Nagaland: ‘Civil servants are backbone of the state’

January 25, 2023 72 Views No Comment

NCS and NSS (Probationers) to undergo Foundation Course

Kohima, January 25 (MExN): The combined inaugural function of the NCS (P) 2023 Batch Foundation Course and the 52nd Batch NSS (P) Foundation Course was held at Vision Nagaland Hall, Administrative Training Institution Kohima on January 24.

According to a DIPR report, Director General, ATI & APC, Nagaland Kohima, R Binchilo Thong, IAS said, “Civil servants are the backbone of the state, working as a bridge between the common people and the government, as all policies and programmes are processed and executed through them.”

He said that the political executive may change every five years but civil servants will be working for the welfare of the people for many years and being fresh entrants into government service, training becomes more important because the education of the recruits before entering into government services is mostly degree-oriented whereas training fills the gaps between learning and practical requirements by giving a broad framework or idea of what to do in the workplace initially and improves the occupational skill and knowledge of the employee to work effectively with integrity and instill a sense of community service and belongingness and training imparts knowledge, shapes attitudes, cultivates skills and builds work-habits.

He mentioned that both the NCS and NSS (Probationers) begin their careers in government service starting with their respective Foundation Courses in ATI and as fresh entrants, the focus is to train and mould them in the desired direction and prepare them for government work equips with all the requisite skills, knowledge and attitudes to shoulder the responsibilities of a civil servant needed by the organization.

Addressing the NCS (P), he said the civil service that forms the core of government which is the most conspicuous part to start their career in the districts and sub-divisions as field officers and at senior levels, brings all the grassroots experiences to the policy-making role by occupying key posts in various departments and said the NCS is also the premier civil service of the state and the main feeder service for IAS wherein senior NCS officers are inducted into the IAS.

He said the NSS is the repository of knowledge, rules, conventions and all things about files and paper works in the Secretariat, which is the seat of the state government, and added that all other service officers, including those from the IAS and NCS, have a lot to learn from the NSS Officers who are permanent in the Secretariat as they are the main driving force, the engine in the Secretariat who can clarify doubts and guide higher ranking senior officers with their expertise thus having a great role to play in policy-making of the government.

NCS and NSS equally important

The Director General, ATI & APC stated that both the NCS and NSS are equally important as both their services work hand in hand with each other to look after the administration of the State and the objective of both services is the same, to serve the people of the State and to implement the Government schemes and programmes successfully.
He exhorted them to be empathetic and committed to serve the community with an honest human approach, to have the knowledge and skills to comprehend, act accordingly effectively in different scenarios, possess integrity, maintain good public relations and good communication skills, adapt and improvise to cope with the situation and bring in a new vision, new ideas, new approaches to solving problems in the field and to influence policy formulation in the government.

A brief overview of the courses was highlighted by Joint Director & Course Coordinator for NSS (P) Foundation Course, Kaholi Sema, and Assistant Director & Course Coordinator for NCS (P) Foundation Course, Dr A Alem W Longchar.

The programme was chaired by Additional Director (Admin), ATI & Joint Secretary, Labour & Employment, Bendanglila, NCS. Short speeches were delivered by Khumrila Thonger, NSS (P), and Imkongnukla Ao, NCS (P). A total of 35 NSS (P) and 10 NCS (P) will undergo the foundation course.