Secretary Rachna Shah Flags AI-Led Governance Push, Calls for Strong Data Safeguards and Capacity Building

Signals Policy Push to Embed AI in Core Governance, From Recruitment Rules to Grievance Redressal

DoPT Holds Samuhik Charcha on AI in Public Governance Under Sadhana Saptah 2026

The Department of Personnel and Training today underscored a clear policy thrust towards integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into core government processes, with Secretary Rachna Shah highlighting ongoing and proposed deployments ranging from recruitment rule generation to grievance redressal and employee service delivery. Addressing a Samuhik Charcha on “AI in Public Governance” as part of Mission Karmayogi’s National Learning Week (SADHANA Saptah), She pointed to emerging AI-enabled solutions such as automated salary processing, anomaly detection in reimbursements, chatbot-based grievance handling, and real-time note generation, while noting that tools like AI Medha, Bhashini and AI Coach are already being explored within government systems. She emphasised that AI adoption is being driven to improve “accuracy, transparency, uniformity and cost efficiency” in governance, but cautioned that safeguards around privacy, ethical use and cybersecurity must be built into systems, especially given the sensitive nature of government data. She also stressed the need for capacity-building through AI courses on the iGOT platform to ensure effective and responsible utilisation of these technologies.

Providing an expert perspective, AI practitioner Dr. Preet Deep Singh outlined practical applications and risks associated with AI deployment in governance, with a focus on the responsible use of tools while handling confidential data. He demonstrated use cases across workflows and highlighted security concerns, particularly around data exposure on external platforms, reinforcing the need for controlled and secure environments for government usage.

Joint Secretary (Training), Chhavi Bhardwaj, outlined DoPT’s structured approach across three key dimensions—capacity building, data-driven decision support, and workforce management. She noted that AI is already being used to significantly reduce the cost and time required to develop training content on the iGOT platform—from months to about a week and at a fraction of earlier costs—while future efforts will focus on hyper-personalised learning pathways and competency-based assessments. She also pointed to the potential of AI in analysing performance appraisal data, improving cadre management, and enabling intelligent decision-support systems, while underlining that all such deployments must prioritise data confidentiality through on-premise or government cloud solutions.

Concluding the discussion, Additional Secretary Manoj Kumar Dwivedi emphasised the need to move beyond fragmented, individual use of AI tools towards institutionalised, system-wide integration within DoPT’s ecosystem. He identified three priority areas—training, policy formulation, and data-driven human resource management—where AI can deliver tangible gains, including intelligent query systems, decision-support frameworks, and enhanced analytics within platforms such as e-HRMS. He stressed that unless AI tools are embedded into routine workflows, adoption would remain limited, and flagged data confidentiality as a critical concern requiring dedicated protocols and training. He called for leveraging government platforms and NIC systems to integrate AI seamlessly, warning that failure to keep pace with technological advancements could widen the efficiency gap between government and the private sector.

All officers and staff of DoPT participated in the session, both physically and through online platforms, reflecting a department-wide push to align administrative processes with emerging AI-driven governance frameworks.