) is using AI tools to send reminders for upcoming regulatory filings and issue notices to companies not complying with rules.
An MCA official said it is not going to take away the "human touch" out of the process and it will ensure there is application of mind in decisions.
Logistics aid
Besides ministries dealing with regulations and policy, AI has also found use in logistics.
The coal ministry is developing a logistics platform powered by AI and machine learning (ML) for smoothening the fuel's transportation - a critical need in building stocks for thermal power units.
A 'Smart Logistics Plan' will integrate existing central and state-level tracking systems, enabling better demand forecasting and supply management.
"The AI-driven platform will allow us to build datasets that will be critical for future planning and improving supply chain efficiency.
"We expect to significantly reduce bottlenecks once the system is up and running (in two years)," said a coal ministry official.
AI is also making its mark in agriculture. MeitY Secretary S Krishnan, at an event a few months ago, highlighted the importance of AI in improving efficiency in the food processing sector.
The Kisan e-Mitra, an AI-powered multilingual chatbot deployed by the agriculture ministry, assists farmers in queries related to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
The National Pest Surveillance System uses AI and ML to detect crop issues and mitigate climate-related losses.
The department of telecommunications (DoT) is about to begin the next phase of its Digital Twin initiative, an AI- and 5G-driven process that uses data to model and plan infrastructure projects through minimal human interface.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has asked operators to use AI and ML to check spam calls and text messages from unregistered telemarketers.
"AI will play a crucial role in curbing spam communications and protecting consumer privacy. This is a priority for the telecom sector," said a senior DoT official.
The external affairs ministry has talked about using AI and advanced analytics for its Passport Seva Programme 2.0.
A new system, developed in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services, will improve the passport application and renewal process.
At the finance ministry, the technology is being used for Income Tax and Goods and Services Tax data.
This has enabled the ministry to enhance tax compliance and crack down on evasion, said a senior official.
With inputs from Shreya Jai, Ruchika Chitravanshi, Subhayan Chakraborty, Harsh Kumar, Shiva Rajora, Sanjeeb Mukharjee and Ashutosh Mishra in New Delhi.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
