Two-day immersive executive education program on 17th and 18th November’2022 to create a recurring knowledge-offsite for civil servants towards impactful e-Governance initiatives
The program witnessed 100+ participants including 40+ senior civil servants representing 30+ central and state governments focused on enhancing capacities for envisaging, designing, and implementing government transformation initiatives by leveraging digital technologies.
The event was graced by the Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Some notable speakers were Mr. Adil Zainulbhai, Chairperson, Capacity Building Commission, Mr. Hemang Jani, Secretary, Capacity Building Commission, Mr. Praveen Pardeshi, Member, Administration, Capacity Building Commission, Ms. Choy Peng Wu, Director, Government Transformation APJ/ASEAN AWS, Ms. Shalini Kapoor, Chief Technologist, WW Public Sector, AWS, Mr. Manu Srivastava, Principal Secretary, Mr. Abhishek Singh, MD & CEO, Digital India Corporation, Mr. Prakash Kumar, CEO, Wadhwani Foundation amongst many other senior dignitaries.
The two-day program comprised four curated expert-led panel discussions on diverse aspects of digital transformation and technology deployment within the Government which were chaired and moderated by subject matter and industry experts:
- Addressing Procurement and Transformation Management Challenges
- Leveraging Technology to Drive Innovation in Public Health
- Demystifying Cloud Adoption
- Leveraging Emerging Technology
While each thematic session witnessed great enthusiasm by the civil servants who posed questions to the panellists, a separate session was held for deliberating on any issues wherein expert advice or guidance was needed from the jury members. While largely the queries ranged from developing the necessary competencies to adapt to the nation's vision, mission and strategies in the digital age, there were also questions pertaining to adapting cultural, organizational and management practices that foster experimentation, iteration, and innovation in the public sector.
Driven by the hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s proactive policies, the Minister stated how India has transformed since 2015 when Digital India was launched. The objective and underlying theme remain the same i.e., "Technology must transform a Citizen's Life". In the past, administrative transformations were almost dysfunctional – technology has made it easier over the years as it is a continuously evolving process. Talking about how the government has demolished the old narrative about India, he emphasised the dictum – ‘Maximum Governance and Minimum Government’.
A networking dinner was hosted by Primus Partners for Government officials, private sector experts, multilateral, and donor agencies to facilitate informal dialogue and establish a mutually beneficial relationship. The idea was to create widespread awareness of futuristic technologies, bridge the gap in building capacity and reaffirm the trust between new-age technology and civil servants.