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AI Governance and Institutional Readiness in Public Sector Systems: A Comparative Study Between India and Nigeria

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Authors : Linda John Obiorah, Banavath Ananditha, Mrinalini Menon, Paridhi Passi, B. R. Sanjeev Naick

Citation :

Linda John Obiorah, Banavath Ananditha, Mrinalini Menon, Paridhi Passi& B. R. Sanjeev Naick. (2026). AI Governance and Institutional Readiness in Public Sector Systems: A Comparative Study Between India and Nigeria. Institute For Policy Research and Governance, 1(14). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21479014

Linda John Obiorah, Banavath Ananditha, Mrinalini Menon, Paridhi Passi& B. R. Sanjeev Naick. (2026). AI Governance and Institutional Readiness in Public Sector Systems: A Comparative Study Between India and Nigeria. Institute For Policy Research and Governance, 1(14). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21479014

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Abstract :

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving to be a crucial technology to enhance public service and governance. This paper examines how governance frameworks and institutional capacities shape AI adoption and management within government systems. By adopting a qualitative comparative case study analysis, using India and Nigeria as primary cases and South Korea as a benchmark for successful AI governance implementation, this paper examines the governance and institutional preparedness of AI in the public sector and identifies practical lessons on building governance structures and institutional foundations for responsible AI adoption. The analysis suggests that India possesses a more evolved framework for AI governance, enforced by the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (2018), and the India AI Mission (2024), a well-developed digital public infrastructure, and a strong focus on the development of skills and training. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024) indicates Nigeria’s growing institutional commitment to AI, as well as notable strides towards preparedness. South Korea is introduced as a benchmark, representing a more advanced AI governance model that offers concrete lessons for developing economies. Despite these disparities, the common concerns include the disconnect between policy aspirations and policy implementation, difficulty in developing specific AI laws, and concerns about accountability, transparency, bias, privacy and digital inclusion. The study calls for specific AI legislation, autonomous regulatory bodies, and more effective data governance between developing countries. It contends that institutional building and the institutionalization process are key to having responsible, sustainable and adaptive AI governance in the Global South, and that governance progress must be measured against concrete indicators like enforcement action, institutional capacity, digital literacy rates, public accountability and operationalization of independent bodies rather than policy adoption alone.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence Governance, Institutional Readiness, Public Sector AI, Digital Governance, AI Regulation.

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Systematic Review of Government-Led Education Reforms in India: Policy, Implementation and Outcome.

Authors : Darpan Kumari ,Varshita Saxena, Sayf Ali

Abstract :

In this paper, government-led education reforms in India were reviewed while focusing on policy design, legal foundations, implementation, and outcomes. It examines landmark reforms, including the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA, 2001), the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act, 2009), the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), and other education schemes such as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS). The study situates these reforms within India’s constitutional framework, particularly Article 21A of the Constitution, and evaluates the persistent gap between policy design and implementation. A comparative analysis with Nigeria’s education policies and laws, particularly the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act of 2004 and the National Policy on Education (NPE), reveals both parallels and differences in how two developing nations have pursued universal access to quality education. The paper finds that while India has achieved commendable progress in enrolment and school infrastructure, learning outcomes, equity, and implementation remain deficient. The policy implementation gap, caused by financial constraints, bureaucratic issues, and inadequate implementation plans and execution, continues to undermine reform potential. The paper concludes with lessons for public policy design and reform implementation applicable to India, Nigeria, and comparable developing-country contexts.

Keywords :
Education reform, India National Education Policy, Right to Education, Access vs Quality Divide, Policy to implementation gap, Comparative Education, State Capacity, Federalism

Trending but Not Transforming: Generation Z’s Social Media Activism and Its Diplomatic Impact in International Relations

Authors : Gayatri Gaikwad , Mehak Bhutani , Amina Dossa, Shalini Sarkar, Zainab Amjad

Abstract :

