Reimagining Civil Service Training: Decolonizing Mindsets & Institutions
For decades, India's CSTIs have operated within frameworks inherited from colonial rule-shaping administrative structures, policy-making approaches & institutional cultures that often remain disconnected from realities of Bharat’s civilizational ethos. This calls for a necessary shift.
Today @IIT Delhi, Abhijnana-Workshop on Decolonizing CSTIs brings together thought leaders, policymakers & academics to initiate this transformation. Organized by Capacity Building Commission,Training Division, DoPT, IKS Programme @IIT Delhi & INDICA, this workshop is designed to empower civil servants & CSTIs with intellectual tools to draw from IKS-not as an abstract idea, but as a practical approach to governance & administration.
Nomesh Bolia, Prof., IIT Delhi,remarked that civil services are deeply respected in India not just for their authority but for their role in nation-building,urging participants to explore how key concepts can be materialized into actionable steps for decolonization.
Prof. KE Seetha Ram,Senior Consulting Specialist, ADB Institute, highlighted that institutional transformation requires rethinking foundational frameworks & that IKS offers a way to rebuild civil service training programs in alignment with India's unique governance needs.
S P Roy, Jt. Secretary, CBC,highlighted importance of building a mindset around Indian Knowledge System and its role in governance & capacity building.
Dr. R Balasubramaniam, Member (HR), CBC, led key discussions today. His insights on how colonial constructs continue to shape public service & need to realign governance with India’s cultural & knowledge traditions will be instrumental in reshaping civil service training. Drawing from Panch Pran, he emphasized the need for capturing & institutionalizing success stories to ensure governance becomes a structured, repeatable process that strengthens public institutions.
Shri Amit Khare (IAS), Advisor to the Hon’ble PM, the Chief Guest, reinforced that Viksit Bharat can only emerge when every state, village & citizen progresses together.He emphasized a ‘saturation approach’ where every individual contributes to the nation’s growth story.He also commended CBC’s role in bringing IKS closer to civil servants, ensuring governance remains deeply connected to India’s knowledge traditions.He also made a poignant remark emphasizing the importance of sustaining their commitment to serving the nation, just as it is when they first embark on their journey in civil service.
The workshop will explore
🔸 Why we must decolonize our institutions
🔸 What elements of governance & training need transformation
🔸 How to embed IKS into CSTI curricula, functional practices & institutional culture
The workshop progresses to work towards redefining how civil servants are trained-so that they don’t just manage a system,but actively build one that is rooted in India’s knowledge traditions.
