Overview
- Speaking on National Unity Day in New Delhi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval urged a reinvention of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s governance ethos to meet today’s challenges.
- He cautioned that disinformation and hostile propaganda can erode public trust in institutions including the electoral system, urging stronger capacity for perception management.
- His remarks included a pointed critique widely read as a veiled reference to Rahul Gandhi, saying some political figures travel abroad and make false claims that harm India’s image.
- Doval warned that Artificial Intelligence will reshape governance and warfare and called for human oversight and stronger cyber safeguards to protect society.
- He linked recent non-constitutional regime changes in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal to poor governance, highlighted progress against terrorism with exceptions in Jammu and Kashmir, and called women’s empowerment a governance imperative.