Uttarakhand's UK-GAMS wins Prime Minister's excellence award for innovation in public administration

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed pride over the Uttarakhand Government Asset Management System (UK-GAMS) receiving the Prime Minister's Excellence Award on Wednesday, calling it a significant achievement for all Uttarakhandis.

In a statement, Dhami highlighted that the award recognized the transparent and accountable administration of the state government and demonstrated how technology and innovation can enhance governance and public welfare.

“Our goal is to make this model more powerful and implement it in other areas so that Uttarakhand becomes a leading state of digital, transparent, and accountable governance. This award inspires us to work harder,” Dhami said.

UK-GAMS, an innovative initiative launched by the Uttarakhand government, has been honored with the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 under the "Innovation - State category." This marks the first time Uttarakhand has received a national-level award in innovation. The project was conceived and developed under the leadership of Chief Minister Dhami, according to the statement.

The initiative addresses the challenges of land encroachment, lack of transparency, and accountability through advanced technology. UK-GAMS is an AI-based geospatial monitoring system that digitizes and geo-fences government assets, monitoring them effectively using high-quality satellite data and an in-house AI model.

Previously, unorganized records, paper maps, and communication gaps between departments made it difficult to detect land misuse or encroachment in time. UK-GAMS has transformed this situation by integrating various departments into a dynamic digital platform.

So far, over 66,000 government assets across all 13 districts of Uttarakhand have been digitized and added to the UK-GAMS platform. Additionally, 188 land use changes have been identified, prompting the relevant departments to take appropriate action. This has enhanced transparency, halted unauthorized constructions, and accelerated administrative action across departments.

The award is also a testament to the dedication of the Uttarakhand Space Applications Centre (USAC) team of scientists, whose contributions have been key in implementing this project. Under the leadership of Nitika Khandelwal, Director of USAC, the project was successfully conceptualized, developed, and executed. Khandelwal was also presented with a certificate of appreciation by the Secretary of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for her exemplary work.

The successful implementation of UK-GAMS also involved training more than 6,600 field officers and 1,000 departmental supervisors from over 60 state departments and 47 autonomous bodies. This ground-level implementation model has been integral to the system's success.

This national recognition not only brings pride to Uttarakhand but also serves as a model for other states and sectors to follow, reinforcing the role of AI and satellite technology in securing public assets, enhancing transparency, and fostering active governance. UK-GAMS has the potential to be a benchmark for digital governance across India.