National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG),set up in 2014 by the Government of India asa premier think tank opened its door to bright young minds and launched its first internship programme. It engagesIndian students pursuingpostgraduatedegree or in the final year of law and engineering graduate programmes or research scholarsenrolled in recognized universities/ institutions within India or abroad, as interns. The internship programme aims to provide young and brilliant minds to carry out research,critical study, documentation and dissemination of best practices to develop a nationalrepository, and establishing a platform for wider dissemination. Thiswill also provide opportunities for these young students to learn as well as contribute in public policy. The Internship is for a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 6 months duration. Interns are to be paid Rs. ten thousand per month as an honorarium.

NCGG Internship Programme attracted huge interest and over 1,700 applications received for the June 2023 batch. From these applications, after scrutiny and interactions, 22 candidates have been selected based on their academic and extracurricularachievements and passion for public policy, governance, and related domains. They represent a wide range of disciplines, including law, development studies, public health, economics, geography, political science, and more. They have pursued their education atreputed institutions such as Harvard Law School, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Indian School of Public Policy, and National Law Universities, among others.

The NCGG Internship Programme is a short-term engagement that offers a unique blend of public policy making and practical experiences. One of the key objectives of the programme is to foster a collaborative environment where interns can work on innovative ideas and perspectives on policies in their respective domains. The internship programme covers various domains of governance for interns to choose from such as education, decentralized planning, e-governance, public service delivery, laws & regulations, rural development & poverty elimination, water, sanitation, hygiene & public health, governance in healthcare, sustainability, disaster resilience infrastructure and disaster mitigation, sustainable urban management and urban governance, infrastructure development, innovation &entrepreneurship, water resource management & river rejuvenation, climate change, environment & clean energy, tribal affairs, monitoring, data analytics & evaluation, project planning, designing, management & monitoring, natural resource, environment and forests, mass communication and social mediaamong other relevant domains in the field of public policy and governance.

In the first week interactive sessions with experts are held. Eminent speakers like Dr. Amarjit Sinha, Dr. Amarjit Singh and Mr. Taruan Bajaj, former Secrtaries to Govt of India and Mr. Yugal Joshi, Mr. SharatChander, Mr. Apurv Mishra, mentored these interns and discussed various aspects of public policy and good governance. In the coming week, they will have opportunities to interact with more domain experts. Moving forward to the subsequent week, each intern chooses a specific domain for their internship period, aligning with their educational background and interests. The interns willthen carry out research, study case studies and best practices through mentorship and their contributions will be documented and utilized, ensuring that their input goes into the decision-making processes at the national level. This hands-on approach will not only enhance their understanding of governance challenges but also equip them with the skills required to overcome these challenges. This symbiotic exchange of ideas between interns and experts will pave the way for citizen-centric governance and result in policies that better serve the needs of the people.

Kickstarting the internship programme on a motivational note, DG, Shri Bharat Lal, delivered a thought-provoking lecture at the inaugural session. With his vast experience and expertise in the field, Shri Bharat Lal set the tone for the internship by emphasizing the importance of utilizing this exposure to learn and grow both professionally and personally.

He highlighted the significance of good governance in shaping societies and nations. He stressed that governance should be driven by integrity, transparency, accountability, and efficiency. He urged the interns to understand the intricate dynamics of governance and encouraged them to use this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the practical aspects of implementing good governance practices.NCGG is committed to nurturing and empowering the next generation of leaders and change-makers in governance.As the young minds takecentre stage, India is poised to witness a wave of innovation, leadership, and transformation, driven by the young minds who will shape the destiny of the nation.

The coordination and execution of the entire NCGG Internship Programme are under the able supervision of Dr. Yashu Sharma, Finance Officer, and Dr. Gazala Hasan, Assistant Professor, along with the dedicated NCGG team.

***

SNC/PK