INDIA
The Indian Public Service has announced a mentoring program that would see probationers take on adolescents as mentees and guide them through their educational and professional lives.
Called Nurture the Future, the initiative aims to provide mentorship to underprivileged and socially or economically deprived children.
In the first iteration of the program, the Government identified 425 children from 11 villages in Kevadiya, Gujarat and linked them with 425 officer trainees from 20 different Departments, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Railway Service and the Indian Foreign Service.
A senior official from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said the idea was in sync with the Government’s desire to provide mentorship to those from underprivileged backgrounds, while also instilling a sense of social responsibility among Public Servants.
“It will also ensure that these children continue to have access to these Civil Servants even when they become Secretaries and top officers in other positions,” the official said.
While the program has begun in Kevadiya, it will be expanded to other parts of the country in subsequent years.
Trainee IAS Office, Vikram Virkar, who is mentoring a Year 10 student, said that while the program was only just beginning, it had already been a fulfilling experience for him.
“My mentee was very curious to know what I do, the nature of my job, what he needs to achieve what I have achieved, among other things,” Mr Virkar said.
“He wanted to know where I come from, whether I can speak English fluently, and how he can overcome his inability to speak English.”
New Delhi, 9 November, 2019
