MEGHA (Meghalaya E-Governance Human-centred Assistance), a voice-first AI platform designed to help marginalized citizens access government schemes through basic mobile phones, has won the first prize at the Kennedy AI for Good Hackathon, organized by Harvard Kennedy School.
The platform emphasizes the potential of responsible and human-centered AI to promote digital inclusion and governance, particularly in rural India. MEGHA offers a toll-free, AI-driven service that provides verified, clear, and conversational guidance on government schemes, helping to bridge the digital divide.
The MEGHA team includes Manish Maheshwari, former Head of Twitter India and Harvard Fellow; Dr. Aarushi Jain, Policy Director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy; Mohammed Y Safirulla K, an IAS officer and digital governance expert; Manudev Jain, an IRS officer and Harvard student; and Ashish Tiwari, an IPS officer and Fulbright Scholar.
After the victory, Maheshwari stated that AI’s real value lies in solving urgent human needs, writing, “The true power of AI is in connecting proven technologies thoughtfully to human challenges, unlocking dignity, opportunity, and inclusion for millions.”
Dr. Jain also highlighted MEGHA’s goal of addressing information asymmetry and digital literacy barriers by offering honest, concise guidance grounded in official documents.
MEGHA’s success underscores the growing importance of AI-driven solutions in advancing initiatives such as Digital India and the principle of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.”
