UN partners with India’s Department of Information Technology to develop national ICT human capacity for socio-economic growth

Department of Information Technology, Government of India and over thirty Indian government officials and senior training instructors are partnering with APCICT to launch a national training programme on the use of information and communication technology for socio-economic development (ICTD).

14 February 2011

Press Release No. G/02/2011

 Launch of APCICT Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders

Bangkok (UN ESCAP Information Services) -- Indian government officials and senior training instructors are collaborating with the United Nations Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT), in the launch of the “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders” through the First National Training of Trainers Workshop.

The Academy is the flagship ICT human resources and institutional capacity development programme of APCICT, a regional institute of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). It is designed to equip government officials with the skills needed to fully leverage ICT for socio-economic development.

The First National Training of Trainers Workshop concludes on 16 February and is jointly organized by APCICT, the Government of India’s Department of Information Technology (DIT) and the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).

The Academy launch was presided over by Mr. P.K. Gera, Joint Director, LBSNAA, Mr. Shankar Aggarwal, Additional Secretary, DIT and Dr. Hyeun-Suk Rhee, Director, APCICT. Thirty-six officials from the Department of IT, LBSNAA and seven central training institutes responsible for training government officers from across India were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rhee said “APCICT is very pleased to be collaborating with LBSNAA and DIT in the effort to enhance India’s human resources and institutional capacity in the use of ICT for socio-economic development. In our proposed partnership and through the Academy, we will work to leverage ICT opportunities to further and strengthen India’s development achievements.” 

In his inaugural address, LBSNAA Joint Director Mr. Gera remarked: “It is LBSNAA’s pleasure to engage with DIT and APCICT to help strengthen use of ICT for development, and build capacities of other training institutions within India, in this field. The knowledge that will be shared over the next three days will ensure that comprehensive Academy training will be effectively disseminated throughout various branches of India’s civil services.”

Mr. Shankar Aggarwal, Additional Secretary, DIT which has provided key policy advice and strategic guidance in support of the Workshop and the Academy launch said: “The Department of Information Technology is confident that the Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders programme will make an important contribution towards building human and institutional capacity to help effectively utilize ICT for socio-economic development of India”.

LBSNAA is India’s apex training institution for providing foundational and mid-career training to members of the higher civil services. The workshop is designed to develop a cadre of resource persons within LBSNAA and other training institutions who will carry forward Academy training for capacity building of Indian government officials.

India’s cutting-edge and growing IT industry ranks amongst the top outsourcing destinations for global multi-nationals. However, India ranks 117 out of 159 countries in terms of ICT development, according to the latest report of the International Telecommunication Union. The Government is committed to increasing ICT connectivity throughout India and strengthening ICT human resource and institutional capacity to promote national development.

Other institutions participating in the workshop include the SVP National Police Academy, the National Academy of Customs Excise & Narcotics, the National Academy of Direct Taxes, the National Academy of Audit and Accounts, the Indian Railway Institute of Transport Management, the Railway Staff College, and the Postal Staff College India.

The First National Training of Trainers Workshop will deliver training on three APCICT Academy modules: The Linkage between ICT Applications and Meaningful Development; e-Government Applications; and ICT Trends for Government Leaders.

The APCICT Academy curriculum comprises eight stand-alone, yet inter-linked training modules covering a variety of ICT for development topics.  APCICT will launch two new Academy modules later this year.

Academy programmes have earlier been delivered in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Indonesia, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Samoa, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.