Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), in association with the National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad, organised a pioneering one-day training programme on Introduction to Design Thinking—a novel initiative in the government training ecosystem. It is first-of-its-kind approach to induce Design in curriculum of young Officers’ training program. The initiative has emphasis on future-centric and human-centric approach for bringing design in governance.

 

The programme was inaugurated at 10:00 AM in Manthan Hall, PDUNASS, through a ceremonial Deep Prajwalan, in the presence of Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthy, CEO & CPFC, EPFO, Dr. Ashok Mondal, Director, NID, and Shri Kumar Rohit, Director, PDUNASS. CPFC and Director NID joined the event virtually, while 65 participants attended in person and around 100 participants connected online.

In his welcome address, Shri Kumar Rohit, Director PDUNASS, underscored that EPFO’s stakeholders—pensioners, wage workers, and small businesses—require context-sensitive service design. “This collaboration with NID mirrors our vision to train officers not just to manage processes, but to lead reforms that improve citizens’ experiences,” he said.

CPFC Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthy set the tone for further session and discussion by highlighting dichotomy being faced by organisations. He underlined how, on one hand, an organisation is required to be facilitative and empathy centric towards its stakeholders, while on the other hand, its regulatory work of ensuring compliance of legislation requires it to be strict in implementation. He desired that “Design Thinking” should lead to resolving such dichotomies. He further said that “Design Thinking” appears abstract outwardly, and that success of this initiative will depend upon practical outcomes it brings in decision making approaches. “Public institutions face complex challenges, but our solutions must remain simple, empathetic, and impactful,” he added.

Director NID, Dr. Ashok Mondal, highlighted the institute’s commitment to fostering creativity and problem-solving skills in diverse sectors, including governance. He appreciated EPFO’s initiative to embed design-led innovation in its training modules and expressed hope for more such collaborations.

The sessions were led by eminent NID faculty members, Prof. Jitendra Rajput and Prof. Amit Sinha, covering themes such as empathy-led service design, problem redefinition, and social innovation in governance. Through interactive discussions and case-based exercises, participants explored ways to reimagine public service delivery using creative and user-centric approaches.

The programme concluded successfully, leaving participants enriched with fresh perspectives and actionable insights. This initiative marks a significant step in PDUNASS’s training calendar, reinforcing EPFO’s commitment to continuous innovation and citizen-focused governance.

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Rini Choudhury

(Release ID: 2155184)