Syllabus: GS-III & V– Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Internal Security

Why in the News?

Assam is expanding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in governance, public services and administration. 

More About the News

• Reports have identified hundreds of potential AI projects across State government departments, while the Assam State Data Policy 2026 aims to strengthen data-based governance.
• However, this digital transformation also raises important questions about data privacy, community rights, algorithmic bias, internet access and accountability. 
  • These concerns are particularly significant in the Northeast, where diverse communities, customary institutions, remote settlements and security-related challenges shape people’s relationship with technology.
• The central issue is not whether Assam should adopt AI, but how it can ensure that technology serves people without weakening their rights.

Understanding Artificial Intelligence and Why It Matters

Artificial Intelligence refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that generally require human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognising images, identifying patterns and supporting decision-making. AI can make government services faster and more accessible. For example:

• An Assamese-language AI assistant could help citizens understand land records, government schemes and application procedures.
• AI-based agricultural tools could provide farmers with information on weather, crop diseases and suitable farming practices.
• Data analysis could help government departments identify gaps in healthcare, education and welfare delivery.
• Language technologies could make public information more accessible to people who are not comfortable using English.

However, AI systems depend on the quality of the data used to train and operate them. If the data are incomplete, inaccurate or unrepresentative, the system may produce misleading or discriminatory results.

Technology can improve administration, but it cannot replace human responsibility.

Assam’s Emerging AI Ecosystem

• Assam has an opportunity to use AI to improve governance and strengthen its digital economy. According to the reports:
  • The State’s AI inventory identified 343 potential project ideas across more than 50 government departments.
  • The State Cabinet approved the Assam State Data Policy 2026, which envisages a statewide data repository to support data analytics and AI-based applications.
• These initiatives could help departments use information more systematically, reduce delays and improve public service delivery.
  • For example, an AI-based land-record assistant could explain ownership records and application procedures in Assamese. 
  • However, if the system provides incorrect information, citizens must have access to an official who can verify and correct it.

This makes accountability and human oversight essential parts of Assam’s AI strategy.

Data Protection and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

As government departments collect more information about citizens, protecting personal data becomes essential.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 establishes a legal framework for processing digital personal data while recognising individuals’ right to protect their personal information and the need to use such information for lawful purposes.

Its important provisions include:

• Data Principal: The individual to whom personal data relates.
• Data Fiduciary: An organisation or person that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data.
• Consent: Individuals must generally be informed about how their personal data will be used and provide consent, subject to the Act’s provisions and recognised legitimate uses.
• Rights of individuals: The Act provides rights relating to access to information about personal data, correction, erasure, grievance redressal and nomination.
• Data Protection Board of India: It is the statutory body responsible for examining non-compliance and imposing penalties under the Act.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 provide the implementation framework. Their provisions are being brought into force in phases. The recruitment process for the Board’s Chairperson and members had been initiated in 2026, but its operational readiness remained a concern in reporting available by August 2026.

 

Why does this matter for Assam? A digital system may collect information about land ownership, health, education, identity and welfare benefits.  If such information is leaked, misused or accessed without adequate safeguards, it can affect people’s privacy, dignity and access to essential services. There is also a limitation worth understanding: the Data Protection Act primarily addresses digital personal data relating to individuals. It does not, by itself, provide a complete framework for protecting collective community knowledge, customary practices or shared cultural information.

 

Community Data: Why the Northeast Needs a Different Approach

• The Northeast has social and institutional realities that require special attention in digital governance.
• Many communities have customary systems governing land, forests, natural resources and traditional knowledge. 
• Information about these matters may be collectively held and cannot always be understood as the personal property of one individual.

For example, a database containing information about a community’s land use, language, health patterns or traditional practices may reveal sensitive information about the entire community, even after individual names have been removed.

This raises an important question: Who should have a say when government or private organisations collect and use information about a community?

Relevant Constitutional Protections 

1. Sixth Schedule of the Constitution

• The Sixth Schedule provides for Autonomous District Councils and Regional Councils in specified tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
• These councils have legislative, administrative and other powers over specified subjects, including certain aspects of land, forests, customary practices and local governance.
• Their institutional role should be considered when digital projects affect community land records, customary institutions and local resources within their areas.

1. Article 371A

• Article 371A provides special constitutional protection to Nagaland.
• Parliamentary laws relating to Naga religious or social practices, customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, and ownership and transfer of land and its resources do not apply to Nagaland unless the State Legislative Assembly so decides.
• This protection is particularly relevant when digital systems deal with customary land ownership and traditional institutions.

Therefore, digital governance in the Northeast must recognise both individual privacy and community interests.

