In a significant step towards advancing digital governance and ensuring hassle-free delivery of public services, Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, chaired a high-level meeting to review the proposed 'Data Management Strategy and Action Plan' aimed at creating a secure, interoperable and citizen-centric data ecosystem across Government departments in Jammu and Kashmir.
The proposed initiative seeks to establish an integrated framework for secure sharing and harmonization of government data, enabling departments to access authenticated information through authorized digital platforms instead of repeatedly seeking the same documents from citizens. The initiative is expected to substantially improve inter-departmental coordination, eliminate duplication of records, enhance transparency and ensure faster, more efficient delivery of welfare benefits and public services.
The meeting was attended by the concerned Administrative Secretaries including Commissioner Secretary, PD&MD; MD, J&K Bank; DG, E&S; SIO, NIC; Director, Planning and HoDs from other concerned Departments.
Reviewing the proposed framework, the Chief Secretary underscored that effective governance in the digital era rests on the availability of authentic, standardized and secure data.
He observed that while Government departments generate large volumes of valuable data, its true potential can only be realised when such information is managed under a common governance framework and shared securely across departments for improving public service delivery.
The Chief Secretary further stressed that the Government's endeavour is to ensure that citizens are not required to submit the same information repeatedly for availing benefits under different schemes.
He reiterated that the objective is to build an integrated digital governance ecosystem where authenticated data, once available with the Government, can be securely utilised by authorized departments for delivery of eligible services, while fully safeguarding privacy, confidentiality and data security, he added.
The Chief Secretary directed all Administrative Departments to extend full cooperation in implementation of the strategy and ensure standardization of departmental datasets in accordance with the prescribed data governance framework.
Atal Dulloo also called for adoption of uniform metadata standards, robust quality assurance mechanisms and secure interoperability protocols to facilitate seamless exchange of information across departments.
During the meeting, a detailed presentation was made by the Planning Department on the five strategic pillars of the proposed Data Management Strategy comprising Data Governance & Standards, Base Registries & Unique Identifiers, Interoperability & Harmonization, Data Security & Privacy and Institutional Capacity & Coordination.
The strategy aims to establish a "Single Source of Truth" by preserving original departmental datasets while enabling secure, API-based exchange of information among authorized users, thereby supporting evidence-based governance, efficient planning and better monitoring of developmental programmes.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed the proposed initiative involving integration of the Civil Registration System (CRS) with J&K Bank for automatic initiation of insurance claims under PMJJBY and PMSBY immediately after issuance of a death certificate. Once operational, the mechanism will enable eligible claim settlements without requiring bereaved families to submit separate applications, thereby reducing procedural delays and ensuring timely financial assistance.
The meeting also discussed integration of the Civil Registration System with the Health, Social Welfare and School Education Departments to enable automatic activation of welfare interventions from birth onwards.
Under this mechanism, registration of every birth would trigger enrolment for nutrition support, immunization and other eligible welfare schemes, while subsequent integration with APAAR ID would facilitate seamless linkage with school admissions, scholarships and other educational entitlements.
The Chief Secretary further reviewed the proposal for creation of an integrated institutional database of schools, hospitals, Anganwadi centres and other public institutions through adoption of common geographical identifiers to facilitate better planning, infrastructure mapping and resource allocation.
The Chief Secretary directed the concerned departments to prepare a time-bound implementation roadmap with clearly defined milestones for phased rollout of the strategy and emphasized strict adherence to data privacy, cyber security and governance standards at every stage.
He expressed confidence that the proposed initiative would mark a significant step towards building a modern, integrated and citizen-centric governance ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the initiative would strengthen evidence-based planning, improve inter-departmental coordination and ensure seamless delivery of Government services and welfare benefits by enabling secure and efficient sharing of authenticated data across departments.