Hyderabad: UGC launches training programmes for capacity-building

Hyderabad : The University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched capacity-building training for non-teaching staff members from 45 Central universities in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC).

Disclosing this while launching the programme on Thursday, UGC chief Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said UGC aims to train at least 5,000 employees from all the Central universities in the first phase.

As part of this capacity-building exercise, the UGC aims to provide thorough training to non-teaching staff in Central universities to improve their skills and abilities. The training covers topics such as understanding psychology in workflow, utilising technology in workflow, grasping the higher education ecosystem, managing academics, handling establishment matters, managing finances, and project management.

The UGC has requested non-teaching staff members in Central universities to finish courses in the above areas available on the Integrated Government Online Training ( iGot) Karmayogi platform within four months. Employees of the Central universities will also get certificates after completing the courses, he added.

The GoI had established the CBC to improve standardisation and coordination across various civil services in the country. The CBC operates under the 'Mission Karmayogi' of the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT). Its primary focus is to enhance government employees' skills, knowledge and abilities. The initiative aims to ensure that civil servants are well-equipped to provide high-quality public services in today's rapidly changing world. Prof. Kumar said the UGC recognises the importance of capacity-building in promoting professional development, improving organisational efficiency, and fostering innovation within the higher education sector.

Accordingly, in 2023, UGC joined hands with the CBC team and conducted assessments to identify the specific capacity needs of the UGC employees. "These needs were classified into behavioural, functional and domain competencies." Based on the assessments, training programmes were designed to address these competency gaps and facilitate long-term capacity-building tailored to the roles and responsibilities of the UGC employees.

Following this, the UGC created an Annual Capacity Building Plan. "From October 2023 until now, more than 635 UGC employees have finished around 5,480 courses on the Karmayogi platform as part of this programme," Prof Kumar said.

The platform offers a variety of popular courses covering different topics such as Introduction to Emerging Technologies using AI, Overview of Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM), Mission Life, Yoga at Workplace, Introduction to Microsoft Excel, Noting and Drafting, RTI Act, GFR rules, and Communication Skills. Based on its experience in capacity-building of its staff, the commission has decided to expand this programme to the Central universities.