The Ministry of Labour and Employment organised a governance discussion where senior officials were asked to reflect on their ethical duties as public servants. The session, held on 31 August 2026, brought together officers from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS) to examine how tradition and modern administration can work together.
What was discussed
The keynote speaker emphasised that Rajdharma, or the duty of those holding public office, should rest on four pillars: integrity, empathy, fairness and the absence of bias. He argued that while rules, systems and technology are necessary tools in government, they cannot replace the human qualities that shape how citizens experience institutions.
The Central Provident Fund Commissioner noted that EPFO’s role is to provide social security to millions of workers, pensioners and their families. He stressed that as the organisation adopts new technology, officers must balance their legal duties with genuine care for the people they serve, especially when handling pension claims and grievances.
The Director of PDUNASS connected this discussion to India’s own civilisational traditions, drawing on ancient ideas about righteous governance. He highlighted that the academy’s programme, called Reimagining Governance: Discourse for Excellence, aims to bring together lessons from history, institutional experience and current administrative practice.
The session included a practical discussion among officers about how to apply these ethical principles in day-to-day work, particularly when rules need to be balanced with human circumstances and when decisions require judgment rather than routine procedure.
What this means for you
If you are a beneficiary of EPFO schemes or depend on pension payments, this discussion reinforces that officials are being asked to treat your case with care and fairness, not just follow procedures mechanically. For government employees or those preparing for civil service examinations, this reflects current thinking about what good governance means: combining technical competence with moral responsibility and genuine concern for the public you serve.