Emphasises International Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, Digital Governance, and Citizen-Centric Public Services
Proposes Stronger India–Greece Collaboration in Administrative Reforms, Training, and Capacity Building
Jaipur, October 2026 : Rajasthan Chief Secretary and President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), V. Srinivas, held a bilateral meeting with Dr. Vassilis Exarchos, Director General of Greece’s National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA), in Athens on Monday, the first day of his four-day official visit to Greece. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the IASIA-2026 International Conference, focused on strengthening international cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital governance, administrative reforms, and citizen-centric public services. The Chief Secretary emphasised that the exchange of knowledge, experiences and innovations among public administration institutions is essential in a rapidly changing global environment. Congratulating EKDDA on hosting the conference, he proposed developing a long-term partnership between IIAS and EKDDA to strengthen cooperation between European institutions and the wider international public administration community.
V. Srinivas proposed establishing a joint working group on “Human-Centred AI for Public Administration.” He highlighted the importance of collaborative research and training in digital governance, cybersecurity, climate resilience, disaster management and future skills for civil servants. He stressed that technology should not only improve administrative efficiency but also strengthen public trust and make government services simpler and more accessible.
Highlighting India’s digital governance initiatives, the Chief Secretary identified the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and the e-Office platform as potential areas of cooperation between India and Greece. He also outlined the international capacity-building initiatives of the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), which conducts 47 training programmes annually for civil servants from 34 countries. He stated that NCGG envisages training an additional 8,000 international civil servants over the next five years.
Sharing Rajasthan’s experience in administrative reforms, V. Srinivas highlighted the implementation of the Next Generation Rajasthan Sampark system for improved public grievance redressal and the Raj UNNATI platform for monitoring infrastructure projects. He also referred to capacity-building programmes conducted for 70 Secretaries to the Government of Rajasthan under Mission Karmayogi, along with initiatives to strengthen transparency, accountability and regular performance monitoring.
The Chief Secretary stated that, in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,” India is leveraging digital technology to simplify citizens’ interactions with government and improve public service delivery. He emphasised that the integration of modern technology with a human-centric approach would form the foundation of future governance.
Upcoming Conference Engagements
It is noteworthy that V. Srinivas is participating in the IASIA-2026 Conference in Athens from October 12 to 15, being held under the theme “Rethinking Governance for a Changing World.” As per his scheduled engagements, he will address the IASIA Board of Management on Monday. He will chair the IIAS Council of Administration meeting on October 13, deliver the inaugural address at the conference on October 14 and the closing address on October 15. A preview of the IIAS Governance Index will also be presented during the conference. The international event is bringing together approximately 600 delegates from more than 100 countries.
