India begins capacity building programme for 40 Bangladeshi civil servants

The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in India has commenced a capacity-building programme for 40 Bangladeshi civil servants.

The NCGG promotes collaboration and learning among civil servants in India and neighbouring countries, in line with the 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) philosophy espoused by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to an official statement.

NCGG's capacity-building initiatives for civil servants aim at promoting good governance, enhancing service delivery and improving the quality of life of citizens by reaching the last person, reports The Print.

"Two capacity-building programmes for the civil servants of Bangladesh (57th batch with 40 participants) and Arunachal Pradesh (second batch with 29 participants) commenced at the NCGG, Mussoorie campus. NCGG organised joint sessions to facilitate knowledge and experience sharing," said the statement issued by the Union personnel ministry.

Bharat Lal, director general of NCGG, chaired the joint inaugural session wherein he emphasised the crucial role of civil servants in providing efficient public service delivery. He highlighted the importance of creating an enabling environment for citizens to realise their potential by improving infrastructure, services and facilities.

He urged officers to share their experiences and learnings, which could be further fine-tuned by other officers for the benefit of people and implemented in other areas.

The capacity building programme comprises sessions on public policy and implementation, digital governance, revitalising rivers, a centralised public grievance redressal system, innovative education outcomes, rural housing, project planning, execution and monitoring, shifting governance paradigms, fintech and inclusion, planning and constructing eco-friendly smart cities through case studies, gender and development and anti-corruption strategies among others.

In 2022, the NCGG signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh to enhance the skills of 1,800 civil servants by 2025.

Another MoU signed in the same year aims to develop the capacity of civil servants in Arunachal Pradesh.

"By improving the capacity of civil servants, delivery in terms of policy reforms, infrastructure, and services can be further enhanced. Moreover, enhancing the capacity of civil servants will strengthen the overall governance and contribute to the sustainable development of the region," the statement said.

In partnership with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, NCGG provided capacity-building training to civil servants from 15 developing nations, including Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, Seychelles, Gambia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam, Bhutan, Myanmar Afghanistan, and Cambodia.