NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set an example with his governance that his ministers are only keen to follow. Like their leader, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar plans to hold several two-day-long sessions with young employees of the department to generate ideas for the ministry. Even the name of the programme, ‘Green Chitan Shivir’, appears to be inspired by the party’s political lexicon.
On January 9 and 10, over 200 young employees in the age group of 35-45 years of the ministry would get together to ideate and generate innovative solutions for the minister. A note has been circulated to heads of environment and forest division to send a list of participants for a free-wheeling interaction with the minister.
Javadekar will hold six such sessions in January and February. On the first day, there will be two sittings on motivation and leadership and an interactive session post lunch where each participant will get five minutes to express their views.
Confirming the move, the minister said there was a need to do brain storming with young officers to get fresh ideas. In June, he had roped in motivational speaker Shiv Khera to give pep talk to babus in the ministry.
“The whole idea is to give young officers a patient hearing and listen to their views and how they feel things can improve in the ministry. Details of the programme are still being worked,” Javadekar told The Sunday Standard.
Participants have been asked to come prepared with innovative ideas and suggestions to improve the working environment in the ministry. Besides, other suggested topics for discussion include joint forest management and social forestry and denudation or illegal cutting of jungles. On the second day, the participants may express their views on laws, deforestation, afforestation and others.
Explaining the rationale behind such interactions, a senior ministry official said that our bureaucratic system is such that junior officers cannot bypass seniors to express ideas or suggestions and there is a protocol to be adhered to.
“The minister is interested in direct interaction with young officers to get their views and inspire them to come out with innovative ideas to improve the working and efficiency of employees in the ministry,” the officer added.
A few senior officers may be invited but Javadekar wants the young officers to take dominant part in the Shivir expected to be held in Delhi. The officers will be divided in six groups namely northeast states (seven), south—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka and Andaman, Northwest—Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, Central—Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Western— Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan and East—Bihar, UP and West Bengal.
Javadekar, who calls himself an ardent nature lover, has also issued a directive in August that a small flower may be given as a token of respect in place of expensive bouquets as large amount of money is being wasted. He has taken several steps in last six months to improve the work culture in the ministry which include online filing of green clearances, fixed timelines for clearances and delegating more power to states for clearances among others.