Introduction and Syllabus Context

Topic 64 is explicitly listed as a new addition to the RPSC 2026 Mains syllabus and received zero marks in both 2021 and 2023 — making it a high-probability question in 2026. The topic sits at the intersection of ethics, technology governance, and public administration. It tests a candidate's ability to critically evaluate whether AI systems can substitute for, augment, or undermine human moral judgment in the exercise of state power.

The question is not merely academic. India is actively deploying AI in governance: Aadhaar-based authentication for welfare, facial recognition at railway stations, predictive policing tools, and AI-assisted tax scrutiny. RAS officers will inherit a world where algorithms will inform — and sometimes make — consequential public decisions. The RPSC examiner will likely frame a 5-mark question asking the candidate to explain what AI brings and what it cannot replace, or a 10-mark question asking for a critical ethical analysis.

Exam strategy: Approach this topic using three lenses — (a) what AI offers (efficiency, consistency, scale); (b) what AI lacks (conscience, empathy, contextual moral judgment); (c) what a responsible ethical framework looks like (HITL, explainability, accountability, proportionality).