As many as 1,580 IAS officers have been given exposure so far under the Assistant Secretary programme aimed to orient them towards national goals and promote a citizen-centric approach, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
The Assistant Secretary programme was conceived with the specific purpose of exposing young Indian Administrative Service officers to the policy-making processes and the structure of governance at the Union level before they take up administrative roles in the field, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh, said.
The objective of the programme is to acquaint officer trainees with the operational dynamics of the Central government, instilling in them a national perspective and a deeper appreciation of the policies shaping India's development, Singh said in a written reply.
“The programme reinforces a whole-of-government approach rooted in the belief that citizen-centric governance and inter-ministerial collaboration are the bedrock of efficient and inclusive administration,” he said.
A total of 1,580 IAS officers have been given exposure so far under the programme, which commenced in 2015 with the 2013-batch IAS officers, the minister said.
They are attached as assistant secretaries in various ministries/departments for a duration of eight weeks, the minister said.
“Their key responsibilities include working as desk officer/under secretary with the assigned ministry/department. They are assigned some identified problem statements for detailed analysis and solution suggestions,” Singh said.
This programme is a key component of the government's capacity-building efforts, aiming to orient officers towards national goals, promote a citizen-centric approach, and provide exposure to technological innovations in governance, he said.
“It helps officers gain a national perspective, appreciate policy diversity, and understand the broader vision of the government's programmes, preparing them to be effective and inspired administrators in their respective cadres. Also, while working as desk officer/under secretary, they become familiar with the working of the Central secretariat,” the minister said.
From 2023 onwards, the programme has been restructured and aligned more closely with the overall induction training and it is now an integral part of the training of IAS officers with a duration of eight weeks before the start of Phase II training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration , Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.
Through hands-on training, exposure to flagship schemes, and close involvement in ministry-level work, the officers gain first-hand experience in governance and policy formulation, Singh said.
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