Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 18

Jammu and Kashmir’s administration on Saturday unveiled plans to create an integrated digital data ecosystem aimed at improving delivery of public services, reducing paperwork and enabling government departments to securely share authenticated information instead of repeatedly seeking the same documents from citizens.

The proposed Data Management Strategy and Action Plan, reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, seeks to establish a secure and interoperable framework for sharing government data across departments while strengthening privacy, cybersecurity and data governance standards.

Officials said the initiative is intended to improve coordination, eliminate duplication of records and support evidence-based policymaking.

Dulloo said effective digital governance depends on the availability of authentic, standardised and securely managed data, adding that the government aims to ensure citizens are not required to submit the same information repeatedly to access welfare schemes and public services.

He directed departments to standardise datasets, adopt common metadata standards and implement secure interoperability protocols to facilitate seamless exchange of information.

Officials also reviewed plans to integrate the Civil Registration System with J&K Bank to enable automatic processing of insurance claims under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) following the issuance of death certificates, eliminating the need for separate applications by beneficiaries’ families.

The proposed strategy also envisages linking birth registration with health, education and social welfare databases to automatically trigger enrolment for eligible government schemes, including nutrition, immunisation and educational benefits.

Authorities further plan to create an integrated database of public institutions such as schools, hospitals and Anganwadi centres using common geographical identifiers to improve planning and resource allocation.

Dulloo directed departments to prepare a time-bound implementation roadmap, saying the initiative would help build a more integrated, citizen-centric governance system while ensuring strict adherence to data privacy and cybersecurity norms.