Delhi is designing building approvals and redesigning access

The Delhi Development Authority launched an AI-driven single-window system for building permits under the Online Building Permit System (OBPS). Citizens, architects, and developers can now submit plans, documents, and multiple NOCs through one portal. AI scrutinises plans automatically. Geo-tagged inspections replace office visits. Approvals are digitally signed. The Lieutenant Governor’s brief was simple: reduce corruption, harassment, and the endless trips News Source: The Hindu to government offices. Anyone who has tried to get a Delhi building approval knows the agent, the chaipaani, the file that moves only when it moves. Removing those frictions is a genuine design win. However, every digital system innovation silently asks three questions: who gets access, who stays safe, and who can challenge it. The real question for India is whether we can design digital systems that uphold constitutional values — access, dignity, equality, the right to question and be heard.

The real question for India is whether we can design digital systems that uphold constitutional values — access, dignity, equality, the right to question and be heard.