Generation Z the cohort born between approximately 1997 and 2012 has emerged as the most digitally mobilised generation in political history, leveraging platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X and Discord to organise transnational advocacy and challenge entrenched governance structures. Yet a critical paradox persists ,the generation that trends globally rarely transforms diplomatically. This paper examines the relationship between Generation Z’s social media activism and its tangible impact on international relations, arguing that while digital activism has democratised political expression and produced measurable domestic disruptions, its structural conversion into lasting diplomatic outcomes remains limited and uneven. Drawing on comparative case studies alongside empirical evidence from quantitative platform studies and theoretical frameworks of soft power, generational theory, and networked social movements, this paper identifies the conditions under which digital youth activism does and does not translate into diplomatic recalibration. It further interrogates platform architecture, disinformation dynamics, and the mobilisation-distraction paradox as structural constraints on Gen Z’s diplomatic agency. The findings suggest that while Generation Z constitutes a genuinely novel geopolitical force, the efficacy of their digital activism in reshaping international relations depends critically on context, institutional responsiveness, and the capacity to bridge online momentum with sustained offline institutional engagement.

Keywords –
Gen z, Diplomacy , Social Media ,Digitalisation

GOVERNANCE DEFICITS AND IRREGULAR MIGRATION PATHWAYS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDIA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA WITH EMPHASIS ON YOUTH VULNERABILITY AND POLICY RESPONSES

Authors : Mpude Blanche Diale Nzalle, Ezekiel Kaba, Monique van Eeden

Abstract :

Irregular migration is a major humanitarian challenge in twenty-first-century Sub-Saharan Africa and India and a persistent global issue. In India, it often occurs through informal agents, driven by high recruitment costs, visa restrictions, and weak governance in states such as Punjab, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. This study aims to examine how governance deficits shape irregular migration in both regions, with a focus on youth vulnerability and policy responses. Using a comparative qualitative/mixed-methods design, it draws on IOM and World Bank reports, national migration documents, and case studies of major routes, with comparative policy review and descriptive statistics. The research indicated that inadequate governance intensifies irregular migration, which in turn hinders economic prospects for youth. The analysis demonstrates that although India has established formal migration frameworks, such as the Ministry of External Affairs and the Protectorate of Emigrants, their effectiveness remains consistently restricted. Findings indicate that governance deficits and high youth unemployment are structural drivers of irregular migration, operating independently of economic factors. Governance failure is identified as a primary cause of irregular migration among youth. The study recommends strengthening migration governance, mechanizing agriculture, providing sustainable youth business financing, and expanding access to education and vocational training. These measures would increase meaningful employment and reduce incentives for dangerous, illegal journeys.

Keywords:
Irregular Migration, Governance, Youth Vulnerability

The Role Of Climate Forecasts In Shaping Adaptation Behaviour: Evidence From A Cross-Country Survey

Authors : Fareed Ahmad, Mwita Chacha, Obodo Lotachi

Abstract

Climate change presents considerable global threats, particularly in regions that are dependent on climate-sensitive livelihoods. While advances in climate forecasting have improved the availability and accuracy of climate information, a persistent gap remains between information access and actual adaptive behaviour. This study investigates the
behavioural mechanisms that translate climate forecasts into adaptive action using a cross-country survey of 309 respondents across six countries: India, Kenya, Egypt,
Indonesia, Nigeria and Japan. Using quantitative method including descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation and multiple linear regression, this study examined the roles of Access to Climate Forecast Information (ACF), Trust in Climate Information (TCI) and Climate Risk Perception (CRP) in shaping Climate Adaptation Behaviour (CAB).
Descriptive analysis revealed a pronounced perception-action gap: climate risk
perception was high (mean = 4.09) while adaptation behaviour remained moderate
(mean = 3.53). Regression analysis demonstrated that trust in climate information (β =0.299, p < 0.001) and access to forecasts (β = 0.179, p = 0.003) were significant predictors of adaptive behaviour, whereas risk perception alone was not statistically significant (p = 0.275). These findings carry important implications for designing climate services and evidence-based policy interventions. Keywords:
Climate Adaptation Behaviour; Climate Forecasts; Trust in Information; Risk
Perception; Cross-Country Analysis; Climate Policy

