The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, functioning under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, recently held its “Weekend Wisdom Programme” where two senior government officials shared insights with students on ethics, governance and technology. The sessions addressed how public servants can balance legal obligations with moral responsibility, and how artificial intelligence can be deployed responsibly across government and business.
What the senior officials discussed
Anindo Majumdar, a 1985-batch IAS officer who has served as Secretary of the Chief Vigilance Commission and is currently Member (Administrative) at the Central Administrative Tribunal in Kolkata, spoke to students on ethics and corporate governance. He drew a distinction between what is legally permissible and what is ethically sound, using the apartheid system in South Africa as an example of a regime backed by law but fundamentally unethical. He encouraged students to trust their conscience, saying that one should decline requests when one’s inner sense tells you the answer is no.
Dr Rajendra Kumar, IAS officer and Secretary of the Border Road Organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs, delivered two talks. One covered corporate governance, cyber security, data protection and artificial intelligence. The other focused on applying technology to border infrastructure management.
On artificial intelligence, Dr Kumar outlined four pillars of India’s approach. The first emphasizes research, entrepreneurship and collaboration between government, academia and industry. The second aims at inclusive development, ensuring AI benefits reach disadvantaged populations. The third addresses ethical deployment, requiring AI systems to be transparent, fair, safe and protective of privacy. The fourth focuses on creating a regulatory framework that is flexible, accountable and responsive to grievances.
Dr Kumar also highlighted how technology like geographic mapping, drone surveys and digital monitoring systems can improve border infrastructure projects by speeding up reviews, increasing accountability and making better use of funds and staff.
What this means for you
If you are a student of public administration or law, these sessions offer perspectives on how leading civil servants think about ethical decision-making in government. The discussions suggest that responsible governance requires balancing legal rules with moral judgment, and that new technologies like artificial intelligence need built-in safeguards for fairness, privacy and transparency before they are deployed widely in public systems.