PU Organises Special Lecture on Leadership, Governance and Public Administration

Chandigarh, October 7, 2026: The Department of Public Administration, Panjab University, Chandigarh, in collaboration with Leaders Network, today organised a special lecture on “Leadership, Governance and Public Administration: Perspectives from the Field”. The lecture was delivered by Suresh Kumar, IAS (Retd.), Former Chief Secretary of Punjab, in the presence of faculty members, research scholars and students of the University.
Dr. Bhawna Gupta, Chairperson of the Department welcomed the speaker and highlighted importance of a practitioner's perspective to bring knowledge beyond text books for students. Drawing upon his extensive experience in public administration, Sh. Suresh Kumar spoke about the practical dimensions of governance and the role of leadership in public administration. The lecture focused on administrative accountability, transparency and public participation. He cited various anecdotes from his career and reflected on the evolution of public participation and the need for citizens to engage more actively and constructively with issues of governance.
A significant aspect of the discussion was the importance of ensuring that administrative decisions and policies remain grounded in field realities. The session underlined that effective leadership in public administration requires not only institutional authority but also the ability to understand diverse perspectives, inspire confidence and respond to the concerns of citizens.
The discussion also touched upon the principle of administrative neutrality and the challenges faced by administrators while working within the political and institutional framework of governance. Issues relating to agriculture, politics and the functioning of public administration were also discussed.
The lecture was followed by an engaging interactive session with students, research scholars and faculty members, who raised questions on contemporary issues of administration and governance. Anandita Talwar, Reemaljot Kaur, Harmandeep Singh, Inderjit Kaur, Vishal Thakur and Jagriti raised several concerns affecting good governance. The interaction provided an opportunity for participants to draw upon the speaker's extensive field experience and gain a deeper understanding of the realities of public administration.
Amanpreet Singh Virk from Leaders Network shared the contribution of his organization in connecting practitioners with youth and proposed a vote of thanks.