“Strengthening Ties and Empowering Governance: India’s Capacity Building Programme for Deputy Commissioners of Bangladesh”

Newdelhi:21/7/24:Aligned with the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy advocated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has successfully concluded its flagship one-week special capacity building programme on public policy and governance for 16 Deputy Commissioners of Bangladesh from July 15-20, 2024.

The Deputy Commissioners had the opportunity to interact with the Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh.

Addressing the officers, Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the mutual benefits of exchanging best practices and knowledge to tackle common challenges. He emphasized the success of India’s developmental programmes like PM Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, and CPGRAMS, which are being replicated in Bangladesh. He proposed the identification of “twin districts” in India and Bangladesh facing similar issues to foster cooperation. He praised the strengthening of Indo-Bangladesh ties through the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, focusing on capacity building, infrastructure development, and people-to-people connections, aligning with the visions of ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ and ‘Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041’.

Following the completion of the first phase of the capacity-building programme for 1,500 civil servants, the NCGG signed an MoU with the Government of Bangladesh to enhance the capacity of an additional 1,800 civil servants by 2025. To date, with support from the MEA and in close cooperation with the Indian Mission in Dhaka, the NCGG has trained approximately 2,650 officers from Bangladesh. This week-long programme included interactions with senior Secretaries to the Government of India and District Collectors and Magistrates on various initiatives and best practices across critical topics.

The valedictory ceremony was chaired by Shri V. Srinivas, IAS, Secretary, DARPG & DPPW and DG, NCGG, and was attended by Smt. Prisca Poly Mathew, Chief Administrative Officer, NCGG. The entire programme was supervised and coordinated by Dr. A.P. Singh, Course Coordinator and Associate Professor, NCGG; Dr. Gazala Hasan, Associate Course Coordinator and Assistant Professor, NCGG; Shri Sanjay Dutt Pant, Programme Assistant, NCGG; and Shri Akash Sikdar, Young Professional, NCGG, along with the dedicated training team of NCGG.