NEW DELHI: While the national capital hosts conversations on AI and digital transformation, the online presence of the Government of NCT of Delhi remains unimpressive.
Despite the fact that ministers of the Delhi government have been pushing for increased AI use, several official government websites meant to serve millions of residents remain outdated, dysfunctional or completely inaccessible.
A circular issued on January 30 sought to address precisely this issue. The Delhi government introduced an online mechanism to streamline the submission of monthly compliance certificates for updating departmental websites. The move replaced the earlier email-based system, which had often resulted in delays.
Under the fresh setup, nodal officers must log into their departmental portals between the 1st and 15th of each month, upload signed compliance certificates, and ensure timely updates. Non-compliance, the circular warned, would be reported to the IT minister, reflecting what appeared to be a renewed commitment to transparency and efficiency. However, a closer look at several departmental websites reveals a stark gap between policy intent and on-ground execution.
The last notification on the Delhi Jal Board website dates back to October 14 of last year. The education department portal, Directorate of Education Delhi (edudel.nic.in), has been non-functional for nearly two months, with no public clarification from the government. Teachers and principals say they remain unaware of the reasons behind the outage.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority website shows its last notification update in 2024. Several department portals redirect users to a central circulars page, but that too shows its most recent upload dated January 6 of last year.
Several other department sites also appear inactive. The Delhi Labour Welfare Board website has no content. The Delhi Minorities Commission last posted updates in 2023. The Delhi Archaeology Department and the Department of Tourism portals display “no content available” messages. Websites of bodies like the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Delhi Commission for Women, and the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation are either outdated or partially dysfunctional.
The websites of the Delhi Transport Corporation, Department of Food Supplies and Department of Health Services are among the few that are updated more frequently. The broader ecosystem seems to struggle with digital maintenance.
Notably, the only consistent update across many of these websites appears to be the replacement of the Chief Minister’s and respective ministers’ photographs.
Last year, in an attempt to strengthen its digital outreach, the Delhi government had even directed departments to get their official social media handles verified and appoint nodal officers to manage online communication. While significant funds were reportedly being allocated to secure blue ticks for more than 100 departments, many of these verified accounts remain largely dormant.