Constitutionalising Emergency Powers in India: Evaluating the restraints on the use of Emergency Powers In line with safeguards against their misuse

Authors : Srijan Kumar Sharma, Mehak Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Kartik Sharma, Alisha Gupta

Abstract :

This paper provides a comprehensive constitutional analysis of India’s emergency powers framework, examining the historical foundations, structural architecture, and postindependence jurisprudential evolution of Articles 352, 356, 358, and 359 of the Constitution of India. Tracing the philosophical underpinnings of emergency governance from Carl Schmitt’s theory of sovereign exception and John Locke’s executive prerogative to Giorgio Agamben’s doctrine of necessity, the paper situates India’s emergency provisions within a global constitutional discourse on the tension between state authority and individual liberty. Drawing on the Constituent Assembly debates, it reconstructs the framers’ deliberate choices and their cautionary awareness of precedents such as the Weimar Constitution’s catastrophic Article 48. The paper critically examines the systematic misuse of Article 356 between 1959 and 1994, culminating in an analysis of S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994), which constitutionalised the floor test doctrine, established federalism as a basic structure element, and subjected presidential proclamations to meaningful judicial review. It further analyses the critical distinction between Articles 358 and 359, with particular attention to the conceptual and practical consequences of suspending rights as opposed to remedies; a distinction rendered judicially decisive in ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla (1976) and subsequently rehabilitated through Justice H.R. Khanna’s celebrated dissent. The paper evaluates the Constitution (FortyFourth Amendment) Act, 1978, as a response to the excesses of the 1975 Emergency, including the absolute unsuspendability of Articles 20 and 21, the substitution of ‘armed rebellion’ for ‘internal disturbance,’ and the procedural safeguards on emergency proclamation. The postamendment jurisprudential trajectory is traced through Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978), Minerva Mills Ltd. v. Union of India (1980), and Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India (2017), which formally overruled ADM Jabalpur and dramatically expanded the substantive constitutional floor available to citizens during emergency conditions. Through comparative analysis of the German Basic Law, South Africa’s Section 37, and the American experience, the paper identifies structural vulnerabilities that persist in the Indian framework, including the absence of granular proportionality review of emergency measures, the susceptibility of Article 19 rights to suppression, and the contingent nature of judicial independence as an institutional safeguard. The paper concludes that while India’s constitutional architecture has made genuine and significant progress, structural consolidation; through codified sunset clauses, mandatory measure-specific parliamentary accountability, and constitutionally mandated judicial timelines, remains the unfinished work of emergency law reform.

Keywords:
Emergency Powers; Fundamental Rights; Articles 358 and 359; ADM Jabalpur;S.R. Bommai Case; Forty-Fourth Amendment; Basic Structure Doctrine; Judicial Review

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BRICS Plus and Contested Multilateralism: Policy Coordination, Internal Tensions, and the Role of Emerging Middle Powers in Global Governance Reform

Authors: Kamatchi Devi S; Revanth Udutha; Vanshita Baid

Abstract

Academic research has increased its focus on BRICS Plus expansion which occurred during the early 2020s because researchers want to determine whether this alliance serves as a counterforce against the Western-dominated liberal international order or operates mainly as a national interest-driven platform. The research investigates how BRICS Plus members coordinate their policies while assessing their global governance reform efforts and studying how the group handles internal conflicts which arise from the ongoing competition between India and China. The study uses qualitative research methods to analyze secondary data from BRICS summit declarations and institutional documents and existing academic literature. BRICS Plus shows increasing rhetorical unity and institutional governance reform collaboration but actual governance reform partnerships remain limited because of power imbalances and different national objectives and clashing leadership goals. Indian, Brazilian, and South African emerging middle powers use BRICS to improve their strategic independence and international recognition instead of establishing a unified movement against existing power structures. The research demonstrates that BRICS Plus functions as a contested multilateral system which permits international governance changes to proceed through minor
adjustments that avoid major transformations of the current global system.

Key words :
BRICS Plus Expansion, Contested Multilateralism, Global
Governance Reform, Emerging Middle Powers, Policy Coordination and Power
Asymmetries

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