The Dr. MCR HRD Institute of Telangana launched an eleven-week Foundation Course (FC) for Assistant Section Officers (ASOs) of Central Secretariat Service, Government of India, recruited through Staff Selection Commission of India. The FC, which is being attended by over ninety ASOs belonging to such States as Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, UP, etc., aims to familiarize them with the basic tenets of administration and core values of governance at the entry level of the Central Secretariat.The FC has been sponsored by Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM), DoPT, Government of India.
The APVN Sarma, IAS (Retd.), Advisor to Governorof Telangana, in his inaugural address, said that in the fast changing world of work, electronic file management system is becoming an order of the day and advised the ASOs to keep their skill sets in the domain of IT up-to-date to measure up to the dynamic demands of their jobs. He added that knowledge of administrative law will be of great help in understanding the cases in their true and total frame of reference, which is a prerequisite for meeting the aspirations of a common man.
The BP Acharya, IAS, Special Chief Secretary and DG, Dr MCR HRD Institute, in his keynote address, said that the ASOs are very important component of the structure of governance, rather than a mere cog in the wheel. He stated that the ultimate aim of a Government job is to render public service and advised the ASOs to develop empathy towards the aspirations of people and process the files with a human touch rather than merely from a techno-legal perspective. He added that right inputs are as important as right decisions and advised the ASOs to make use of their head and heart to help the higher up in taking the right decisions that would result in broader welfare of society.
The K Govindarajulu, Joint Director, ISTM, New Delhisaid that Government of India is placing great importance on the continuous training of employees at all levels. He advised the ASOs to understand their strengths and weaknesses in terms of the competencies that they need for performing their jobs effectively. He added that “people-first” is an important competency and the ASOs must keep enriching it.
Ms. Praveen Kumariand Ms. Vijayachandrashekhar, while sharing their experiences as Section Officers in CSS, advised the ASOs not to confine their knowledge merely to their respective jobs. “An interaction with other employees in different ministries would enable them to understand issues in a broader perspective and contribute their optimum best”, they opined unanimously.
The M P Sethy, Chief Consultant (Training & e-Learning) welcomed the gathering and gave an overview of the FC. K Sriram Prasad, Course Coordinator proposed a vote of thanks. Dr. Deepa Nair, Head, CUDs conducted the proceedings of the inaugural function.
