Bhubaneswar, 16 April
In a bid to ensure efficiency in governance and create a digitally competent administrative workforce in Odisha, the state government has made it mandatory for all its officers to be acquainted with the knowledge in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The officers will undergo a three-month online AI course and the initiative is in alignment with the state government's broader goal of fostering a digitally proficient, future-ready administrative workforce, a letter written by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said.

The bureaucrat asked all departments to instruct the officers under their control to mandatorily enrol in and complete at least one foundational course in AI.

“It is increasingly evident that new innovations such as AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of governance. AI has the potential to bring transformative changes in how government functions from making it easy for citizens to interface with Government, to predictive analysis, intelligent grievance redressal systems, planning, and monitoring service delivery outcomes,” the chief secretary's letter written on April 15 said.

Ahuja also stated that it is imperative that officers in the state administration build a working knowledge of the principles, tools, and applications of AI.

He said understanding these technologies is essential not only for informed decision-making but also for designing citizen-centric policies, managing large-scale data systems, and enhancing administrative responsiveness.

He said that these courses are available free of cost on reputed platforms and are designed to offer both conceptual clarity and applied perspectives.

The state government also recommended some platforms.

The chief secretary has also instructed that officers should complete these courses within a period of three months.

The departments have been advised to designate a nodal officer in respect of their department to oversee the implementation, facilitate enrolment, and ensure timely compliance.

“Consolidated reports indicating the number of officers who have completed such courses are to be submitted to the office of the chief secretary within the stipulated period,” the letter said.