Mauritius Delegation Concludes Productive Visit to India with Focus on Governance and Capacity Building

New Delhi: The high-level official visit of a Mauritius delegation to India concluded successfully after three days of strategic meetings and discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in governance and capacity building. The talks were led byV. Srinivas, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, and Director General of the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), along with K. Conhye, Secretary for Public Service, Mauritius. The visit, held from September 23-25, 2024, focused on building a stronger framework for training public officers and improving governance practices.

The visit marked a significant step in fostering collaboration between the NCGG and Mauritius’s Ministry of Public Services, Administrative and Institutional Reforms. Discussions primarily centered around capacity-building programs for public officers in Mauritius, with a strong emphasis on faculty development and enhancing public service delivery mechanisms.

During the visit, the Mauritius delegation interacted with district administrators from various parts of India, including Varnali Deka, Durga Shakti Nagpal, Deepak Meena, Swati Bhaduria, and Bhavya Mittal, to understand the challenges and reforms in governance at the district level. These interactions provided valuable insights into the roles and responsibilities of district collectors in India, offering examples of effective governance models that could be adapted in Mauritius.

The delegation also engaged with experts from key Indian institutions such as PM GatiShakti, GeM, and UIDAI, which are at the forefront of India’s infrastructure development and public service delivery through digital platforms. Their meeting with S.N. Tripathi, Director General of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), focused on frameworks for public administration education and decentralization strategies, highlighting India’s comprehensive governance structures.

India’s best practices in governance were further showcased during the delegation’s visit to Paryavaran Bhawan, where they met Amandeep Garg, IAS, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Discussions at the National Archives of India (NAI) with Arun Singhal, IAS, provided the delegation with insights into digitization efforts and record-keeping systems that preserve India’s historical documents.

One of the key topics discussed was India’s strong stance on transparency and anti-corruption efforts, with the delegation meeting officials from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), including P. Daniel, to explore India’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption. They also had an in-depth session with Chief Information Commissioner Heeralal Samariya and senior officials of the Central Information Commission, who briefed them on the Right to Information (RTI) framework and its role in promoting transparency.

The Mission Karmayogi initiative, India’s public service capacity-building program, was also presented to the delegation by Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of the Capacity Building Commission (CBC). The delegation was keen to explore this model for possible collaboration, recognizing the program’s potential to enhance the skills of public officers in Mauritius.

The visit concluded with a de-briefing session where both sides exchanged a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining future collaborations between the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Mauritius, and the NCGG. The discussions outlined a clear roadmap for enhanced bilateral cooperation in public service training and governance.

This successful visit reinforced the commitment of both India and Mauritius to fostering stronger ties in governance, transparency, and public administration, while laying the groundwork for future joint initiatives aimed at improving public service delivery and administrative efficiency in both countries.