Grievance redressal ought to be a tool for systemic reform and ease of living: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday emphasized a paradigm shift in India’s approach to handling public grievances. Speaking at the National Workshop on “Effective Redressal of Public Grievances, NextGen CPGRAMS and Progress Review,” he underscored that grievance redressal must move beyond mere case disposal to focus on measurable citizen satisfaction.

“Redressing a grievance should not be an end in itself,” Dr. Singh stated. “Rather, it should serve as a catalyst for systemic reform, enhancing trust and ease of living for the common citizen.”

From Passive to Participatory Grievance Redressal

Dr. Singh recounted the dramatic evolution of public grievance mechanisms in India since 2014. At the time, just 2 lakh complaints were recorded annually, and many dedicated government websites saw minimal use. Fast forward to 2025, and the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) receives over 26 lakh complaints annually—a thirteenfold increase.

This growth, the Minister argued, represents not just volume but trust. “People now believe that the government is listening,” he said, attributing this change to the Centre’s digital governance push under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Maximum Governance, Minimum Government” mantra.

CPGRAMS 7.0: Data-Driven, Human-Centered

The workshop served as a platform to highlight the achievements and future roadmap for CPGRAMS. V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), shared that the redressal time has dropped to 15 days on average and that citizen satisfaction levels have touched 62%. From 2019 to 2025, more than 1.15 crore grievances were resolved.

CPGRAMS 7.0 is now integrated across all Central Ministries, State Governments, and 23 Administrative Training Institutes. The platform has also garnered recognition from international institutions like the Commonwealth Secretariat and IBM Centre for Excellence.

Innovations for Deeper Impact

Dr. Singh announced several key innovations introduced to enhance effectiveness:

• Human interface post-disposal: Trained officers now call complainants after resolution to assess satisfaction and identify further pain points.

• Random satisfaction calls: Senior officials, including Dr. Singh himself, make impromptu calls to evaluate how citizens perceive their grievance resolution experiences.

• Policy feedback loop: Patterns in complaints are now used to reform outdated or ineffective policies. Over 1,600 obsolete rules have already been eliminated.

• International cooperation: Countries such as Bangladesh, Maldives, and South Africa are studying India’s grievance redressal model to adapt similar frameworks back home.

“We are not just solving individual issues,” said Dr. Singh. “We are trying to prevent recurrence by addressing the root causes through regulatory and administrative reform.”

Governance as a Conduit for Citizen Happiness

Echoing a deeper philosophical vision, Dr. Singh said governance should empower citizens to seek happiness without infringing on the rights or dignity of others. “You don’t need to define happiness, but you must ensure it is achievable through responsive and fair governance.”

He stressed that grievance redressal systems should evolve into tools for both performance assessment and participatory democracy. “Each grievance is a story, a voice, a need—for justice, clarity, or improvement. We must listen carefully and respond thoughtfully,” he added.

Workshop Participation and Broader Engagement

Held at the Indian Institute of Public Administration’s T.N. Chaturvedi Hall, the workshop convened a broad spectrum of administrative leaders—Chief Secretaries, Secretaries of Central Ministries, Directors of Administrative Training Institutes, and grievance officers from across the country.

Distinguished attendees included Shri K. Padmanabhaiah, Chairman of ASCI; Professor Avanish Kumar, Dean of the School of Public Policy & Governance; and other senior experts. The event was organized by the DARPG, which has been at the forefront of India’s citizen-first governance innovations.

Dr. Singh concluded by calling for more frequent, tech-enabled engagements to review progress. “An annual event is not enough. With today’s digital infrastructure, we must come together more often to learn, adapt, and innovate in real-time.”