New Delhi, Aug 18: Artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and digital tools are rapidly transforming governance, requiring civil servants to continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.
Addressing participants of a 15-day refresher course for Lateral Entry Joint Secretaries, Directors and Deputy Secretaries, Singh said the rapidly evolving administrative environment required officers to remain “curious learners” and continuously adapt to technological and institutional changes.
He said the refresher programme should serve as a platform for two-way communication, dialogue and feedback rather than merely a series of lectures. Officers with substantial professional experience, he said, should actively participate in discussions and help shape training according to their learning requirements.
Highlighting the pace of technological change, Singh said developments in AI, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and digital tools were increasingly influencing governance and administrative processes. Continuous learning, he said, was therefore essential for officers to understand and effectively deploy emerging technologies.
The Minister stressed that civil servants had an added responsibility to use new technologies and digital tools to improve delivery of flagship government programmes while safeguarding their constitutional responsibilities and the institutional sanctity of government.
He said the government was also working to improve the ease of implementation and monitoring of its programmes.
Singh said the refresher course covers policy analysis, digital transformation, municipal finance, public health, cybersecurity, education and government communication. He suggested that government communication should increasingly be viewed as public communication as officers now have to engage with a wider range of stakeholders.
Effective communication, he said, had become an essential component of responsible governance.
Singh identified four key communication levels for government officers — interaction with government functionaries and colleagues, engagement with political functionaries, dealing with the media and communication with citizens.
He said the changing communication environment, particularly the growing influence of social media, had made it increasingly important for officers to develop the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with different stakeholders.
On lateral entry, Singh stressed the importance of institutionalising mechanisms to bring fresh talent, ideas and work cultures into government from different sectors. He said around 63 officers had so far entered government through the lateral-entry mechanism.
He described the 15-day refresher programme as a mid-career learning opportunity designed to support officers as they progress through their professional careers.
The Minister also called for expanding the outreach of institutions such as the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and integrating them more closely with other institutions and agencies working in related areas.
He said such outreach should cover Central and State Governments, public institutions and elected bodies, while training programmes could also be expanded to corporate and private-sector participants.
Stressing the role of feedback in improving capacity-building programmes, Singh encouraged participants to identify their training requirements and suggest changes to the curriculum. He also proposed mechanisms for obtaining candid and anonymous feedback on faculty and course content to ensure continuous improvement.
Singh told the officers that they had an important role as “architects of India ’47” envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged them to approach the programme with an open and learning-oriented mindset.
He said the rapidly changing nature of governance made continuous professional development, dialogue and adaptability essential for strengthening public administration.
