National Conference on "NextGen Administrative & e-Gov Reforms" to be held in Shillong on 13–14 July 2026

📌 Summary:

• DARPG, with the Government of Meghalaya, is organising a two-day National Conference on "NextGen Administrative & e-Gov Reforms" in Shillong (13–14 July 2026); inaugural addresses by MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh and Meghalaya CM Conrad K. Sangma

• 300+ delegates — senior Central/State officials, District Collectors, domain experts and academics; 30+ speakers presenting award-winning best practices

• Sessions showcase: Prime Minister's Award-winning initiatives (2023 & 2024), National e-Governance Awards 2026 winning projects, Meghalaya's best practices, and DARPG-assisted State Collaborative Initiatives (SCI) from Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland

• Themes: digital governance, cyber security, citizen-centric public service delivery, urban governance, digital banking, consumer protection, Aspirational District Programme innovations

• Dedicated session on North Eastern Region development (DoNER/NEC): bamboo and agarwood value chains, tourism, regional infrastructure, project monitoring and inter-state collaboration

• Objectives: accelerate digital transformation of governance, encourage replication of successful models, and foster knowledge exchange on emerging technologies

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 (e-governance, administrative reforms, citizen-centric service delivery, cooperative federalism in governance innovation); examples usable in Mains answers on next-generation reforms

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Organiser: Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

• Venue: Shillong, Meghalaya — reflects focus on the North Eastern Region

• Features PM's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration and National e-Governance Awards 2026 projects

🔑 Key Term: State Collaborative Initiative (SCI) — a DARPG mechanism that partners with States to develop and replicate technology-enabled governance and service-delivery solutions