The CPGRAMS portal provides citizens with a platform to lodge grievances against any government organization in the country
In a significant recognition of India’s strides in public grievance redressal, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) Secretary V Srinivas presented “CPGRAMS: A Foundation for SMART Government” to representatives of the US Government and key stakeholders. The meeting, convened by the IBM Centre for The Business of Government, highlighted India's successful implementation of the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), which has achieved the redressal of over 1.5 lakh grievances per month.

The IBM Center for The Business of Government, based in Washington, DC, invited DARPG to present the innovative CPGRAMS to US officials and stakeholders working with the IBM Center. The 90-minute virtual interaction on June 3, 2024, focused on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in governance. 

It was attended by prominent US figures such as James-Christian Blockwood, Executive Vice-President, Partnership for Public Service; Dan Chenok, Executive Director, IBM Centre for the Business of Government; Terry Gerton, President and CEO, National Academy of Public Administration; Ivan Metzer, Director, Performance Management Line of Business, General Services Administration; Alexander Snider, Performance Management Strategy Lead, General Services Administration; and other US Government attendees.

Representatives of the Commonwealth Hub for the Business of Government from India, including Prof. Prajapati Trivedi and Prof. Avanish, also participated in the discussions. The Government of India was represented by Secretary DARPG Srinivas, along with senior officials including Joint Secretaries N.B.S. Rajput and Jaya Dubey, Deputy Director General NIC Dr. Sushil Kumar, Deputy Secretary DARPG Parthasarathy Bhaskar, Senior Technical Director NIC Manu Garg, and other senior officials.

India's Commitment to Citizen-centric Governance

The presentation underscored the transformative potential of technology in bridging the gap between citizens and the government. By empowering citizens and enhancing transparency and accountability, the CPGRAMS initiative has brought about significant improvements in the quality and timeliness of grievance redressal.

India's CPGRAMS has successfully redressed over 1.5 lakh grievances per month, with 1.02 lakh grievance officers mapped on the portal. This achievement was showcased as a testament to India's commitment to citizen-centric governance.

The introduction of the intelligent grievance monitoring dashboard and the tree dashboard, developed using AI and machine learning (ML) practices, was highlighted. These tools enable the handling of disaggregated data sets, facilitating evidence-based policy making and data-driven policy interventions.

The Indian Government has approved an allocation of Rs. 128 crore for CPGRAMS version 8.0, which will feature an upgraded technology platform to be implemented over the next two years. This upgrade aims to further enhance the system's capabilities and efficiency.

The discussions between Indian and US representatives were cordial and constructive, fostering a valuable exchange of information on citizen-centric best practices in both countries. The commendations received from US officials underscored the global relevance of India's efforts in effective grievance redressal.

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is the nodal agency responsible for formulating policy guidelines for citizen-centric governance in India. It plays a crucial role in redressing citizen grievances, coordinating with various ministries and departments, and striving to eliminate the root causes of grievances.

Leverage Technology for Effective Grievance Redressal

DARPG's commitment to excellence in public service delivery is reflected in its initiatives to leverage technology for effective grievance redressal. The CPGRAMS portal, a cornerstone of these efforts, provides citizens with a platform to lodge grievances against any government organization in the country, ensuring timely redressal by the concerned ministry, department, or state government.

DARPG has signed a memorandum of understanding to develop AI and ML techniques for analyzing public grievances. The Intelligent Grievance Management System (IGMS), deployed within CPGRAMS 7.0, exemplifies this innovation. IGMS automatically detects spam, bulk, and repetitive grievances in real-time, identifies the semantic gist of grievances, and detects important clusters of topics reflecting common issues raised by multiple citizens.

Additionally, IGMS enables spatiotemporal filtering of themes and topics in grievances, facilitating the identification of policy-level and implementation-level root causes of grievances. This sophisticated system ensures that grievances are addressed promptly and efficiently, enhancing overall governance.

India's CPGRAMS initiative, showcased to US Government representatives, demonstrates the country's commitment to leveraging technology for effective governance. The commendations from US officials underscore the global recognition of India's efforts in public grievance redressal. The DARPG continues to drive excellence in public service delivery, setting a benchmark for citizen-centric governance worldwide.