One Stamp, Fewer Trips

Having to visit a government office even after obtaining a certificate online was a weakness in digital governance. However, under the latest directive from the General Administration Department (GAD), a system will be developed to display the authorised round seal on e-certificates and other digitally issued documents, in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and instructions. The complete details of the office of the competent authority that approves the certificate will also be displayed.

The move aims to spare citizens the unnecessary trips and delays involved in getting an official stamp after receiving their certificates online. However, the real test lies in implementation. Experience has shown that while government decisions are announced, their execution does not always happen with the same speed. Applicants who have endured repeated visits to government offices often complain that even the simplest tasks can turn into lengthy bureaucratic exercises. Their frustration can be summed up in a pointed remark: “The official stamp may be round, but citizens are forced to go round and round government offices to get their work done!”

Career Horoscope Goes Digital

Government 'babus' have spent years opening and processing other people’s files. Now, it is time to open their own career horoscope! The service books of government employees are set to go online on the ‘Karmayogi’ Portal, digitally recording when they joined service, where they served, how many transfers they went through, and when they were promoted.

The process of digitizing service books is scheduled to begin in 2027. Employees will have to verify their personal service details and authenticate the relevant entries. In other words, babus will now have to audit their own career histories! Technology may have transformed government administration, but some things remain timeless: “the officer’s signature is pending,” “the query is yet to be resolved,” and “the file is still pending.” Perhaps these standard bureaucratic excuses will also need a digital update! After all, applicants seeking justice often grow weary of making endless trips to the Secretariat. The big question is whether digitisation will finally speed up government work—or merely move the old culture of red tape from dusty files to an online portal.

Vibrant Bonanza For Babus

Whenever the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit approaches, development in Gandhinagar switches to VIP mode. Preparations to roll out the red carpet for foreign diplomats, business delegations, and top industrialists set the government machinery racing at full speed. The combined expenditure on the postponed 2022 summit and the 2024 edition reportedly reached ₹188.90 crore. Now, with the 2027 summit on the horizon, the tender season is back in full swing.

For event management agencies, decorators, lighting contractors and other vendors, it is beginning to look like Diwali has arrived early! Road resurfacing, government building renovations, landscaping, and illuminated public spaces are all part of Gandhinagar’s makeover. Areas that rarely receive such VIP treatment during ordinary days are suddenly being spruced up in the name of the summit. Meanwhile, 13 functional committees have been assigned responsibilities, and the core committee is also at work. For officials, it means meetings, protocol duties and intensive coordination; for contractors and event managers, it opens the door to a fresh round of tenders and contracts.

Digital System, Manual Tricks

The government adopted e-governance to eliminate the age-old practice of burying files in official corridors. But some officials appear to be staying several steps ahead of the system. A bizarre case has reportedly surfaced before the General Administration Department (GAD), where the alleged actions of two Deputy Section Officers kept an inquiry file pending for nearly three years.

According to discussions surrounding the case, the duo allegedly played a game of “call-recall” and “forward-reverse,” repeatedly moving the file back and forth within intervals of around 10 days. The result: the inquiry reportedly failed to reach higher levels for nearly three years. After the alleged manipulation came to light, both officials were transferred out of the Secretariat to district-level postings. The matter is particularly sensitive because the file reportedly concerned the Gujarat government's Panchayat Department, and one of the officials is said to have been serving on a fixed-pay basis. The GAD must go beyond transfers and take strict disciplinary action against the officials.

IB Moves In Before Protests Erupt

With calls to remove India’s Chief Election Commissioner triggering protests in New Delhi and other states, Gujarat’s intelligence machinery is reportedly on high alert. According to sources, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) is working to gather inputs on potential mobilisation to prevent any protest from gaining momentum in Gujarat. The focus is no longer limited to political leaders; it has reportedly shifted to gauging the potential mood for agitation. Details of the current activities of leaders and organisers who have been active in various agitations over the past 25 years, including the Patidar reservation movement, are reportedly being compiled. According to sources, the exercise is focused on young leaders, Gen Z activists, possible closed-door meetings and discussions on social media. The forthcoming Gujarat Assembly elections next year are also said to be one of the reasons behind this exercise. As the intelligence network works to assess developments from major cities to rural areas, women police officers have reportedly been assigned a specific responsibility to gauge protest-related concerns and sentiments among women and young women.

