The Centre for Smart Governance has played a pivotal role in digitising government processes in Karnataka. Bhattacharya cites the example of the Karnataka Government Insurance Department (KGID), which traditionally operated on a manual, paper-based system. "Until 2021, insurance claim management was entirely paper-based, taking months to process claims. Now, insurance is issued the day you join and claims are settled within three to four days," he shares. This shift to electronic systems has streamlined processes and improved efficiency.
Saurabh Bhattacharya, Additional Executive Director, Centre for Smart Governance, Government of Karnataka discusses the transformative role of fintech in leveraging big data and advanced technologies to enhance government services.
Nurturing The Digital Ecosystem
Bhattacharya highlights the ecosystem's evolution, emphasising the social impact of fintech initiatives. "The set of business correspondents reaching out to the unbanked sector, micro insurance and microcredit organisations are driving social entrepreneurship," he explained. This social entrepreneurship is powered by harnessing vast amounts of public data, significantly impacting the ecosystem.
Another notable example is the digitisation of the Teachers Benefit Fund. Previously, managing this fund involved cumbersome manual processes. "We developed digital cards to help teachers instantly access loans or advances for exigencies, kids' studies or marriages," Bhattacharya notes.
Data Analytics And Policies
Bhattacharya explains that while the primary goal is not to reduce the workforce, significant improvements in efficiency have been achieved. For instance, property registration, which previously required a day-long process, can now be completed in half an hour.
Looking ahead, Bhattacharya emphasises the potential of data analytics and AI in government operations. "Governments are adopting data analytics to create right policies and improve public services," he says. He points to the digitisation of student data from class one to doctorate level, which can be used to predict future skill sets and align them with job market needs. This data-driven approach could revolutionise employment services, he suggests.