Internet Shutdowns and Digital Exclusion

• A major weakness of digital-first governance is that it assumes everyone has reliable internet access.
• This assumption does not always hold true in remote parts of Assam and the Northeast, including hill settlements and riverine char areas.
• During floods, natural disasters or law-and-order disruptions, connectivity may become unreliable. People may then struggle to access welfare services, educational resources, healthcare information and grievance-redressal platforms.
• The experience of Manipur in 2023 illustrates the seriousness of this issue. The State witnessed prolonged mobile internet restrictions during the ethnic violence, with the shutdown extending across several months.

The legal framework governing such restrictions has also evolved.

Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020)

In this landmark judgment, the Supreme Court recognised that freedom of speech and expression and the freedom to practise a profession or carry on trade through the internet receive constitutional protection under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g).

The Court also emphasised that:

• Internet suspension orders must be published so that affected people can challenge them.
• Restrictions must satisfy the test of proportionality.
• Indefinite internet shutdowns are impermissible.
• Orders are subject to judicial review. <Cite refs={[“turn958902search0″,”turn958902search10”]}/>

Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024

These rules were notified under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, replacing the earlier 2017 rules.

They provide important safeguards:

• Suspension orders must be issued by the competent authority with reasons recorded in writing.
• Orders must be published and specify the affected geographical area, type of service and duration.
• A suspension cannot exceed 15 days under a single order.
• Orders must be forwarded to the review committee within 24 hours.
• Authorities must consider whether the objective can be achieved through other reasonable means.

These safeguards are important because internet access is no longer merely a convenience. It has become essential for education, communication, economic activity and access to public services.

Content Removal and the Challenge of Digital Freedom

• The rapid spread of misinformation, deepfakes and inflammatory content can create serious problems in a sensitive region.
  • However, excessive or poorly examined content removal can also affect legitimate journalism, public-interest reporting and the documentation of human rights violations.
• In February 2026, amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 introduced a three-hour deadline for intermediaries to remove unlawful content following qualifying government directions or court orders. 
  • The amendments also strengthened requirements relating to synthetically generated information, including certain AI-generated and deepfake content. 
• The challenge is to balance two important objectives:
  • Harmful content that threatens public safety should be addressed promptly.
  • Genuine reporting, evidence of abuse and legitimate public discussion should not be suppressed without proper examination.

This requires transparent orders, clear legal grounds and effective remedies against wrongful content removal.

National Register of Citizens

• • Assam’s experience with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) demonstrates why technology-driven administrative exercises require strong technical safeguards.
    • The final NRC list was published on 31 August 2019, excluding approximately 19.06 lakh applicants.
    • The exercise involved extensive digitisation, data collection, document verification and software-based processing. 
    • Given its serious consequences for individuals and families, accuracy and accountability were essential.
  • A report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, tabled in the Assam Legislative Assembly in December 2022, identified shortcomings in the software development and management process.
  • Important observations included:
    • Around 215 software utilities were added to the core software in a haphazard manner.
    • Weaknesses in software development and data correction created a risk of data alteration without an adequate audit trail.
    • The project cost increased from approximately ₹288.18 crore to ₹1,602.66 crore, largely due to delays and changes in scope. 
  • The broader lesson is that a digital system handling sensitive personal information must have secure software, proper documentation, independent audits and clear responsibility for errors.

• A technologically advanced system is not necessarily a reliable system. Its credibility depends on how accurately and fairly it serves people.

Artificial Intelligence in Policing

• • Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being explored for law enforcement and internal security.

  • Its possible applications include:
    • Analysing large volumes of information to identify patterns linked to organised crime.
    • Supporting the identification of missing persons.
    • Analysing digital evidence and helping investigators organise information.
    • Identifying unusual patterns in security-related data.
  • The use of AI in policing, however, raised serious questions about privacy, accuracy and the possibility of discrimination.
  • Facial Recognition Technology is one such example: It compares a person’s facial image with images stored in a database to identify or verify identity.
  • A 2019 study by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology found that many facial recognition algorithms showed demographic differences in their false-match rates. 
  • Some algorithms produced higher false-positive rates for Asian and African American faces than for Caucasian faces. 
    • These findings do not establish the accuracy of every system used in India, but they demonstrate why independent testing is necessary. 
  • For Assam and the Northeast, this issue deserves attention because of the region’s considerable ethnic, linguistic and physical diversity.
  • A false match could result in an innocent person being questioned, investigated or wrongly associated with a security threat.
  • The concern becomes particularly serious in areas where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, applies.
  • The Act provides special powers to armed forces in areas declared disturbed under its provisions. Any use of algorithmic alerts in such security-sensitive settings must therefore be subject to strict human verification and lawful procedures.