Deals Abroad, Double Duty at Home

With Gujarat gearing up for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027, ministers and senior officials have begun travelling overseas to network with investors and attract investments to the state. Meanwhile, to ensure that administrative work does not come to a standstill in their absence, additional charges have been assigned to other officers who are not part of the foreign delegations.

For a government that seeks to project Gujarat as an investment-friendly destination offering swift decisions, seamless approvals and industry-oriented governance, overseas visits are nothing unusual. As in previous editions, the state is once again working to strengthen its global brand and investment appeal. However, maintaining the pace of file movement and decision-making at the Secretariat is equally important. Investors are attracted not only by Gujarat’s vibrant image but also by the speed with which the government takes decisions and facilitates business. The real administrative test lies in keeping both scoreboards running—the investment pitch overseas and the charge-management match at the Secretariat!

Policy Rush, Approval Freeze

Gujarat is moving ahead with an ambitious policymaking agenda. From leveraging AI to transform students’ futures and attracting fintech companies to bringing investments into the aerospace and defence sectors, the state has several new policy initiatives in the works. The names alone suggest that Gujarat is preparing to scale new heights of development. But in government, conceiving a policy and implementing it are two very different things. While the policy pipeline continues to grow, several proposals remain stuck at the stages of drafting, interdepartmental consultation and approval.

The journey of a government policy is often a long one: an initial proposal, a draft, departmental consultations, Finance Department concurrence, legal scrutiny and, finally, approval. With so many stages to navigate, the challenge is to ensure that the original objective does not get buried under layers of paperwork. According to Secretariat sources, around 10 policies have been announced so far in 2026. However, with the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) 2027 approaching, the state faces a significant challenge: more than 12 pending policies that could potentially help attract foreign investment are yet to be taken forward. The key question is whether these policies will receive timely approval and become operational before the summit—or remain caught in the bureaucratic pipeline, while Gujarat prepares to pitch itself as a global investment destination.

Ease Of Getting Work Done Matters

The real test of government machinery is when a farmer does not have to approach Gandhinagar to obtain a certificate of landholding, and when the Chief Minister does not have to remind a Collector’s office to act against encroachments on government land. Yet, from landholder certificates to encroachments on government land, Collectors have had to receive explicit instructions from Gandhinagar. The question is why matters that should be resolved locally, within the framework of established rules and administrative accountability, still have to reach the doors of the Secretariat.

It is the reflection of an embarrassing administrative reality. When farmers have to make representations over issues ranging from water drainage and drinking water to roads, land re-surveys and landholder certificates, the state must examine the reality of “Ease of Getting Work Done” before speaking of Ease of Doing Governance. Resolving a complaint is an achievement, but ensuring that the same complaint does not recur is the true measure of administrative success. The Chief Minister has directed Collectors to register FIRs against repeat encroachers on government land, take action against sarpanches who fail to discharge their duties, and ensure the protection of government land. The question now is whether these instructions will remain confined to files or translate into visible action on the ground.

Solar Leases Put Farmland In Focus

Amid Gujarat’s green energy push, concerns are emerging over the future of fertile agricultural land. Reports of a growing trend of leasing farmland to solar companies in the Charotar region, particularly in Anand and Vadodara districts, have prompted the state government to consider regulatory measures. With annual lease offers of up to ₹65,000 per acre and contracts extending to 30 years, the prospect of assured income is understandably attractive to farmers. However, once agricultural land is committed to long-term solar projects, its role as a farming asset for future generations could be fundamentally altered.

As Gujarat races to expand renewable energy capacity, the future of its fertile black soil is becoming a new policy challenge. A gradual shift of large tracts of cultivable land to non-agricultural use could have implications for crop production, fodder availability and the dairy-based rural economy. The government now faces a dual challenge: accelerating solar energy expansion while protecting fertile agricultural land. With the Agriculture Department studying the issue and a policy under consideration, the key question is how effectively—and to what extent—regulations will be implemented. The real test of Gujarat’s energy policy will no longer be measured solely by how many megawatts it generates, but also by how much farmland it manages to preserve.