The Bharat Pacific Principles
The Sonbhadra Principles for Inclusive Artificial Intelligence in Social Empowerment and Digital Governance [The Sonbhadra AI Principles]
June 18, 2025 | Version 1
Imperative Classification as per AiStandard.io Alliance Charter, Schedule 1, Part B
Regulatory [Legal: Transparency protocols mandating disclosure of AI decision-making processes]
Stakeholder-attribution as per AiStandard.io Alliance Charter, Schedule 1, Part C
Government: [Central Government Ministries, Regulatory Bodies: Principles 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12; Policymakers: Principles 3, 7, 9, 12]
Communities: [Academic Institutions/Researchers: Principles 1, 6, 8; Community Organizations: Principles 2, 5, 8, 9, 10; Digital Rights Groups: Principles 4, 5, 9, 12; Civil Society: Principles 5, 9, 12]
Organisations: [Technology Providers: Principles 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11; Digital Service Providers: Principles 4, 5, 10, 11, 12; Large Enterprises: Principles 3, 7, 11; Startups: Principles 2, 6, 8, 10; Media Organisations: Principles 9, 12]
full text of Principles
1. Never deploy AI systems for tasks that exceed demonstrated technical capabilities.
2. Start with pilot programs that can fail safely without harming vulnerable populations.
3. Build government capacity to evaluate and oversee AI systems across all digital public services while preserving and strengthening existing institutional knowledge and mentorship networks rather than replacing them.
4. Implement technical safeguards to prevent AI systems from denying benefits to eligible applicants or creating barriers to service access.
5. Ensure meaningful human control remains accessible at every critical decision point affecting individual welfare outcomes while enhancing rather than replacing human guidance and mentorship networks in social empowerment programs.
6. AI systems must demonstrate verified performance across diverse local contexts before deployment.
7. Maintain government control over critical AI system components affecting social welfare delivery.
8. Establish continuous monitoring systems that can detect when AI performance degrades specifically for vulnerable populations - provided that the degradation has a specific technical and viability impact.
9. Incorporate meaningful community input into AI system design and deployment decisions affecting social welfare.
10. AI systems must provide graduated support that adapts to individual circumstances and needs.
11. AI systems must deliver consistent outcomes across all organisational levels while preventing process-ridden (or process-averse) erosion of program effectiveness through bureaucratic processes.
12. Inform beneficiaries clearly when AI systems are used in their benefit decisions, including the extent of AI involvement, data sources, and available human review options.
Why the Principle's Name Matters
Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh's "Energy Capital of India," provides a powerful metaphor for AI's potential to energize social empowerment initiatives. Located between the Vindhya and Kaimur hills in a region Nehru called the "Switzerland of India," Sonbhadra powers the nation's electricity grid through its industrial infrastructure. The principles bearing this name aim to transform AI into an empowerment engine for India's vulnerable populations, ensuring technology serves those who need it most, much like how Sonbhadra's energy infrastructure powers the entire nation's development.
Terms and Conditions of Use
These Terms and Conditions ("T&Cs") outline the non-binding commitment to a set of principles, in line with Schedules 1 & 6 of the AiStandard.io Alliance Charter. This initiative is facilitated by the Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law (ISAIL) to promote AI standardization in India and the Indo-Pacific. The principles are named as:
The Sonbhadra Principles for Inclusive Artificial Intelligence in Social Empowerment and Digital Governance [The Sonbhadra AI Principles]
Who Can Commit?
​
Anyone can pledge their commitment: this includes businesses, individuals, researchers, developers, government bodies, non-profits, and any other organisation that aligns with the set of principles and its Stakeholder Identification Matrix (found in Schedule 1, AiStandard.io Alliance Charter (Ai-AC)).
​
What Your Commitment Means
​
By pledging to the [Insert Principle Name], you agree to:
​
-
Support its goals: Share knowledge, build capacity, or promote AI best practices in a specific sense.
-
Cite the principle: When you use or refer to the principle in your work, you are required to cite it.
​
Important Notes
​
-
It's Not Binding: Your commitment is entirely voluntary. There are no legal or financial obligations involved.
-
Restrictions on Use: You cannot reproduce, distribute, or change the content of the set of principles without getting written permission from ISAIL first.
-
No Guarantees: The set of principles are provided "as is." ISAIL isn't responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages that might come from its use.
​
Questions on what and how to initiate knowledge partnerships with ISAIL? Check Schedule 6 of the AiStandard.io Alliance Charter or ask us at executive@isail.co.in.