Bihar Unveils AI-Powered E-Voting & Smart Governance Model at India AI Impact Expo 2026

At the India AI Impact Expo 2026, Bihar showcased a model of technology-driven governance that attracted the attention of policymakers and technology experts from across the country. The Bihar Pavilion, located on the first floor of Hall No. 5, was jointly organized by the State Election Commission of Bihar and the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD), Gaya's Bihar GenNext Lab, to showcase a new direction in digital democracy and smart governance. On Wednesday, several officials, including Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, Member of the Rajya Sabha, and Shri Sandeep Poundrik, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Government of India, graced the Bihar Pavilion.

On this occasion, Shri Sanjay Jha said, "The way Bihar has showcased a model of data-driven governance through mobile-based e-voting, AI-based counting, and GenNext Lab, sets the tone for the digital democracy of New India. This initiative strengthens transparency, inclusion, and accountability, placing Bihar at the forefront of technology-led states."

The country's first mobile-based remote e-voting system

The State Election Commission of Bihar unveiled the country's first state-level mobile-based remote e-voting system for urban local body elections. This initiative has been designed with migrant voters, the elderly, the disabled, and hospitalized voters in mind. Using AI, FRS, and blockchain technology, the system ensures the immutability of votes, making the voting process more secure, transparent, and reliable. Dr. Deepak Prasad, Commissioner of the State Election Commission of Bihar, said that this initiative will elevate democratic participation to new heights and could shape the direction of future elections.

Preventing Fake Voting at the Booth

The pavilion showcased an FRS-based voter verification mobile app, which helps prevent fake or duplicate voting through a facial recognition system. This system is capable of accurately matching even old EPIC (Voter ID) photos. Most importantly, the app works offline, further strengthening the credibility of the election process.

AI-based OCR counting delivers faster and more accurate results

To enhance transparency in election results, an AI-based OCR counting system was also introduced. This technology digitally extracts and validates live data from EVM displays. Video-based permanent digital records and time-stamped audit logs are created, enabling verification at any level. This reduces human error and speeds up the declaration of results. These technologies have been successfully deployed in municipal and panchayat elections in Bihar.

7 Digital Kiosk Models: Bihar Shows How Data, GIS, and Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Governance

Bihar is rapidly embarking on a technological revolution in administrative training. The Bihar GenNext Lab, located on the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) Gaya campus, is one of the select few state-of-the-art governance innovation centers in the country. Since its inauguration in October 2024, the lab has not only provided advanced training to the state's civil servants but also strengthened evidence-based decision-making. Bihar GenNext Lab demonstrated how AI, data science, and GIS are transforming administration through seven digital kiosks.

Dashboard Kiosk: Provides real-time data visualizations for 45 departments and 38 districts. Monitoring and performance comparison of schemes at the state, district, and block levels is becoming possible.

Data Repository Kiosk: Provides data from all departments on a unified digital platform, accelerating policy development and review.

GIS Mapping Kiosk: Displays the locations of government institutions from the Panchayat to the state level.

Ask Aryabhat: A chatbot based on data sets from Bihar government departments. Officials can compare, analyze, and receive suggestions.

Bihar at its Grassroots: The kiosk showcases success stories and effective models from districts, demonstrating the technology's impact on the ground.

CollabNote: Makes collaboration, notetaking, and feedback between departments simple and transparent through a digital workspace. The Bihar Map provides a quick overview of district-wise development through an interactive state map.

Dr. B. Rajendra, Director General of BIPARD, said, "Through BIPARD's stall at the India AI Impact Expo 2026, we showcased Bihar's administrative training, digital governance, and artificial intelligence-based capacity building initiatives. Our aim is to elevate Bihar to a new standard of good governance by empowering technology-enabled, transparent, and accountable governance."

Transparent and Accountable Governance through AI

Bihar's model at the India AI Impact Expo is not just a technology showcase, but a glimpse of future governance. The use of data and AI at every level—from the electoral process to policymaking and on-the-ground implementation—is strengthening transparency, efficiency, and accountability. The Bihar Pavilion conveyed the message that the proper use of technology can make democracy more participatory, secure, and effective. This AI-based initiative could serve as a guiding light for other states in the country in the future.