Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has announced a pioneering one-week residential Administrative Training Programme for science administrators, aimed at equipping India’s next generation of scientific leaders with the skills needed to drive innovation, governance, and sustainability.
The initiative, developed by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), will be onboarded on the iGOT Karmayogi portal under Mission Karmayogi to promote a whole-of-government approach.
Speaking at Kartavya Bhawan, Dr. Singh emphasized the shift from “rule-based” to “role-based” capacity building, stating that the programme will mirror civil services training modules and offer exposure to administrative, strategic, and leadership responsibilities in the science and technology ecosystem.
The training will target PhD scholars, assistant professors, and mid-career faculty, covering topics such as scientific communication, grant writing, lab safety, innovation, stress management, and research group leadership. For senior roles, INSA will collaborate with the American Chemical Society (ACS) to host leadership conferences focused on strategic decision-making and change management.
Dr. Singh highlighted the democratization of science in India over the past decade, noting increased participation from youth, women, and researchers from remote regions. He drew parallels between scientific research and India’s startup culture, citing shared values of innovation and problem-solving.
To align with global priorities, the Minister directed that modules on Environment, Sustainability, and Governance (ESG) be included to sensitize scientists and laboratories to emerging compliance frameworks. He reiterated that the goal is not just to create administrators, but to build visionary science leaders for Viksit Bharat.
