Oh LBSNAA and the third phase of training in the IAS !!!!

Oh LBSNAA and the third phase of training in the IAS !!!!

A month back when we received the intimation for our nomination to the mid career training career programme, MCTP, popularly known as Phase III my mind was in a flurry. Leaving work for four weeks may not be a major cause of concern but leaving home ( my teenage son ) for four weeks certainly was. Added to it was the cold winter of December in the hills. My son would be in the tenth standard next year and going then would be even more difficult so I was left with no other option except braving the cold.
On landing at Dehradun on the 1st December the evening was cold. As we headed to Mussorie, my heart was aflutter to go back to learning again at the alma mater of administration. The very fact that the training is at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, LBSNAA fills one with nostalgia. There is always an air of expectation, a dream in the eye, a sense of belonging. Quintessential Mussorie, looming large with houses, hotels, trees and hills dotted agains the skyline certainly made it the queen of hills.
Landing into the serene and sylvan surroundings of LBSNAA,  I headed to my room in the Valley View Hostel after completing the registration. The camaraderie of batchmates meeting again after years at dinner in the mess was palpable. Leaving with a smile on my lips, after dinner I snuggled into bed. Brushing aside the curtains in the morning the balcony opened to distant but beautiful snow-capped Himalalyan mountains. Drawing in the cold winter wind I rushed to get ready and be on time.
Training at LBSNAA is very stringent. Our days begin at 6 a.m with compulsory physical activity of either yoga, gym or any sport followed by day long sessions in class from nine to five. These are interspersed with activities, presentations and group work. One is always on one's toes even during the weekends as there are cultural programmes of singing, dancing and outdoor activities like trekking and rafting. However every activity became enjoyable and satisfying due to the vivaciousnes and enthusiasm of our Course Coordinator, Ms. P.Amudha. Belonging to the 1994 batch of IAS she is a class apart and was adept in setting up high benchmarks which most of us followed like disciplined students.
The training centred around excellence in implementation and the sessions were weaved for developing leadership skills and gaining in depth knowledge of various sectors like agriculture, health, medicine, livelihoods, skills, urban planning, smart cities, procurement, sanitation and water. The fact that each one of us was accountable to society was brought forth in sessions of ethics, building capacities of the state and managing data.
Public private partnerships in infrastructure projects are the order of the day and understanding its finer aspects was very important. Several sessions were therefore devoted for unravelling the dynamics of project appraisal, public private partnerships and behavioral economics. Disaster Management, building back better after instances of natural and man-made disasters and climate change taught us techniques of environmental management. There was ample scope for peer learning through presentations, group discussions and experience sharing.
The reflections during the valedictory centred around the importance of service delivery.
Our training was not any mundane schedule but an opportunity to introspect and explore within on where had we begun, where had we reached.
The leadership and negotiations module had prodded us to think objectively about our aims, ambitions and shortcomings and transform us into doers just like our Course Coordinator.
The sessions on health, agriculture, livelihoods, skills, and nutrition by renowned practitioners and bureaucrats gave great insights on theory and practice adding value to our thoughts.
Ritu Saini, a victim of acid attack, Madhavi Latha, a differently abled banker who had facilitated basket ball for the differently abled and Akkai Padmashali, a transgender highlighted unheard voices of the disabled, deprived, and those discriminated on basis of caste, creed or sex. They implored on sensitivity in implementation of schemes, policies and legislations in all sectors not only by bureaucrats  but also by all citizens of the country.
The biggest takeaway were the interactive sessions with Mr.Sanjeev Chopra, the Director of LBSNAA who highlighted the finer nuances of administration emphasizing on the need for responsive administration. 
The Group activities were fun and events like river rafting, trekking, dancing and singing pumped our adrenalin and the physical activities infused new life into us.
The third phase of the training led us to probe deep and ascertain whether the seeds of leadership sown in foundation/ induction had nurtured and were fully grown
Were our styles of functioning like the 'dreary desert of dead habits' (Tagore) or would they infuse greater life into everyone around?
For a teeming population of 140 crores our country has barely 6000 IAS officers. Each one of us therefore had a huge responsibility.  Our training would help us to gauge our guts and grit, courage and conviction, enthusiasm and commitment to lead the nation to its march of glory into the third decade of the 21st century.
The seventy-two officers from 22 states and union territories certainly went back richer in experience
The four powerpacked weeks of our training ended with a visit to the Forest Research Institute. The rings of the cross section of the seven hundred year Deodaar tree kept in the Timber museum , reflectred on the journey traversed by the civil servants. From being "burrah sahibs" under the British Rule they had graduated to being compassionate leaders and doers of great strength. For all the flack and criticism they received none could match their expertise, speed of thought and action and field level experience.
The motto of LBSNAA is " Sheelam padma bhushanam" meaning character is strength and "Yoga karmasu kaushalam" meaning excellence in action or work.
Like Timber , the academy had trained us to become hard enough to resist deterioration, develop strength to manage the heavy work pressures, remain tough to resist shocks, have enduring elasticity to change with times and of course remain durable for a long period to come.
There was nothing oblique about us, our roots were certainly embedded deep enough in service of mankind.