AU: Digital birth certificate trial delivered for Victoria
The Victorian Government has commenced a trial of digital birth certificates in three local government areas.
Minister for Government Services, Danny Pearson said the technology will give parents fast and secure access to their child’s birth certificate on their mobile phone for the first time.
As an alternative to paper certificates, participating parents across Wyndham City Council, City of Casey and Mitchell Shire Council municipalities can now use the new digital birth certificate to enrol children in kindergarten programs.
Technology and sustainability are now inseparable in public governance
Public administration is undergoing one of its most significant transformations in decades as digital technologies and sustainability agendas converge. What began as efforts to automate paperwork and speed up services has evolved into a broader rethinking of how governments create public value. Digital systems are now influencing policy design, accountability structures, and collaboration between public institutions, private actors, and citizens.
A new study Technological Innovation and Sustainability in Public Administration: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda, published in Administrative Sciences, documents this change. Based on a large-scale review of international research, the study shows that digital transformation is increasingly tied to sustainability outcomes. It highlights a move toward governance models where technology supports long-term environmental, social, and institutional goals rather than short-term administrative gains.
NG: Aba Smart City Project To Generate 125,000 Jobs – Abia Gov’t
Abia State governor, Alex Otti, has reaffirmed his administration’s willingness to collaborate with investors to accelerate development and generate employment opportunities for residents of the state.
Otti made this known at the Government House in Umuahia during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of the Aba Commercial Smart City, a project expected to generate about 125,000 jobs.
IN: Kerala: Row over ‘hurried’ Smart City Phase-2 nod
The corporation council on Saturday witnessed sharp criticism over the ruling administration's move to fast-track approval of the second phase of the Smart City project. Opposition councillors alleged that the decision was taken in haste ahead of the mayor's scheduled visit to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister.
Opposition members said the project was placed before the council and approved without adequate discussion. Several councillors claimed they were unaware of the details. They demanded that the views of elected representatives be sought before clearing a project of such scale and financial implications. Members also objected to the agenda being circulated entirely in English, calling it a violation of democratic practice in a state where Malayalam is the official administrative language.
IN: 31 cities transformed under Smart Cities Mission, 43 near completion: RTI response
Among 100 selected cities across the country, only 31 have been converted to 'smart' cities under a five-year project beginning in 2016, which has been extended thrice, according to an RTI reply by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
In response to the query filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the ministry informed that 43 cities are near completion, and it will take some time to convert the remaining 26 cities.
The Smart Cities Mission project aims to improve the quality of life in 100 cities by providing efficient services, robust infrastructure, and sustainable solutions. The project was to be completed in four phases.