SHIMLA, NOVEMBER 6:
A national seminar on “Digital Governance as Catalyst for Sustainable Development” held here today sets a new benchmark for Vyastha Parivartan in Himachal Pradesh.
Semibar was held at the Department of Public Administration, where digital media experts and academicians churned out fresh ideas and diagnosed the deep-rooted malaise in India’s digital governance systems.
The day-long sessions saw sharp presentations, live demonstrations and crisp interventions on how digital tools can truly drive Vyastha Parivartan if top decision-makers, bureaucracy and the CMO act on these recommendations.
Dean Students’ Welfare and Chairperson, Public Administration, Prof. Mamta Mokta welcomed the guests, faculty, research scholars and participants.
She underlined how digital governance enhances efficiency, promotes transparency and strengthens data-driven decision-making. She pushed the audience to view digital tools not as mere conveniences but as structural reforms to clean up systems.
Chief guest and keynote speaker Shri Kuldeep Chauhan, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Himbhumail.com, set the tone with a hard-hitting address.
He said digital governance is emerging as a powerful new dimension of sustainable development and hybrid journalism is reshaping how news is reported across print, electronic and digital platforms.
He explained how India and Himachal Pradesh are cutting bureaucratic red tape across Government to Government(G2G), Government to citizens (G2C) and Government to Business (G2B) services by integrating them through HIMSWAN, e-District or other national digital networks.
He said UPI, UMANG, DIGILOCKER are the fastest-spreading digital reform ideas in history. Himachal needs to bridge the digital divide by giving incentives to the have-nots—much like Kerala’s exemplary model and Estonia’s X-ROAD global leadership.
He stressed that AI and cybersecurity must become the backbone of digital governance to ensure secure databases, ethical social media use, and strict checks on fake news, deepfakes, memes, cyber frauds and privacy breaches.
He also highlighted the urgent need for last-mile connectivity to bring remote regions like Lahaul-Spiti, Dodra Kwar, Pangi and Bara Bhanghal onto the digital map.
Chauhan warned that if not designed carefully, digital governance could turn into another layer of bureaucracy. He urged students to become “game changers” by using social media responsibly and embracing fact-driven hybrid journalism.
In his address, Prof. Indrajeet Sodhi of Jamia Millia Islamia said digital governance is extremely effective in fixing accountability and responsibility within government systems.
Kapil Sharma, District Welfare Officer, gave a practical demonstration of how digital platforms have reshaped academic and administrative processes.
He addressed concerns of vulnerable sections, especially Divyang students, and guided them on accessing multiple welfare schemes online.
At the valedictory session, Prof. Amarjeet Singh, Director, UIIT, said digital governance is expanding rapidly but warned that the digital divide and cybersecurity threats must be tackled with caution and foresight.
Twenty research papers were presented across two technical sessions, covering wide-ranging themes from digital inclusion to algorithmic transparency.
Prof. Mamta Mokta thanked session chairs Dr. Sanjeev Bragta and Dr. Seema Kashyap, and appreciated coordinators Dr. Sapna Sharma, Dr. Kusum Azad and Dr. Rajiya Sultan. She also acknowledged the contributions of Sanjay, Vishakha, research scholars and students for the smooth conduct of the seminar.
#DigitalGovernance #SustainableDevelopment #HybridJournalism #HimachalAcademia
