The Public Systems Lab, inaugurated in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus here, can contribute significantly to bringing efficiency in public food procurement and distribution, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. He also said the lab is a perfect example of innovation that will contribute to the development and rid the country of corruption by ushering efficiency in the public distribution system(PDS).
Goyal, who also holds a consumer affairs, food and public distribution ministry portfolio, said through the government initiatives like PMGKAY (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana), India has been a role model for the world in dealing with food security in the wake of the pandemic. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted two things that I hope all of you here will pay heed to and imbibe the 'Paanch Pran' (5 resolves). He articulated the making of a developed nation. What better way than to launch the Public Systems Lab on the first day as we enter the Amrit Kaal," Goyal said here at the campus after inaugurating the lab.
The Public Systems Lab will use knowledge from fields such as operations research, and artificial intelligence to solve critical problems that are vital for improving the lives of millions of people who depend on public systems. This will be done by developing innovative solutions, undertaking field testing and supporting their scale-up and replication for the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals. The domains where the lab will pursue its work include food, health, transportation and good governance.
However, the current focus is directed towards optimising food supply chains and systems and public transport. "Public Systems Lab can play a vital role in multiple ways...Public food procurement and distribution are crucial programmes in which this innovation can contribute immensely," he said adding the research work being done will showcase to the world India's use of technology and innovation for making public delivery systems more efficient and effective.
