‘Start work at 9.30 am, make websites user-friendly’: Admin reforms commission’s suggestions to Gujarat govt

The first report was presented in February following which the commission got 2,150 responses and suggestions from government officials and the public.

Sources in the Gujarat government said the commission, which is expected to be in force for 22 months, might submit “one report per month to ensure implementation”.

In the latest report, the commission has recommended that all government offices except educational institutions begin at 9.30 am and close at 5.10 pm, instead of the current 10.30 am to 6.10 pm, to “reduce commute stress, align with public schedules and boost productivity and focus”.
Current office timings of Gujarat government align with states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and West Bengal (10.15 am), as per the report, while rest of the states begin their workdays early.

Government websites

The GARC has recommended improving the quality, accessibility and security of government websites and mobile applications, ensuring that all the websites are evaluated by August 2025 to align with Guidelines for Indian Government Websites and Apps (GIGW 3.0). It has also suggested protocols rooted in the Kaizen philosophy to get rid of clutter like old furniture and aged office vehicles.

The report cites studies by the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA), which indicate a rise in e-services “from 872 in 2019 to 1400 in 2021 (a 60% increase), with citizen satisfaction at 74%”.

The GARC notes how states like Karnataka (Seva Sindhu, 2,089 services), Jammu & Kashmir (e-UNNAT, 1,164 services), Kerala (e-Sevanam, 938 services), Assam (Sewa Setu, 731 services) and Odisha (Odisha One, 404 services) were among the states providing 100% of their services through a Single Unified Service Delivery Portals.

The commission notes that while Gujarat already has more than 894 services online (as of February, 2025), “it needs to leap forward in enhancing user experience by improving interoperability, streamlining process, incorporating user-centric design and bridging the digital divide”.

According to the report, “There are issues of people not being able to fetch the correct, relevant information, websites not being up to date, broken links on the websites, expired security certifications leading to blocking of websites by firewalls, etc. It is also a concern that the government websites become a mere repository of PDF documents, making them non-searchable and non-navigable”. The commission suggests the need to revamp all websites, especially the ones that use the gujarat.gov.in domain with “a simplified and standard procedure for designing, hosting and maintaining government websites”.

Commending the Gujarat government’s “Mari Yojna” portal, the GARC notes how it aligns with the principles of Single Sign-On (SSO) and recommends eliminating the need for citizens to repeatedly enter the same demographic and identity information to access different services.

It also insists on a QR-based technology enabled system to verify the authenticity of official certificates, licences, approvals and other documents issued by the government. The GARC has recommended forming a taskforce for conducting a Government Process Re-engineering (GPR) of public services like birth & death certificates, driver’s licence, vehicle registration, domicile certificate, income certificate, ration card, caste certificates, and getting utilities like electricity and water connection.

The commission cites the example of Uttar Pradesh government’s “Nivesh Mitra” portal as an SSO, which acts as a central platform for businesses to apply for various clearances and approvals, reducing the need to interact with multiple government departments separately, and compares it to Gujarat government’s inDEXTB (Industrial Extension Bureau), which is also a centralised platform for business related services.

The commission suggests expanding the existing SWAGAT (State-Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology), the public grievance redressal mechanism launched in 2003 by the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, where citizens can register their grievances through email, WhatsApp and phone calls, “making it more comprehensive and citizen-centric”.

Given the frequent transfers in government jobs, the GARC has recommended a ‘Knowledge Transfer Protocol’ mandating all employees who are being transferred or retiring to submit a ‘Knowledge Transfer Document’ to their successors. It has directed every department, commissionerate, directorate, urban local bodies and field offices to develop a “Know Your Department/Office” module within six months.

Social media strategy

Citing an August 2023 report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which reflected 5.18 crore internet users in Gujarat (1.67 crore users reside in rural areas), the GARC has recommended an effective social media strategy for the state government.

“The government should aim to create a young, agile, and enthusiastic social media team under the initiative of the Connect Gujar@t Initiative. Such teams are required in all the departments to ensure a cohesive social media ecosystem and a uniform social media strategy for the government”, the report states, adding that these teams work in coordination with the Chief Minister’s Office and the Information Department.

The other GARC members are Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, and Member Secretary Hareet Shukla, who were also present with Dr Adhia to submit the report.