English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Russian
Spanish
Urdu
NEW DELHI: India’s experience in good governance and technology-driven reforms will form the backbone of a training programme for Madagascar’s civil servants, as discussed in a meeting between Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh and Hanitra Fitiavana Razakaboana, Minister of Labour, Employment & Personnel / Public Service, Govt of Madagascar, who called on him at Kartavya Bhavan, here on Tuesday.
Discussions centred around training Madagascar’s civil servants in India’s governance practices and use of technology to improve transparency and efficiency. Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s citizen grievance redressal platform CPGRAMS, powered by AI to ensure time-bound resolution of complaints, and the wider shift towards faceless, seamless, and paperless service delivery. He noted that over 85% of government services are now digital, reducing delays and minimizing corruption.
The Minister also spoke of reforms in pension disbursal through Jeevan Pramaan digital life certificates and property digitisation using drones. He underlined the transformative role of the JAM Trinity—Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar, and mobile connectivity—which has enabled direct benefit transfers and made India a global leader in digital payments through UPI.
Razakaboana welcomed India’s initiatives and stressed that exposing Madagascar’s officers to such practices would help modernize their own systems. She indicated her country’s interest in expanding participation beyond the existing three-year programme. Batches of Madagascar’s civil servants are already attending leadership courses at India’s National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), with training tailored to their priorities, from agriculture and food security to urban development and labour reforms.
Dr. Jitendra Singh outlined India’s recent reforms under DARPG, including Right to Information 2.0, a mobile app for instant access to government information, and Mission Karmayogi, a capacity-building programme for civil servants. He cited the abolition of interviews for Group C and D posts as an example of democratizing opportunities, alongside multilingual recruitment exams now available in 13 regional languages, with plans to expand to all 22 scheduled languages.
On financial inclusion, he pointed to India accounting for nearly half of global digital transactions. In October 2024 alone, over 16.8 billion transactions were processed, reflecting the impact of direct benefit transfers and the expansion of digital infrastructure. The Swachh Bharat Campaign, which generated over ₹2,300 crore through disposal of office scrap, and the establishment of a Human Desk Setup in 2023 for post-redressal citizen feedback, were highlighted as further governance innovations.
India’s advances in science and technology were also discussed. Dr. Jitendra Singh referred to the National Quantum Mission and Open Network for Digital Commerce, and noted achievements in space, including Chandrayaan-3, which made India the first nation to reach the Moon’s South Pole, and the ongoing Aditya-L1 solar mission.
He further cited simplification measures such as a single pension form, unified portals for fellowships and higher education, and the repeal of more than 1,600 obsolete rules. Initiatives like Rozgar Melas were described as a boost to youth employment. The Life Certificate Campaign using facial recognition for pensioners was highlighted as another step in easing citizen services.
Summing up, Dr. Jitendra Singh said India’s governance model is about bringing citizens and government closer through technology, while ensuring human oversight where needed. Mrs. Razakaboana acknowledged these reforms as valuable lessons for Madagascar, especially in digital payments, grievance redressal, and pension reforms.
Hanitra Fitiavana Razakaboana, who has held senior roles in labour and civil service administration before assuming office in January 2024, led a delegation of officials. From the Indian side, Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), and other senior officers joined Dr. Jitendra Singh.
The meeting reflected India’s growing role in sharing governance best practices with partner nations. For Madagascar, the cooperation opens new avenues of administrative capacity-building, while for India it reinforces South-South collaboration and the global relevance of its governance reforms.
