CHENNAI: For the first time, bureaucrats working with the Ministry of Civil Aviation have been directed to work in private companies like Air Asia, Blue Dart, SpiceJet, Vistara and others for a week to become more proactive, progressive and technology-enabled. The Centre wants these officers to be innovative and have holistic views. The ministry issued the circular for the raining of its staff last month and as part of the first batch, five employees have attended one-week training with private firms
Sharing details of the training process, a ministry official told this newspaper that the staff has been very excited to receive hands-on training in the corporate world. “It has brought a lot of excitement among the officers to work alongside the private companies,” a ministry source said. At the initial stage, private companies selected by the ministry are Air Asia, Blue Dart, Bengaluru Airport, Celebi, GoFirst, Hyderabad Airport, IndiGo, Kannur Airport, IGI Airport, SpiceJet and Vistara.
The training program is the result of recommendations of a ministry panel. The Capacity Building Commission — constituted on April 1, 2021 as the custodian of the civil services capacity building ecosystem — has “recommended officers of Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), should alongside regular classroom training, get an immersive experience of the aviation industry, covering airlines, airports, ATC, cargo, ground handling, MRO, drones, etc.”
The officers from Joint Secretary- level to Assistant Section officer will spend one week every six months in a private company to understand the industry’s new technologies and challenges. “This will expose MoCA officers to the latest technologies, innovative practices and ground-level challenges. This will also help them take a holistic view when working on policy, procedural and administrative reforms, once back in the office,” the source said.