News & Events

Empathy and compassion should form the foundation of governance, said Prasanth Nair IAS,  speaking at the ‘Inspired Talks’ session, organized in our Thiruvananthapuram office last month. Pointing out that human beings find true happiness from actions based on empathy, he added that found happiness in civil services by finding systemic solutions that positively impact people’s lives. 

Prasanth noted that decisions made by administrators can affect thousands of lives, emphasizing the huge responsibility that comes with public office. He highlighted the combination of willpower, knowledge, and effective execution as keys to the success of any task, citing examples of the initiative he implemented as the District Collector.

Highlighting the importance of civic awareness, Prasanth observed that the public should not remain servile but must question decisions of bureaucracy that lack logic or common sense. He also stressed the importance of administrative competence, pointing out that even the ability to write a clear and precise note on a file is a crucial skill for a bureaucrat. 

Answering questions of Reflectors, Prasanth raised concerns about the adverse impact strikes and hartals can have on vulnerable sections of society like daily wage earners. Discussing the exponential growth of AI and automation, he said technological changes are reshaping the future of work, making us even wonder whether we may need to work at all, in the future. Deepa Sarojammal, Executive Chairperson, Reflections, and Sajikumar Koyitti, CEO, Reflections, spoke on the occasion.