Syllabus: GS2/Government Policy and Intervention
Context
- Recently, Indian Institute of Public Administration assessed the impact by seeking inputs on trained staff and reported increased proficiency in data analytics and e-governance tools under Mission Karmayogi.
Mission Karmayogi
- India’s ambitious vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub, a critical exporter of value-added services, and a mass supplier of human skills to an ageing developed world by 2047 hinges on efficient governance and competent civil services.
- Recognising this, the Prime Minister of India launched Mission Karmayogi, the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building to transform India’s three million civil servants into citizen-centric, future-ready, and result-oriented ‘Karmayogis’.
Need for Transformation
- Historically, delayed infrastructure projects plagued India. Mega initiatives like Rail Freight Corridors and National Highways often faced setbacks due to inter-ministerial permissions and siloed approaches.
- To address this, the PM Gati Shakti platform emerged as a game-changer.
- By integrating legal, geographic, and planning layers, it facilitated a holistic approach to infrastructure development.
- However, for the platform to succeed, civil servants needed expertise in emerging technologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- India aims to become a global manufacturing hub, a critical exporter of value-added services, and a mass supplier of human skills to developed countries.
- It covers 46 lakh Central government employees at all levels, and it needs to evolve to meet the demands of a $30 trillion economy by 2047.
Approach For Mission Karmayogi
- Capacity Building Commission (CBC): It provides policy guidance and tools to enhance civil servants’ capabilities at all levels.
- Collaborating with institutions like Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya and the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes, and Narcotics, the CBC curated digital training courses.
- These courses equipped civil servants with skills to apply to PM Gati Shakti for project planning and coordination across departments.
- Competence Rooted in Indian Ethos: Mission Karmayogi aims to create a competent civil service rooted in Indian values.
- It fosters a shared understanding of the country’s priorities, emphasising effective and efficient public service delivery.
- Technology-Enabled Karmayogis: The program focuses on making civil servants more creative, constructive, imaginative, and proactive.
- It encourages transparency and leverages technology for better governance.
- It can be done either in-house or through knowledge partners. Carefully crafted and vetted content from top-notch institutions, universities, private content providers and individual resources will be made available as training modules.
Six Key Pillars Under Mission Karmayogi
- Policy Framework: Provides strategic direction for capacity-building initiatives.
- Institutional Framework: Establishes the organisational structure to support the program.
- Competency Framework: Defines skills and knowledge required for effective civil service.
- Digital Learning Framework (iGOT-Karmayogi): Comprehensive online learning platform.
- Electronic Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS): Streamlines personnel management processes.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: Ensures continuous improvement and impact assessment.
| iGOT Karmayogi – It is an online learning platform being developed as an integral part of the Digital India stack for capacity building of all government employees. – It aims to provide ‘anytime-anywhere-any device’ learning to train around 2.0 crores users which was so far unachievable through traditional measures. – It is envisioned to evolve into a vibrant and world class marketplace for content modelled on FRACs. – Supported by a robust e-learning content industry the content can be curated by individual government ministries or organisations. |
Potential of Mission Karmyogi
- Enhanced Proficiency: The Indian Institute of Public Administration assessed recently trained staff and reported increased proficiency in data analytics and e-governance tools.
- Continuous Capacity Building: Mission Karmayogi provides a mechanism for continuous capacity building, ensuring civil servants stay updated and skilled.
- Equal Opportunities: The program aims to provide equal opportunities for personal and professional growth for government officials at all levels.
- Ideal Civil Servants: By upgrading post-recruitment training mechanisms, Mission Karmayogi aims to create ideal civil servants who are citizen-centric, future-ready, and result-oriented.
Key Outcome Under Mission Karmayogi
- PM Gati Shakti Platform for Infrastructure Development: It integrates legal, geographic, and planning layers for mega infrastructure projects.
- Over 24,000 officials completed PM Gati Shakti learning modules, and 3,88,000 personnel were certified in emerging technologies.
- New rail lines increased from 4 km/day to 12 km/day by 2024.
- 15 highway projects under Bharatmala-2 were prepared using PM Gati Shakti.
- Sensitive wildlife habitats were avoided during rail and highway alignments.
- Mission Karmayogi for Citizen-Centric Policing: Over 50,000 police personnel underwent a two-day training on self-reflection and proactive problem-solving.
- Field research addressed flashpoints, including biassed behaviour complaints.
- Impact assessment showed increased citizen satisfaction in Puducherry after training.
- Citizen satisfaction increased 1.5 to 1.9 times in Mumbai, Asansol, Bengaluru, and Lucknow divisions.
- Gramin Dak Sevaks and village-level CSCs also received enhanced training.
Challenges Ahead
- Skill Gap: Despite training efforts, bridging the skill gap across diverse ministries and field-level officials remains a challenge.
- Proficiency in emerging technologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is critical for successful implementation of initiatives like PM Gati Shakti.
- Inter-Ministerial Coordination: Achieving a ‘whole of government’ approach requires seamless coordination among ministries.
- Overcoming silos and ensuring collaboration remains an ongoing challenge.
- Adaptation to Change: Transforming civil services necessitates a cultural shift. Encouraging civil servants to embrace technology, innovation, and citizen-centric approaches may face resistance.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Effective monitoring mechanisms are essential to track progress and address bottlenecks. Establishing robust evaluation processes is crucial.
Conclusion
- Mission Karmayogi seeks to transform India’s civil services, making them better prepared and citizen-oriented, ultimately contributing to the nation’s ambitious goals.
- It is a transformative initiative that empowers civil servants to drive India’s progress. By nurturing citizen-centric, tech-savvy Karmayogis, we pave the way for a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
| Daily Mains Practice Question [Q] What are the key pillars of the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) under Mission Karmayogi? How does it aim to enhance governance and create a competent civil service? |
