In a major step towards administrative reform, the Tribal Development Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vijaybhoomi University to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools aimed at improving the implementation of welfare schemes, boosting digital infrastructure and delivering timely services to beneficiaries.
The initiative is based on the vision of Department Secretary Vijay Waghmare and is expected to mark the beginning of a digital transformation in the department’s operations. The agreement aligns with the government’s ‘Digital India, Self-reliant Maharashtra’ campaign.
The MoU was signed at the Tribal Development Commissionerate in the presence of Commissioner Leena Bansod, Ashwini Kumar Sharma, pro-vice chancellor of Vijaybhoomi University and former director general of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) and Salur Shrikant Patnaik, lecturer at Vijaybhoomi School of Science and Technology.
According to Sharma, the introduction of AI tools and digital platforms will accelerate departmental operations and simplify monitoring of schemes. “This will enhance the speed and transparency of implementation,” he said.
AI-led reform and innovation cell
As part of the MoU, a ‘Digital Innovation Cell’ will be set up within the department to test and implement AI prototypes. This initiative will not only boost research in applying AI to social systems but also offer students and researchers from Vijaybhoomi University opportunities to work on real-time administrative challenges.
Commissioner Bansod said, “This agreement with Vijaybhoomi University aims to make the department’s administration more efficient, people-oriented and transparent. It will build digital capacity through focused training and skill development. The effective use of AI will be a crucial step in the department’s digital transformation.”
The key objectives of the agreement include:
- Developing an AI system for monitoring government schemes.
- Reducing service delivery time by 30%–50%.
- Strengthening the public grievance redressal system.
- Creating mobile-based digital assistants in tribal dialects.
- Training departmental staff in AI and data security.
