Context

With a renewed focus on administrative reforms aligning with the aspirations of Viksit Bharat, the government has approved an outlay of Rs. 235 crores for the revamped Scheme for Administrative Reforms of DARPG.

Implementation Timeline: This ambitious initiative is set to unfold over the next two years (2024-25 and 2025-26) under the 15th Finance Commission Cycle.

Background

The Scheme for Administrative Reforms encompasses two verticals:

1. Comprehensive System for Redressal of Public Grievances
2. Administrative Reforms

Need for Administrative Reforms:

• The allocation includes a substantial Rs. 128 crores for the Comprehensive System for Redressal of Public Grievances.
• The primary objective is to develop an AI-assisted Public Grievance Redressal System (CPGRAMS), emphasizing accountability and transparency in the administrative machinery.
• The project aims to integrate all grievance portals into a unified CPGRAMS, streamlining the public grievance redressal process.
• With a focus on technology adoption and capacity building, the revamped Scheme aims to enhance grievance redressal efficiency.

Components of the Comprehensive System:

- Saturation of Services

- Seamless Service Delivery to citizens up to the last mile

- Government Process Reengineering for Efficient Decision-Making

- Strengthening knowledge sharing platforms

Performance Metrics:

• In 2023, CPGRAMS processed 19,45,583 public grievance cases until the end of November, with 19,60,021 cases successfully redressed.
• The central secretariat achieved a milestone by addressing over 1 lac cases per month for the past 17 months, while States/UTs managed to handle over 50 thousand cases per month.
• The revamped Scheme aims to further reduce grievance redressal time, currently averaging 17 days.

Administrative Reforms Allocation:

The Scheme for Administrative Reforms, backed by an allocation of Rs. 107 crores, will focus on multiple initiatives:

1. Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration
2. National e-Governance Awards Scheme
3. Civil Services Day Conferences
4. Regional Conferences for Replication of Good Governance Practices
5. Documentation and Dissemination activities, including the Good Governance Index
6. Annual Conference of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences in February 2025
7. Special Campaigns for Institutionalizing Swachhata, Reducing Pendency, Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making, and SushasanSaptah events in 2024 and 2025.
8. International Exchange and Cooperation activities.