Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday said that 2025 marked a significant phase in governance reforms, with a strong emphasis on improving ease of living for citizens and creating a more enabling, work-friendly environment for government employees.

Addressing a year-end press conference, the Minister reviewed the achievements of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, covering the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), and the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW).

Dr Singh said the reforms undertaken during the year were guided by the principle of “minimum government, maximum governance”, focusing on simplification of procedures, reduction of pendency and extensive use of technology to make governance more responsive and citizen-centric. He noted that governance outcomes in 2025 reflected a maturing reform ecosystem where digital tools, institutional innovation and human-centric approaches converged to deliver tangible improvements in public service delivery.

Highlighting capacity building as a key pillar, the Minister said Mission Karmayogi continued to expand rapidly. The iGOT-Karmayogi platform crossed 1.45 crore registered government employees and now offers over 4,155 e-learning courses in 23 languages, with 28 States and Union Territories onboarded. New initiatives introduced during the year included the iGOT Marketplace, specialisation programmes in seven thematic areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and public policy, and AI-enabled tools like AI Sarthi, AI Tutor and the Capacity Building Planning tool to support role-based skilling.

On transparency and citizen-centric reforms, Dr Singh said the RTI Online Portal was expanded to cover 2,899 public authorities with enhanced security features. He also highlighted improvements in service-related grievance redressal through the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which achieved a disposal rate of 92.94 per cent by September 2025. The performance was supported by digital case management systems, upgraded infrastructure in Lucknow and Guwahati, and wider regional outreach through circuit sittings.

Referring to grievance redressal reforms, the Minister said the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) remained a key citizen engagement platform. During 2025, over 20 lakh public grievances were disposed of, with an average resolution time of 15 days in Central Ministries and Departments. More than 10 lakh citizen feedback responses were received, alongside the introduction of new monitoring mechanisms, training modules and national workshops. He also mentioned the observance of Good Governance Week and the Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore campaign, aimed at taking administration closer to citizens across States and districts.

Dr Singh said Special Campaign 5.0, implemented across 84 Ministries and Departments, focused on institutionalising cleanliness and reducing pendency. The campaign covered 11.6 lakh cleanliness sites, resulted in the weeding out or closure of 29.52 lakh files, freed 233.75 lakh square feet of office space and generated Rs 833.92 crore through scrap disposal, contributing to improved efficiency and workplace practices in government offices.

Earlier, DoPT Secretary Rachna Shah outlined the Ministry’s priorities, stating that all reforms during the year were anchored in transparency, efficiency and citizen-centricity.

The press conference was attended by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Additional Secretary, DoPT; Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG; and Dhrubajyoti Sengupta, Joint Secretary, DoPPW, reflecting coordinated efforts across the three departments under the Ministry.

Dec 31: Braving sub-zero temperatures, the Army and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police have intensified their vigil in the high altitude areas of Chenab valley district to counter any attempt by terrorists to disrupt New Year celebrations, officials said on Wednesday.

A massive counter-terrorist operation has been underway since last week in the upper reaches of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts of Chenab valley, including the snow-bound areas and adjoining Udhampur, Reasi and Kathua districts, besides Rajouri and Poonch districts.

According to intelligence assessments, around 30 to 35 Pakistani terrorists are currently active in the forests of the Jammu region, and the operation to flush them out intensified after the recent snowfall in the higher reaches. The security forces are expecting the terrorists to shift to lower areas close to human habitat before the complete closure of the mountain passes.

“Intelligence inputs suggested terrorist groups active in Doda, Kishtwar and parts of Udhampur district bordering Bhaderwah since the last two years could attempt to disrupt New Year celebrations by exploiting dense fog, extreme cold and difficult terrain,” a police officer said.

He said the anti-terrorist operations are focused on the higher, middle and upper mountainous areas where the terrorists are believed to be hiding away from the populated areas.

The intensified operations by troops of the Rashtriya Rifles and the SOG have also extended to Bhalessa bordering the Chamba district of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, officials said.

BJP leader and Bhaderwah MLA Daleep Singh Parihar lauded the forces for the ongoing operations and said this is a testament to the continuous sacrifices made by the armed forces to safeguard the nation and the people of the country.

“We salute the security personnel who spend holidays away from their families to protect not only the national borders but also the scattered population residing in the vast mountains vulnerable to terrorist attacks,” he said.

Hailing from Bhalessa, Parihar said the Army is present everywhere in the hills to counter the terror threats.

“If we are living in a peaceful atmosphere here and celebrating New Year like elsewhere in the world, it is only because we have faith that the Army is here to protect us,” Parihar said.

Commending the personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles and the SOG for maintaining tight vigil despite testing circumstances like harsh winters and treacherous hilly terrain, the local residents of Bhallesa said they have complete faith in the Army.

“When the entire world is preparing to welcome 2026, our brave Indian Army and J&K Police in Doda and Kishtwar districts are spending these harsh winter days in relentless anti-terror operations in the dense forests and tough mountainous terrain,” Firdous Khanday, a local from Gandoh Bhalessa, said.

Despite sub-zero temperatures and severe weather challenges, and difficult terrain, he said the forces remain fully committed to neutralising the threats posed by terrorists and maintaining peace in the region.

“Their resolve to counter terrorists stands as a symbol of courage. We live in safety only because of the unmatched dedication and bravery of our forces,” Khanday said. (Agencies)