Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh on Sunday launched the first dedicated programme on “Administrative Capacity Building for Scientists and Academicians”, aiming to equip scientific and academic leaders with governance and decision-making skills under the Mission Karmayogi framework.

The initiative was announced during a special session of “SADHANA Saptah”, where the minister highlighted a long-standing gap in administrative training for scientists and academicians.

He said many professionals from these backgrounds often take up leadership roles without formal exposure to governance processes, making structured training essential.

“The new programme is designed to address this issue in a systematic way, reducing dependence on informal or self-learning methods that can be uneven and time-consuming,” he stated.

He added that the training modules will evolve over time to keep pace with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, while ensuring a balance between technology and human judgement.

The minister also outlined new priorities for the Capacity Building Commission, including the creation of specialised modules for specific administrative tasks.

He suggested introducing a focused course on handling Parliamentary Questions to improve procedural understanding among officials.

In addition, short orientation programmes may be developed for early-career civil servants and Assistant Secretaries to help them better understand governance systems.

Emphasising a shift in approach, Singh said capacity building should move beyond rule-based systems to a more flexible, role-based model.

He noted that integrating private sector practices into governance has become necessary, as traditional silos are no longer effective in today’s fast-changing environment.

Echoing similar views, Capacity Building Commission Chairperson S. Radha Chauhan said the next phase of Mission Karmayogi will focus on making public institutions more adaptive and humane.

Chauhan stressed that while artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important, governance must remain citizen-centric.

At the event, Dr. Singh also launched the upgraded UNNATI portal and unveiled a roadmap for the nationwide rollout of the Karmayogi Kartavya Karyakram.

He also oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Capacity Building Commission and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries to promote global knowledge partnerships in capacity building.