NEW DELHI | OCTOBER 26, 2026 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, Dr. Jitendra Singh, chaired the 328th meeting of the Executive Council of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in New Delhi on Monday.
The meeting focused on strengthening public administration training, expanding professional capacity-building programmes, encouraging research and academic collaboration, empowering faculty members and recognising outstanding contributions to public administration and education.
As Chairman of the IIPA Executive Council, Dr. Singh emphasised the need to broaden the institute’s training activities to meet the changing requirements of governance and administration across different sectors.
🔹 FOCUS ON NEXT-GENERATION PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The Executive Council stressed the importance of extending IIPA’s capacity-building initiatives beyond conventional administrative services.
Priority areas highlighted included:
▪️ University administration: Enhancing the governance and administrative capabilities of university administrators.
▪️ Hospital administration: Strengthening professional knowledge and management skills among hospital administrators.
▪️ Science and technology: Developing administrative capabilities among scientific and technical personnel.
▪️ Cross-sector learning: Encouraging participation from different government departments, services and professional backgrounds.
The broader objective is to strengthen institutional effectiveness and equip administrators with the skills required to manage increasingly complex public-sector responsibilities.
🔹 ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMME IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION TO BE STRENGTHENED
The Executive Council appreciated efforts to improve the Advanced Professional Programme in Public Administration (APPPA).
The programme’s development has included institutional collaborations, greater engagement with experts from reputed institutions and efforts to enrich its academic content.
The council also discussed further diversification of the programme, including participation from a wider range of government sectors and services.
Greater diversity among participants can help encourage knowledge-sharing, interdisciplinary learning and the exchange of practical administrative experience.
🔹 FACULTY EMPOWERMENT AND RESEARCH SUPPORT
The council appreciated measures aimed at increasing faculty participation in the institute’s administrative decision-making processes.
It also recognised efforts to provide faculty incentives associated with research projects, supporting a stronger research-oriented academic environment.
These initiatives reflect an emphasis on institutional participation, academic contribution and the development of evidence-based approaches to governance.
🔹 ONE NATION ONE SUBSCRIPTION: WIDER ACCESS TO RESEARCH
The meeting highlighted the benefits expected from the implementation of One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) for the institute’s academic community.
The initiative is intended to facilitate wider access to scholarly resources, including:
📚 Academic journals and research papers.
📖 Books and other scholarly publications.
📑 Project reports and research materials.
🔬 Resources supporting academic research and professional development.
Improved access to research publications can help faculty members and researchers strengthen their academic work, keep pace with emerging knowledge and develop better-informed approaches to public policy and administration.
🔹 IIPA INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME TO EXPAND
The Executive Council also appreciated IIPA’s structured internship programme, launched in May 2026.
The council called for expanding the programme’s scope and encouraging student interns to participate more actively in research papers and other institutional research activities.
Greater involvement in research could provide students with practical exposure to public administration, policy analysis and institutional studies while helping them develop valuable professional skills.
The meeting also noted efforts to strengthen the institute’s administrative capacity through manpower support from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
🏆 NATIONAL RECOGNITION: IIPA ANNUAL AWARDS ANNOUNCED
The Executive Council announced its annual awards recognising contributions to public administration and academic excellence.
🔹 WHY THESE DECISIONS MATTER
The initiatives discussed at the meeting bring together several important aspects of institutional development: professional training, research access, faculty empowerment, student engagement and recognition of excellence.
By expanding its programmes and encouraging wider participation, IIPA aims to strengthen the professional capabilities needed for effective governance and public service delivery.
The emphasis on administrators from universities, hospitals and scientific institutions also reflects the importance of management expertise across diverse public-sector organisations.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The 328th Executive Council meeting placed capacity building, research and institutional improvement at the centre of IIPA’s development agenda.
The announced awards added a recognition component to the proceedings, honouring retired IAS officers and an academician.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Dr. Jitendra Singh’s meeting at IIPA highlighted plans to broaden administrative training, strengthen APPPA, improve research access through ONOS, expand student internships and recognise contributions to public administration and academic excellence.
