Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Wednesday called for a dynamic curriculum in view of changing governance landscape and continuous evolution in public administration training modules to meet the rapidly changing requirements driven by emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing.
Delivering the Convocation Address of the 50th "Advanced Professional Programme in Public Administration" (APPPA) at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Dr. Jitendra Singh, who is also the Chairman of the IIPA Executive Council, said, “What is relevant today may not be tomorrow.
We need to learn every day to stay relevant.” Highlighting the government’s focus on Mission Karmayogi and Viksit Bharat, the Minister said the APPPA programme has grown beyond its traditional curriculum to include exposure to aspirational districts, defence institutions, rural and urban development schemes, and India’s rich traditional knowledge systems.
“I am happy that the course has evolved with time, integrating themes like Atmanirbhar Bharat and governance reforms,” he said. In a candid and wide-ranging address, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the need for continuous learning and adaptive policy making in the face of exponential technological advancements.
“We could very well see participants of the 50th APPPA returning for refresher courses by the 55th,” he quipped, stressing the need to keep administrative knowledge up to date. Lauding IIPA’s initiative to organize APPPA’s golden jubilee programme, Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored the importance of civil-military synergy.
“Today’s army officers don’t just stay in isolation; they are expected to brief the media, interact with civilians and respond jointly in disaster-affected regions,” he noted, calling for greater focus on communication skills in future iterations of the course.
The Minister urged participants to assist in visualizing “India@2047” by contributing their domain-specific knowledge to the vision document being prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.
“We mustn’t view 2047 through the prism of 2025. Change is unfolding too quickly. We need to project forward with a futuristic mindset,” he said. Dr. Jitendra Singh also appreciated IIPA’s recent grassroots initiative, which began training programmes for elected Sarpanches and Panchayati Raj representatives, saying this marks a significant step in democratizing capacity building.
“IIPA has now spread its wings from training senior civil servants to empowering grassroot representatives,” he said. Acknowledging the contributions of course directors Prof. Neetu Jain and Dr. Saket Bihari, he also appreciated the participants of the 50th APPPA batch for their resilience in completing the course during challenging times.
The Minister announced that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has approved a fee enhancement from the 51st APPPA batch onwards, giving IIPA more room to strengthen the programme through additional exposure visits and new modules.
Concluding his address on a hopeful note, Dr. Jitendra Singh encouraged participants to stay connected and continue contributing to nation-building. “Though the course culminates today, the bond built over these ten months is forever,” he said.
Director General, IIPA, S.N. Tripathi, in his introductory address, highlighted the salient features of various training programmes undertaken by IIPA.