Governance Must Be a Moral Responsibility Rooted in Dignity and Trust: Shashi Tharoor at EPFO’s RGDE Platform

In a thought-provoking keynote address at the 24th edition of Reimagining Governance: Discourse for Excellence (RGDE), Dr Shashi Tharoor urged public institutions to rethink governance not merely as administrative compliance but as a moral responsibility anchored in dignity, trust and courage.

The session marked the second anniversary and formal conclusion of Season One of RGDE, an institutional dialogue initiative of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The platform has been hosted under the aegis of the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS).

The commemorative gathering brought together members of the Central Board of Trustees, officers from EPFO's zonal and field offices across India, and senior officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, reflecting the growing institutional importance of governance-focused reflection within public service delivery.

Governance Beyond Compliance and Procedure

Dr Tharoor described governance as "a moral contract between the State and its people," stressing that transparency, accountability, participation and rule of law must operate alongside efficiency and empathy.

He cautioned against reducing reform to mere digitisation, warning that technology without deeper redesign can replicate old inefficiencies in new formats.

"We must not merely digitise inefficiency; we must redesign it," he remarked, advocating sustained Government Process Re-engineering and simplification of procedures to ensure that reforms truly improve citizen experience.

Towards Seamless and Integrated Service Delivery

Highlighting a paradox of modern administration, Dr Tharoor observed that even in an era of advanced digital capability, citizens are repeatedly asked to prove identity, eligibility and documentation across multiple platforms.

Governance, he argued, must evolve towards integration and seamless service delivery that spares citizens unnecessary procedural hardship.

He emphasised that grievance redressal mechanisms should not be seen as favour-granting platforms but as essential instruments of democratic respect. Public institutions, he said, must deliver services rooted in dignity, empathy and institutional trust.

Ethics, Evidence and Scientific Temperament in Governance

Dr Tharoor also underscored the need for scientific temperament in administration, advocating evidence-based policymaking, data-driven review systems and reasoned judgment.

At the same time, he warned that knowledge without ethics risks distancing institutions from the people they serve.

His concluding line resonated strongly with the audience:

"When governance becomes truly just, citizens cease to feel governed; they begin to feel cared for."

RGDE: From Ideas to Institutional Action

Launched on Good Governance Day in December 2024, RGDE was conceived as a reflective forum to examine governance beyond routine administrative compliance.

Over the last two years, its discussions have translated into several institutional outcomes within EPFO, including:

• The "Compassion in Governance" module inspired by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi

• Process simplification exercises emerging from public policy dialogues

• Strengthened ethics and leadership training programmes

• A forthcoming joint diploma programme in Labour Law and Social Security in collaboration with Gujarat National Law University

These initiatives reflect how structured discourse platforms can drive meaningful organisational reform.

EPFO's Commitment to Citizen-Centric Governance

Central Provident Fund Commissioner Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthy reaffirmed EPFO's commitment to citizen-centric and technology-enabled service delivery.

Kumar Rohit, Director of PDUNASS, highlighted that RGDE has strengthened ethical capacity and reflective leadership within EPFO, contributing to a more humane approach to governance.

The session concluded with an interactive exchange moderated by Uttam Prakash, Regional PF Commissioner and curator of RGDE.

In a lighter moment, when asked whether Artificial Intelligence might one day replace politicians, Dr Tharoor quipped that while AI can process data and analyse trends, it cannot replicate human judgment, moral choice or democratic accountability.

Season One Concludes, Season Two Ahead

With this anniversary session, RGDE formally concludes Season One. Season Two is expected to return with renewed design and deeper engagement, continuing the effort to strengthen governance that is accountable, technologically capable and fundamentally humane.

Dr Tharoor's address served as a reminder that governance is ultimately not just about systems and rules, but about the lived dignity of citizens and the moral purpose of public institutions.