Bhubaneswar: In a move aimed at enhancing grassroots-level administrative understanding and promoting inclusive governance, nine Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer trainees of the 2024 Odisha cadre participated in a specialised attachment programme at the Department of Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities(SSEPD) on Friday.
The initiative forms part of their district training curriculum and is designed to equip young officers with practical insights into social welfare administration and policies targeting vulnerable sections of society.
Focus on Inclusive Governance and Welfare Delivery
The programme centred on familiarising IAS trainees with inclusive governance practices, particularly those aimed at empowering persons with disabilities and other marginalised communities.
Senior officials provided detailed briefings on:
- Implementation of key welfare schemes
- Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
- Grievance redressal systems
- Inter-departmental coordination for efficient service delivery
Session Led by Senior Officials
The session was led by Suresh Kumar Vashishth, Principal Secretary of the department, along with Parul Patawari, Director of SSEPD.
They offered a comprehensive overview of the department’s functioning—from the state headquarters to field-level offices—highlighting operational frameworks and policy execution strategies.
Senior officials Deepak Routray and Sonia Behera, serving as Additional Secretaries, were also present and interacted with the trainees during the session.
Field Exposure at SIEP
As part of the programme, the trainees visited the State Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SIEP), where they gained first-hand exposure to institutional facilities and service delivery systems for beneficiaries.
The visit provided practical insights into how government schemes are implemented on the ground and how services are tailored to meet the needs of persons with disabilities.
List of IAS Trainees
The group of IAS officer trainees included:
- Animesh Pradhan
- Prajnanandan Giri
- Kasturi Sha
- Fabi Rasheed
- Mrinalika Rathore
- Shubhra Panda
- Pawan Kumar
- Bhagat Shamal Kalyanrao
- Santosh Kumar Patra
Building Sensitivity for Future Administrators
The SSEPD department emphasised that such attachment programmes are vital in developing administrative sensitivity, practical understanding, and policy implementation skills among future civil servants.
By exposing trainees to real-world challenges and governance mechanisms, the initiative aims to prepare them to effectively address the needs of marginalised communities and deliver inclusive development outcomes.
