India to Train 175 Maldivian Civil Servants with Tailor-Made Programs under Renewed MoU

India has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Maldives by targeting the training of 175 Maldivian civil servants through tailor-made programs. This initiative is part of the renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on August 9, 2024, in Malé, Maldives.

A key bilateral meeting held on Thursday between V Srinivas, Director General of the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), and Mohamed Nasih, President of the Maldives Civil Service Commission (CSC), finalized the implementation modalities for this new phase of the MoU. The agreement outlines a five-year period from 2024 to 2029 during which these specialized training programs will be conducted.

The MoU, originally signed and renewed between the NCGG and the CSC, was extended to cover a total of 1,000 Maldivian civil servants. The renewal was part of broader development partnership discussions between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Maldives' Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer. This renewed agreement will focus on "capacity building programs" and is expected to significantly enhance the capabilities of Maldivian civil servants.

In response to specific needs expressed by the CSC Maldives, the NCGG has agreed to design "tailor-made specialized programmes" for middle and senior-level civil servants. "The CSC Maldives requested for tailor made specialised programmes in specific disciplines for which NCGG will be designing need-based modules. Five (5) programmes will be held in the year 2024-25 targeting a total of 175 civil servants," the statement explained.

The successful collaboration under the previous MoU, which included 32 capacity building programs and training for 1,000 civil servants, was recognized and praised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives. This led to the request for renewing the MoU for another five years.

The NCGG's mid-career capacity building programs emphasize "citizen-centric governance," "improving service delivery," and "promoting innovations in governance." They also showcase India's best practices in "digital empowerment of citizens" and "digital transformation of institutions."

This renewed partnership is expected to further strengthen the ties between India and the Maldives while enhancing public policy and governance capabilities in the Maldives.