News & Announcement
Towards Smarter Governance: Hands-on AI Training Concludes at Rurban
Soreng, 11 June (IPR): The second day of the two-day training programme on “Artificial Intelligence for Governance: Sikkim’s Digital Future” held at Rurban Complex, Soreng BAC concluded today. Building upon the conceptual sessions of the first day, the programme focused on, hands-on engagement with AI tools and their potential to enhance administrative efficiency and public service delivery.
Resource Person Mr Sunny Kharel, Staff Officer to the Chief Secretary, conducted a series of interactive sessions and live demonstrations, enabling participants to explore the use of AI for drafting official communications, summarising documents, preparing reports and presentations, analysing data, creating websites and chatbots, and streamlining routine office functions. Special emphasis was laid on Prompt Engineering, demonstrating how well-crafted prompts can significantly improve the quality, accuracy, and relevance of AI-generated outputs.
A major highlight of the day was the demonstration of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), an advanced AI framework that combines language models with real-time information retrieval to deliver more reliable, context-aware, and factually grounded responses besides also discussing and demonstrating System Prompts. Participants were also familiarised with the practical aspects of AI deployment, including API key generation and integration, through live demonstrations using the Groq platform, illustrating how AI models can be securely accessed and deployed for real-world applications.
The session further showcased the capabilities of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, demonstrating how printed and scanned documents can be converted into editable and searchable digital formats. The practical applications of OCR in digitising records, strengthening document management, and advancing paperless governance were highlighted as key enablers of administrative efficiency.
The training also highlighted India’s Digital Transformation Journey, tracing the growth of digital public infrastructure and its role in building a more transparent, accessible, and technology-driven governance ecosystem. Participants were familiarised with the IndiaAI Mission, its vision, core pillars, and emerging use cases across governance, healthcare, education, agriculture, and disaster management, underscoring AI’s potential to drive innovation and citizen-centric service delivery.
The programme further covered the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, highlighting the rights of individuals, the responsibilities of data fiduciaries, and the safeguards and penalties that underpin the ethical and secure use of personal data in an AI-driven governance ecosystem.
Mr Kharel also highlighted the concept of Sovereign AI, emphasising the strategic importance of developing indigenous AI capabilities and digital infrastructure. Referring to Sarvam AI as an example of India’s growing technological self-reliance, he noted that Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging as a strategic national asset, driving innovation and strengthening governance worldwide.
In his concluding remarks, District Magistrate, Mr Dhiraj Subedi, thanked the Resource Person, Mr Sunny Kharel, for his time, effort, and valuable contribution in conducting the two-day training programme. He expressed confidence that the participants had taken away practical knowledge and skills that would help make their day-to-day workflow more efficient and effective. He further stated that, should the need arise, similar advanced and certification-based training programmes could be organised in the future to further strengthen digital capacity within the administration.
The programme concluded with active interaction and practical exercises, encouraging participants to view Artificial Intelligence not merely as a technological innovation but as a practical tool for improving governance, enhancing productivity, and supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Present in the meeting were ADC Mr DR Bista, SDM Soreng Ms Sakchum Lepcha, Additional Director (AH&VS) Dr Kishore Thapa , DE (R&B) Mr Nayan Baraily, CAO (LR&DM) Mr Bishnu Sharma, Senior AO (LR&DM) Mr Bishnu Sharma, DPO(Zilla) Mr Kumar Subba along with officers and officials from other line departments and students of Chakung Science College.
Resource Person Mr Sunny Kharel, Staff Officer to the Chief Secretary, conducted a series of interactive sessions and live demonstrations, enabling participants to explore the use of AI for drafting official communications, summarising documents, preparing reports and presentations, analysing data, creating websites and chatbots, and streamlining routine office functions. Special emphasis was laid on Prompt Engineering, demonstrating how well-crafted prompts can significantly improve the quality, accuracy, and relevance of AI-generated outputs.
A major highlight of the day was the demonstration of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), an advanced AI framework that combines language models with real-time information retrieval to deliver more reliable, context-aware, and factually grounded responses besides also discussing and demonstrating System Prompts. Participants were also familiarised with the practical aspects of AI deployment, including API key generation and integration, through live demonstrations using the Groq platform, illustrating how AI models can be securely accessed and deployed for real-world applications.
The session further showcased the capabilities of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, demonstrating how printed and scanned documents can be converted into editable and searchable digital formats. The practical applications of OCR in digitising records, strengthening document management, and advancing paperless governance were highlighted as key enablers of administrative efficiency.
The training also highlighted India’s Digital Transformation Journey, tracing the growth of digital public infrastructure and its role in building a more transparent, accessible, and technology-driven governance ecosystem. Participants were familiarised with the IndiaAI Mission, its vision, core pillars, and emerging use cases across governance, healthcare, education, agriculture, and disaster management, underscoring AI’s potential to drive innovation and citizen-centric service delivery.
The programme further covered the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, highlighting the rights of individuals, the responsibilities of data fiduciaries, and the safeguards and penalties that underpin the ethical and secure use of personal data in an AI-driven governance ecosystem.
Mr Kharel also highlighted the concept of Sovereign AI, emphasising the strategic importance of developing indigenous AI capabilities and digital infrastructure. Referring to Sarvam AI as an example of India’s growing technological self-reliance, he noted that Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging as a strategic national asset, driving innovation and strengthening governance worldwide.
In his concluding remarks, District Magistrate, Mr Dhiraj Subedi, thanked the Resource Person, Mr Sunny Kharel, for his time, effort, and valuable contribution in conducting the two-day training programme. He expressed confidence that the participants had taken away practical knowledge and skills that would help make their day-to-day workflow more efficient and effective. He further stated that, should the need arise, similar advanced and certification-based training programmes could be organised in the future to further strengthen digital capacity within the administration.
The programme concluded with active interaction and practical exercises, encouraging participants to view Artificial Intelligence not merely as a technological innovation but as a practical tool for improving governance, enhancing productivity, and supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Present in the meeting were ADC Mr DR Bista, SDM Soreng Ms Sakchum Lepcha, Additional Director (AH&VS) Dr Kishore Thapa , DE (R&B) Mr Nayan Baraily, CAO (LR&DM) Mr Bishnu Sharma, Senior AO (LR&DM) Mr Bishnu Sharma, DPO(Zilla) Mr Kumar Subba along with officers and officials from other line departments and students of Chakung Science College.
