Inside Raisina Hill: AI Summit, Indian Railways, & Air India

As one walks down the Hill along the Rajpath, now renamed Kartavya Path, come other edifices — Rail Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan, Shashtri Bhavan, and Kartavya Bhavan on one side and Sena Bhavan, Udyog Bhavan, and Vanijya Bhavan on the other. The bureaucrats who adorn the offices in these buildings decide on India's economic, social, and industrial policies. There are many tales to be told from the corridors of these grandiose buildings. We let you in on some of them here in this week's edition of "Inside Raisina Hill".

Air India Ropes In Ex-Aviation Secretary As Senior Advisor

Air India has roped in former Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola (IAS, 1985 batch) as a Senior Advisor. This comes at a time of strategic leadership resuffle at Air India, including the reassignment of the airline’s Global Head of Corporate Communications.

According to industry observers, Tata Group, which owns the airlines, want Kharola to play the role of a bridge between Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Earlier, Khorola served as Air India’s CMD (when the airline was owned by the government). As the Aviation Secretary, Kharola oversaw the company's disinvestment.

With Kharola on board as a Senior Advisor, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has been tightening the reins on strategic leadership. 

Meanwhile, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to release its final report on the AI171 crash soon.

Mission Karmayogi's AI-Enabled Learning System

At the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, AI-powered learning and governance solutions developed as part of Mission Karmayogi (a flagship capacity-building initiative) captured attention. The AI-enabled learning systems explored transformative AI use cases for the public good.  

The Mission Karmayogi stall at the AI Summit was jointly set up by the Capacity Building Commission and Karmayogi Bharat (KB). It introduced a new generation of AI-enabled learning tools integrated into the iGOT Karmayogi platform.

The initiative reflected a shift from traditional training methods to a continuous, data-driven, and competency-based learning approach.

AI-Driven Capacity Building Plans (AI-CBP) was one of the key features on display at the stall. AI-CBP analyses official roles and documents, maps required competencies, identifies capability gaps, and generates role-specific learning pathways for Ministries and Departments. By enabling faster and data-backed capacity planning, AI-CBP supports more efficient human resource development across government institutions.

Another major innovation is AI Sarthi, a conversational AI-powered guide. It assists officials in discovering relevant courses and learning resources tailored to their specific roles, responsibilities, and real-time work requirements. 

The AI Tutor functions as an in-course assistant that helps learners grasp complex topics. It answers queries, simplifies difficult concepts, and provides contextual explanations and summaries within course modules. This feature enhances comprehension and ensures that learning remains interactive and user-friendly.

To promote inclusivity, the platform also demonstrates AI-enabled transcription and multilingual subtitle generation. These systems automatically produce transcripts and subtitles across multiple Indian languages, ensuring accessibility for officials from diverse linguistic backgrounds. 

Indian Railways Officers Promoted

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) recently promoted eight senior officers to the rank of General Manager (Level-16).

The appointments reflect the government's commitment to filling vacancies across production units and zonal headquarters. However, 56 officers failed to make the cut, which indicates the stringent process under the new promotion regime.

The ACC’s decision is dominated entirely by the 1989 batch, ensuring a uniform seniority structure and suggests long-term stability at the GM level. Six of the eight officers have a residual service period stretching up to 2028.

The promoted officers are:

• Manoranjan Pradhan (IRSS, 1989) - GM, Rail Wheel Factory (Yelahanka),
• Ashutosh Pant (IRSEE, 1989) - GM, Banaras Locomotive Works (Varanasi),
• Prabhas Dansana (IRTS, 1989) - DG, Research, Designs, Standards Organisation,
• Mohit Chandra (IRSEE, 1989) - GM, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (Chittaranjan),
• Rajesh Kumar Pandey (IRSSE, 1989) - GM, Northern Railway (New Delhi),
• Shalabh Goel (IRSEE, 1989) - GM, Central Railway (Mumbai),
• Ashish Bansal (IRSE, 1989) - GM, Northeast Frontier Railway (Construction), Guwahati, and
• Ajay Nandan (IRSME, 1989) - GM, Rail Coach Factory (Kapurthala)

AI Impact Summit Report

The Cabinet Secretariat has directed officials to prepare a concise, two-page report on the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026, by February 27. The report should highlight the key outcomes of the summit, outlining the potential use of AI, implementation strategies, regulatory or data governance, and how AI enhances operational efficiency and public service delivery. 

The Cabinet Secretariat asked Secretaries and senior officials from various Ministries and departments to attend the summit and distil key takeaways relevant to their sectors.

This directive follows the government’s recent emphasis on emerging technologies in the Union Budget, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the digital public infrastructure and accelerating AI-led innovation under flagship initiatives such as Digital India.

The AI summit commenced on February 16. It will end on February 20. Policymakers, leading technology firms, startups, and academic institutions came together to discuss the evolving AI ecosystem and the policy framework required for its responsible use. Participants presented a wide array of AI-driven solutions, including automation tools, advanced analytics platforms, and specialised applications tailored to sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and governance.

DDA Invites Entries For ‘Young Professionals’

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has invited applications to appoint three "Young Professionals" in the Communications Department on a contractual basis for a period of one year. 

The candidates should have an MBA degree/PG Diploma in Marketing (or equivalent) or Masters/PG Diploma in PR/Communication from a recognised university. They should also have a minimum of three years of work experience in marketing/survey/public relations, or related fields. The application forms must be submitted by 28 February 2026.