States » SouthPosted at: Sep 27 2026 2:46PM


Bureaucratic hierarchy must not substitute for technical competence: K S Manoj

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27 (UNI) India’s rapid technological transformation is creating increasingly complex systems that cannot be governed by administrative authority alone, particularly in areas such as power grids, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, aerospace and space-launch systems, cybersecurity expert K S Manoj said.
“The issue is not bureaucracy itself. Governance, regulation and accountability are essential. The danger begins when administrative hierarchy substitutes for technical competence in decisions involving high-consequence technology,” Manoj said.
A senior administrative position provides institutional authority, but does not automatically confer expertise in engineering, cybersecurity, propulsion or complex cyber-physical systems, he said.
“In such domains, a technically uninformed decision can have consequences far beyond the office in which it is made,” Manoj said.
The issue assumes particular significance as India expands private participation in strategic sectors, including space. Commercial participation can accelerate innovation and capability, but technical authority, safety assurance and strategic national control must remain uncompromised, he said.
For a country aspiring to become a global technology and space power, bureaucratic hierarchy must never outrun technical competence, Manoj said.
Scientists and engineers should not merely be consulted after important decisions have been made. In high-consequence domains, qualified technical professionals must have a meaningful role in decision-making and the institutional authority to challenge decisions when engineering evidence indicates unacceptable risk, he said.
“Let administration govern institutions. Let regulation ensure accountability. But let demonstrated technical competence govern technology,” Manoj said.
India’s technological sovereignty will depend not only on developing advanced technologies, but also on ensuring that the institutions controlling them are guided by knowledge, competence, independence and professional responsibility rather than hierarchy alone, he said.
UNI DS
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