Government Failures: Stories of Learning, Scale, and Resilience
This session delved deep into the complex nature of failure within government systems – how it is perceived, managed, and sometimes even denied. Speakers from politics, science, banking, and public administration shared honest accounts of challenges faced when working inside and with government institutions. From attempts at administrative reforms to implementing massive welfare programs, the panel explored the difficulty of scaling ideas, working in silos, and the importance of long-term thinking. What emerged was a nuanced understanding that in governance, failure is not just an outcome – it’s often part of the process of progress.
Kerala’s former Chief Secretary SM Vijayanand discussed how government programs evolve over decades through iterative learning, while Sampath Kumar from Meghalaya offered a candid view of bureaucratic isolation and the need for data-driven collaboration. NABARD’s PVS Suryakumar revealed how large-scale programs like those in microfinance and handloom revival fail when objectives are unclear or processes are rushed. Politician Darshan Puttannaiah highlighted the need for empathetic, grassroots policy design. Finally, A.S. Kiran Kumar of ISRO reminded the audience that in science and government alike, learning from failure is essential to national innovation.
