ED's 70th anniversary outreach gets 876 suggestions on AI, whistleblower reform
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) concluded its nationwide public outreach campaign on the MyGov platform on 9 June 2025, gathering 876 citizen submissions with actionable ideas to modernise India's premier financial crimes agency as it marked 70 years of operations. The campaign, themed '70 Years of ED: Fighting Financial Crimes, Serving the Nation', drew broad participation from citizens across age groups, with suggestions ranging from deploying artificial intelligence for money-laundering detection to establishing a secure whistleblower mechanism.
Key Suggestions Received
Among the most prominent recommendations were the use of AI and Big Data analytics to detect and track money-laundering networks, and the creation of a protected whistleblower system to encourage tip-offs from insiders and the public. Citizens also urged the ED to recruit specialised professionals — including chartered accountants (CAs), forensic auditors, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts — to keep pace with the increasingly complex nature of financial crimes. Regular training and technology-upgradation programmes for ED officers were another widely echoed demand, according to an official statement.
Campaign Activities and Reach
The outreach ran across multiple interactive modules. The Online Quiz on ED Day, conducted from 28 April to 28 May, recorded 89,299 views and 13,393 submissions. Participants aged 18–24 emerged as the most active demographic, reflecting growing awareness of financial integrity issues among young Indians. The ED is awarding cash prizes to the top 10 quiz performers.
The suggestion-gathering activity, 'Inviting Suggestions on Improvement in the Functioning of ED', ran from 30 April to 30 May and received 2,340 views and 876 submissions. Other activities included publishing educational content on the history and functions of the ED, raising awareness about the 'Verify Your Summon' facility, and the launch of a 'Pledge on Financial Integrity'.
What the ED Said
The agency expressed gratitude to all participating citizens. 'The enthusiastic response received through the MyGov platform reflects growing public awareness regarding the importance of financial integrity and collective responsibility in protecting India's economic interests,' the ED said in an official statement. The directorate also disseminated key achievements from its seven decades of functioning as part of the campaign.
Significance and What Comes Next
The campaign marks a notable shift in how a law-enforcement agency traditionally associated with raids and arrests is choosing to engage the public — seeking feedback rather than just projecting authority. This comes amid broader government efforts to modernise financial crime investigation frameworks, including the ongoing strengthening of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Whether the citizen suggestions feed into concrete policy or operational changes at the ED remains to be seen, but the directorate's acknowledgement of the inputs signals at least an intent to incorporate public perspectives into its reform roadmap.