Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 11: Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu hosted the inaugural ceremony of the first Capacity Building Program for officials from the Finance and Planning & Monitoring Department of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The program under the Centre for Innovation and Transformation in Governance (CITaG), is a visionary initiative of the Planning Development & Monitoring Department, Government of J&K. This center integrates the State Institute of Transformation, NITI Aayog, GoI, the PPP Cell funded by the Department of Economic Affairs, GoI, and the Future Ready Governance initiative of the J&K Government. IIM Jammu serves as the Nodal Knowledge Partner and implementing body for CITaG.
Santosh Dattatraya Vaidya, Principal Secretary to the Government of J&K, Finance Department was chief guest in the inaugural ceremony while Mohammad Aijaz Asad, Administrative Secretary, Planning Development, and Monitoring Department, Govt of J & K presided over the event through online mode. The event was also graced by Prof B S Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu.
Santosh Dattatraya Vaidya commended the swift operationalization of CITaG, crediting the Planning Department and IIM Jammu for their mission-driven approach. He emphasized the significant impact of the program, particularly the training of 400 officers from the Planning and Finance sectors. He stressed the importance of collaborative thinking and urged participants to propose five actionable changes for Government implementation post-training.
Mohammad Aijaz Asad emphasized the collaborative focus on governance through innovation, highlighting the “Future Ready Governance” initiative led by the State Institute of Transformation, with IIM Jammu as the Nodal Knowledge Partner. He outlined strategic plans in sectors like tourism, revenue generation, and public enterprises.
Prof B S Sahay emphasized the need for advanced tools and technology to drive progress in Jammu and Kashmir, urging introspection, innovation and effective governance.
Present on the occasion were Prof Jabir Ali, Dean, Academics, IIM Jammu; Dr Rajesh Sikka, Dr Ashish Kumar, Dr Praveen Kumar and Dr Harsha Jariwala (Program Directors, IIM Jammu).