The combined inaugural function of the NCS (P) 2023 Batch Foundation Course and the 52nd Batch NSS (P) Foundation Course was held today at Vision Nagaland Hall, Administrative Training Institution Kohima, a DIPR report stated.

Director General, ATI & APC, Nagaland Kohima, R Binchilo Thong, IAS, said civil servants are the backbone of the state, working as a bridge between the common people and the government, as all policies and programmes are processed and executed through them.

He said the political executive may change every five years but civil servants will be working for the welfare of the people for many years. Being fresh entrants into government service, training becomes more important, Thong stated, because the education of the recruits before entering into government services is mostly degree-oriented whereas training fills the gaps between learning and practical requirements by giving a broad framework or idea of what to do in the workplace initially and improves the occupational skill and knowledge of the employee to work effectively with integrity and instill a sense of community service and belongingness. Training also imparts knowledge, shapes attitude, cultivates skills and builds work-habits, he added.

Thong also mentioned that both the NCS and NSS (Probationers) begin their careers in government service starting with their respective Foundation Courses in ATI and as fresh entrants, the focus is to train and mold them in the desired direction and prepare them for government work with all the requisite skills, knowledge and attitudes to shoulder the responsibilities of a civil servant needed by the organisation.

Addressing the NCS (P), the director general said the civil service that forms the core of government, which is the most conspicuous part to start their career in the districts and sub-divisions as field officers and at senior levels, brings all the grassroots experiences to the policy-making role by occupying key posts in various departments.

He further said the NCS is also the premier civil service of the state and the main feeder service for IAS wherein senior NCS officers are inducted into the IAS.

Thong pointed out that the NSS is the repository of knowledge, rules, conventions and all things about files and paper works in the Secretariat, which is the seat of the state government.

He added that all other service officers, including those from the IAS and NCS, have a lot to learn from the NSS Officers who are permanent in the Secretariat as they are the main driving force and the engine in the Secretariat who can clarify doubts and guide higher ranking senior officers with their expertise thus having a great role to play in policy-making of the government.

The director general also stated that both the NCS and NSS are equally important as both their services work hand in hand with each other to look after the administration of the state and the objective of both services is the same – to serve the people of the state and to implement the government schemes and programmes successfully.

Thong exhorted the trainees to be empathetic and committed to serve the community with an honest human approach. He encouraged them to have the knowledge and skills to comprehend, act accordingly and effectively in different scenarios, possess integrity, maintain good public relations and good communication skills, adapt and improvise to cope with the situation and bring in a new vision, new ideas and new approaches to solving problems in the field and to influence policy formulation in the government.

A brief overview of the courses was also highlighted by Joint Director and Course Coordinator for NSS (P) Foundation Course, Kaholi Sema, and Assistant Director and Course Coordinator for NCS (P) Foundation Course, Dr A Alem W Longchar.

The programme was chaired by Additional Director (Admin), ATI & Joint Secretary, Labour & Employment, Bendanglila, NCS.

Short speeches were also delivered by Khumrila Thonger, NSS (P), and Imkongnukla Ao, NCS (P).

A total of 35 NSS (P) and 10 NCS (P) will undergo the foundation course.