Focus on DBT, E-Office: Government to IAS trainees

NEW DELHI: The Centre will be tasking all trainee IAS officers joining the Centre on a special three-month stint from August 1 to focus on the three specific areas of Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT), E-Office and space technology, projects which are close to the Prime Minister’s heart.

The 178 officers of the 2014 batch joining in as ‘Assistant Secretaries’ will also be part of a special WhatsApp group and will be meeting top dignitaries, including the National Security Advisor, RBI Governor, NITI Aayog CEO, Central Information Commissioner, Central Vigilance Commissioner, Central Election Commissioner over the 3 months. This is the second batch of IAS officers joining the central training before going to their state cadres – an idea mooted by the Prime Minister last year.

Though the officers will be assigned to 58 Ministries and Departments in all, they will be asked to have “special focus” on Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT), E-Office, and usage of space technology projects in each ministry that they are assigned to. Regarding DBT, the officers will be expected to review the status of DBT in all schemes of the Ministry, including scholarship schemes, if any, in that ministry and ensure its implementation in a time-bound manner and specify roadmap for complete roll-out. The officers will be asked to identify various components of e-governance in ministries, including e-office, and ensure its implementation in a time-bound manner.

Regarding space technology, the officers will be asked to identify the existing as well as new areas of space application in that Ministry including issues involved in implementation in the field and ensure adoption of space technology in that ministry. The officers would be reporting to the Centre on August 1 for the three-month stint which involves a presentation at the end of the training before the Prime Minister. Additional Secretaries in Ministries will be designated as “mentors” of these officers.