Algorithmic Governance and AI-Driven Public Administration: Reimagining Accountability in Indian Civil Service

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence into public administration is fundamentally reshaping the architecture of governance in India. AI-driven systems such as predictive policing, facial recognition technologies, automated welfare administration, and data-centric decision-making mechanisms are increasingly employed to enhance administrative efficiency and state capacity. However, the growing reliance on algorithmic governance raises complex concerns relating to transparency, accountability, procedural fairness, bias, and constitutional oversight. Existing legal frameworks, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, remain inadequately equipped to regulate opaque and autonomous decision-making systems within the administrative state. This paper critically examines the emergence of AI-enabled governance within Indian civil services through the lens of cyber law, administrative law, and constitutional principles. Employing a doctrinal and comparative methodology, the study evaluates the adequacy of India’s regulatory framework against evolving international standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, and the Digital Services Act. The paper argues that algorithmic governance necessitates a transition from procedural compliance toward a rights-based accountability framework grounded in transparency, explainability, proportionality, and independent oversight. It contends that without robust institutional safeguards, AI-driven administration risks entrenching automated arbitrariness within democratic governance structures.