UGC launches capacity-building training to upskill non-teaching staff of 45 Central Universities

• 06 Apr 2024

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently initiated a comprehensive capacity-building training program for non-teaching staff members across 45 Central Universities (CUs). The primary objective is to train a minimum of 5,000 employees from all participating CUs during the initial phase.

 

Discussing the program, UGC Chairman Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar stated, “As part of this capacity-building endeavor, the UGC is committed to providing extensive training to non-teaching staff within Central Universities to enhance their skills and capabilities.”

 

This training initiative is being conducted in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), which has been established to streamline and coordinate capacity-building efforts across various civil services in the country.

 

The training curriculum encompasses a wide range of topics including understanding psychology in workflow, leveraging technology in workflow management, gaining insight into the higher education ecosystem, academic administration, establishment matters, financial management, and project management.

 

The UGC has urged non-teaching staff members in Central Universities to complete courses available on the integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) Mission Karmayogi platform within a span of four months.

 

Prof. Kumar emphasized that the UGC recognizes the significance of capacity building in advancing professional development, enhancing organizational efficiency, and fostering innovation within the higher education sector.

 

In 2023, the UGC collaborated with the CBC to conduct assessments aimed at identifying specific capacity needs among UGC employees. These assessments categorized needs into behavioral, functional, and domain competencies. Subsequently, tailored training programs were designed to address these competency gaps and facilitate long-term capacity building aligned with the roles and responsibilities of UGC employees.

 

Following this assessment, the UGC devised an Annual Capacity Building Plan. “Since October 2023, over 635 UGC employees have completed approximately 5480 courses on the iGot Karmayogi platform as part of this initiative,” Prof. Kumar noted.

 

The iGOT platform offers a diverse range of popular courses covering various subjects such as Introduction to Emerging Technologies using AI, Overview of Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM), Mission Life, Yoga at Workplace, among others. Operating under the ‘Mission Karmayogi’ of the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), the CBC primarily focuses on enhancing the skills, knowledge, and abilities of government employees.