Ranchi: The state rural development department has rolled out a training and capacity-building programme for its staff on various aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to integrate the technology into the smooth execution of projects, officials said on Monday.Rural development minister Deepika Pandey Singh claimed that Jharkhand is arguably the first state in the country where a govt department has institutionalised AI-based capacity building for its employees.“The rural development department implements several important schemes that directly affect people, particularly those living in rural areas. The aim of increasing the use of technology is to improve delivery efficiency, transparency and the speed of execution,” she said.The department’s tryst with AI began in October 2025, when it formally established the Gramin AI Support Cell.“The purpose of this cell is not just to adopt technology, but to systematically and permanently establish the use of AI in the administrative system,” an official said.Vinod Kumar Pandey, who is associated with the department as an Indian Administrative Fellow with The/Nudge Institute, and Chandra Bhushan, under secretary in the department, prepared a detailed action plan for AI-based training and digital administration.“After the formation of the AI Support Cell, the department organised six training sessions between January and February this year, in which more than 40 officers from different levels of the administrative system participated. During the training, employees were introduced to the fundamental concepts of AI as well as its practical applications. They were also trained to use AI tools for everyday administrative tasks,” an official said.“The employees are now becoming capable of preparing documents, analysing data and making reporting more effective,” the official added, noting that plans are underway to extend the training to officials in different districts.The department now plans to develop live dashboards for schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin, through which officers will be able to access real-time information on scheme progress.Additionally, work is underway to develop an Integrated Rural Data Hub to bring data related to various schemes onto a single platform.“The department is also working towards developing AI-based digital services for citizens in the future,” an official communiqué from the minister’s office said.The department implements several schemes that affect people, particularly those living in rural areas. The aim of increasing the use of technology is to improve delivery efficiency, transparency and speed of execution