• An AI-generated alert must never automatically become proof of wrongdoing.

Important Legal and Policy Frameworks for AI Governance

India has begun developing a broader institutional framework for responsible AI adoption.

Framework	Importance
Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023	Establishes safeguards for processing digital personal data and recognises individual data rights.
Information Technology Act, 2000	Provides the broader legal framework for electronic records, cyber offences and intermediary-related provisions.
Information Technology Rules, 2021, as amended	Regulate intermediary due diligence and address unlawful and harmful online content, including specified AI-generated content.
Telecommunications Act, 2023	Provides the statutory framework for telecommunications services and powers relating to temporary suspension.
India AI Governance Guidelines, 2025	Promote safe, inclusive, responsible and trustworthy AI adoption.
IndiaAI Mission	Supports AI infrastructure, innovation, datasets, skills development and responsible AI applications.

The India AI Governance Guidelines, released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in November 2025, provide a principle-based approach to AI governance. They emphasise responsible innovation, transparency, accountability, safety and inclusion. 

These frameworks are relevant to Assam because State-level AI projects must operate within national laws while addressing local social and administrative realities.

Major Challenges in Assam and the Northeast

Despite the opportunities, several challenges need to be addressed before AI can become a genuinely inclusive tool of governance.

• Digital divide: Remote villages, hill districts and riverine settlements may not have reliable internet connectivity or adequate digital infrastructure.
• Data quality: Incomplete, outdated or poorly collected data can lead to inaccurate AI-generated decisions.
• Language barriers: AI systems may perform poorly in Assamese and other regional and tribal languages if suitable training data are unavailable.
• Community rights: Data collection may affect customary land ownership, traditional knowledge and community-held resources.
• Algorithmic discrimination: Facial recognition and automated decision-making may produce unequal outcomes for different social and ethnic groups.
• Weak accountability: Citizens may not know which department or official is responsible when an automated system makes a mistake.
• Cybersecurity risks: Large government databases can become targets for data theft, cyberattacks and unauthorised access.

These challenges show that AI adoption must be accompanied by institutional capacity, legal safeguards and public awareness.

Way Forward: Building a People-Centred AI Ecosystem in Assam

Assam should pursue an AI strategy that combines innovation with constitutional values, social inclusion and public accountability.

1. Establish Strong Data Governance

• The proposed statewide data repository under the Assam State Data Policy 2026 should follow clear standards for data collection, storage, sharing and access.
• Sensitive personal information should be protected through appropriate security measures, access controls and audit mechanisms.
• Government departments should clearly identify who is responsible for the accuracy and lawful use of data.

2. Give Communities a Meaningful Voice

• Autonomous District Councils should be consulted when AI projects involve community land, customary institutions and traditional knowledge within their areas.
• Community consultation and suitable consent mechanisms should be developed for projects involving sensitive collective information.
• Local communities should have access to information about how their data are collected and used.

3. Introduce AI Impact Assessments

• AI systems used in welfare delivery, policing, healthcare and land administration should undergo impact assessments before deployment.
• Assessments should examine accuracy, privacy risks, possible discrimination and the consequences of incorrect decisions.
• Important findings and known limitations should be made accessible to the public, subject to legitimate security and privacy restrictions.

4. Ensure Human Oversight and Grievance Redressal

• No person should lose access to essential welfare benefits solely because an automated system fails to recognise or verify them.
• Every important automated decision should have a mechanism for human review.
• Citizens should be able to challenge incorrect decisions and receive timely remedies.

5. Strengthen Regional Cooperation

• The North Eastern Council could facilitate cooperation among the eight Northeastern States on AI skills, digital infrastructure, data standards and responsible technology.
• Universities, law institutions and research centres in the region should develop expertise in AI law, digital rights and algorithmic accountability.
• Regional research should focus on local languages, geographical conditions and the needs of different communities.

6. Improve Digital Accessibility

• Government services should continue to provide offline and assisted alternatives for people without reliable internet access.
• Digital literacy programmes should be expanded in rural and tribal areas.
• Public information should be available in Assamese and other relevant regional languages.

Exam Hook: Key Takeaway

Artificial Intelligence offers Assam opportunities to improve public services, agriculture, healthcare, education and administration. However, its success must be measured not merely by the number of projects introduced, but by whether it protects privacy, constitutional rights, community interests and equal access to public services.

Mains Question: How can Assam promote Artificial Intelligence in governance while safeguarding data privacy, community rights and individual freedoms?

One-line Wrap: Assam’s digital future must be technologically advanced, but above all, it must remain transparent, accountable and human-centred.