The Electronics and Information Technology (E&IT) Department, Government of Odisha, hosted a consultative workshop on Odisha State Data Policy 2.0 at Hotel Lemon Tree in Bhubaneswar.
The event was attended by Principal Secretary E&IT Vishal Dev, Special Secretary E&IT Manas Ranjan Panda, Additional Secretary E&IT Dr. Pradeep Raut, and other senior officials alongside experts from academia and Odisha’s IT sector.
The workshop aimed to gather stakeholder input as Odisha moves toward data-driven governance, unlocking the potential of government-held data to enhance service delivery, informed decision-making, and targeted interventions for citizens.
Speaking at the event, Principal Secretary E&IT Vishal Dev emphasized, “While the government possesses a vast amount of data, challenges regarding accessibility and utilization remain. This policy will help unlock insights, improving public service delivery and ensuring governance is more responsive to citizens’ needs.”
Additional Secretary E&IT Dr. Pradeep Raut echoed this sentiment, stating, “A well-structured data policy is integral to efficient and citizen-centric governance. Odisha’s upcoming policy will establish clear protocols for the entire lifecycle of data, ensuring responsible management and future-ready governance.”
Key Focus Areas of Odisha State Data Policy 2.0
During the workshop, a comprehensive presentation on the policy’s draft highlighted key aspects, including:
- Data-sharing frameworks to improve collaboration between departments
- Open data access to drive economic growth and innovation
- AI-powered insights for smarter governance
- Streamlining datasets to eliminate redundancy and ensure efficiency
- Ethical data handling through informed consent and compliance with data protection laws
- Transparent governance via accessible government data-sharing models
The draft policy is designed after extensive consultations and analysis of global data protection policies, including India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023.
Public Feedback & Next Steps
To promote inclusivity in policy formulation, the draft document has been made available on the official websites of the and . Citizens and stakeholders are invited to submit feedback at feedback.osdp@odisha.gov.in.
An interactive Q&A session followed the presentation, where attendees provided valuable insights and practical recommendations, helping to refine the policy. The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Special Secretary E&IT Manas Ranjan Panda. Officials from OCAC coordinated the successful execution of the workshop.
With Odisha State Data Policy 2.0, the government is setting a strong foundation for transparent, efficient, and proactive governance, leveraging data to drive socio-economic progress in the state.
