New Delhi: Retired Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer Dr Bhooma V G has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation (AIPSI) in Reduit, Moka, Mauritius.
The appointment was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday. Dr Bhooma, a 1987-batch retired IRPS officer, brings more than three decades of experience in Indian Railways, public administration, human resources, organisational development and institutional transformation to the international training institute.
The AIPSI was formerly known as the Civil Service College, Mauritius, and was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Mauritius in March 2025.
The institute is being developed as a premier training agency and centre of excellence for the African region and is expected to eventually function as an awarding body.
Three-Decade Career Across Indian Railways
Dr Bhooma has held several senior leadership positions across different zones and units of Indian Railways, including Western Railway, South Eastern Railway, South Central Railway, Southern Railway and Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.
Her career has combined personnel management, organisational development, technology adoption and administrative reforms.
One of her notable assignments was as Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Guntur, where she spearheaded major administrative and technological initiatives.
During her tenure, the Guntur Division became the first division in Indian Railways to transition completely to seamless e-office operations. She also led efforts towards complete mainline railway electrification in the division.
The DRM office under her leadership also received a Platinum Rating from the Indian Green Building Council, reflecting its focus on sustainable infrastructure and workplace practices.
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Rose to Additional Member, Railway Board
Dr Bhooma subsequently took up several senior positions within the railway administration, including serving as Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer of Southern Railway.
She eventually reached the apex level of railway administration as Additional Member (Human Resources) on the Railway Board, Ministry of Railways.
Her experience at the Railway Board gave her extensive exposure to human-resource management, organisational restructuring, employee development and policy-level administration in one of India’s largest public-sector organisations.
Academic and Technology Expertise
Alongside her administrative career, Dr Bhooma has developed a strong academic and research profile.
She holds a PhD from the Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, with her academic work focusing on areas including digital transformation, transformational change and public administration.
She also holds professional credentials including Fellow of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (FIETE), Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (MIEEE), and Life Member of the Computer Society of India (LMCSI).
Her professional interests extend to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation and technology-driven governance, areas that are increasingly relevant to modern public administration.
Experience Beyond Railway Administration
Dr Bhooma has also taken up responsibilities outside conventional railway administration.
She has served as an Advisor (Selection) to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and has had an academic association with IIT Madras, including serving as Registrar during her career.
She has also been associated with academic and professional institutions as a visiting faculty member and speaker, particularly on issues involving technology, organisational transformation and public governance.
AIPSI to Become Centre of Excellence for Africa
Her appointment comes at an important stage in the development of AIPSI.
The institute, formerly known as the Civil Service College, Mauritius, was jointly inaugurated by the Indian and Mauritian prime ministers in March 2025. It is being positioned as a major institution for capacity building and civil-service training in Mauritius and the wider African region.
The institute is intended to develop into a centre of excellence for public-service training and eventually become an awarding body.
Dr Bhooma’s experience in public-sector leadership, human-resource management, technology-enabled administration and capacity building is therefore expected to be particularly relevant to the institute’s mandate.
From Indian Railways to Global Public Administration
Dr Bhooma’s appointment marks a transition from a long career in India’s railway administration to an international role focused on public-service capacity building and innovation.
With her experience spanning divisional administration, vigilance, human resources, organisational development, technology adoption and senior-level policy making, she brings a broad public-administration background to AIPSI.
Her appointment also reflects the growing India-Mauritius cooperation in civil-service training, institutional capacity building and public-sector innovation, with AIPSI expected to play a wider role in developing administrative capabilities across the African region.
