Governance Reform Initiative

Under the leadership of Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Chief Secretary Biswanath Sinha, the Government of Kerala announced a 30‑day intensive reform programme in July 2026 aimed at fully modernising the state’s administrative machinery.

Institutional Set‑up

  • The Co‑ordination & Programme Management Division (CPMD) was created within the Chief Secretary’s Office to provide direct support to the Chief Minister’s Office and to ensure time‑bound implementation of priority projects and budget announcements.
  • The Business Policy and Process Re‑engineering Cell (BPPR Cell), reporting through the Chief Secretary, was tasked with a complete overhaul of the Secretariat Office Manual and the Rules of Business, incorporating AI‑assisted tools and global best practices.

Key Orders and Initiatives

  • Deregulation and Ease of Living: A major order directs a systematic review and repeal of outdated Acts and Rules that no longer serve a purpose, aligning Kerala with the National Compliance Reduction and Deregulation initiative.
  • ‘Once‑Only’ Data‑Sharing: The state adopted the ‘once‑only’ principle by integrating DigiLocker‑based document management, eliminating the need for citizens to submit the same documents repeatedly.
  • Spatial Governance Platforms:
  • SAMPATH Portal: A unified GIS‑based digital register for all state‑owned assets (land, buildings, machinery) that uses AI analytics to predict maintenance needs.
  • PLANSPACE 2.0: A project‑register module that maps every development project, automatically transfers completed projects to the State Public Asset Register, and prevents duplication, in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
  • VEGAM Framework: A high‑speed land‑acquisition system that reduces pre‑notification stages from the previous 18‑24 months to 3‑4 months through technology‑enabled workflows.
  • Institutional Registry and Litigation Reform: An all‑encompassing registry of government organisations—including PSUs, statutory bodies and autonomous institutions—will be created to provide reliable data for policy formulation and HR planning. Concurrently, a technology‑enabled litigation‑reduction framework will identify and amend legal provisions that cause repetitive government litigation.

Expected Impact

The suite of orders is presented as a commitment to an efficient, transparent, and investment‑friendly Kerala, with the reforms expected to accelerate service delivery, improve transparency, and reduce administrative and legal bottlenecks.