A history of sorts was made today when Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressed an “online” Convocation amid lockdown as chief guest, when the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) concluded its 45th Advanced Professional Programme in Public Administration (APPPA), attended by 45 senior Group ‘A’ officers from the All India and Central Services as well as senior Officers from all wings of the Armed Forces.

The ceremony through video conference was attended, among others, by Director IIPA SurendraNathTripathi, Union Secretary DoPT C Chandramouli, Registrar IIPA AmitabhRanjan, faculty of IIPA as well as all the scholars who had successfully completed their academic course.

Dr Jitendra Singh lauded the IIPA for completing on time all the requirements of the academic programme despite the constraints of lockdown and improvising different methods to meet the deadlines and timelines, which included the “online” conduct of viva voce by the candidates.

Congratulating the IIPA for its capacity building efforts, Dr Jitendra Singh commended the institution for reorienting itself to the demands of changing times. A living and vibrating entity, he said, keeps continuously reinventing and revisiting its current ways in order to innovate, improvise and improve.

The Minister congratulated the efforts of IIPA in the COVID pandemic followed by lockdown situation and said, this is one such occasion when IIPA has lived up to its avowed objective in a very distinguished manner. He called upon the IIPA to continue developing new models, which could be emulated by the rest of the country.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that COVID had once again vindicated the resolve of the present Government for minimum government and maximum governance. While the effective handling of COVID by India has made it a frontline country in the community of world nations, it has also reaffirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a world leader of top order.

Dr Jitendra Singh urged upon the IIPA to continue with its efforts and said COVID 19 offered an opportunity to learn and develop new models which could also be emulated by others. This is an opportunity to make virtue out of adversity, he said.

The convocation ceremony ended with a vote of thanks by Programme Co-Director Dr.Neetu Jain.

<><><><><>

VG/SNC