The Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) will emphasize the study of Cybersecurity and Data Privacy in governance, focusing on potential cyber threats to data by non-state and state actors. Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State, highlighted the need for a safe and effective Cyber Space and protection of Digital Assets in the Government during the 323rd Executive Council Meeting of IIPA.
Recent cyberattacks, including the one on AIIMS in May, highlight the increasing threats faced by Indian government agencies. In 2022, cyberattacks on these agencies more than doubled, with India’s share rising to 13.7% from 6.3% in 2021, according to a report by CloudSEK. The Executive Council also approved that the next Academic Session of IIPA in 2024 will focus on eGovernance Initiatives, Inclusive Service Delivery, and India’s role in Climate Change Mitigation. These topics will be central themes in the Institute’s journals.
Dr. Jitendra Singh noted the significant technological advancements, emphasis on cleanliness, accountability, and transparency in the government under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership. He highlighted the endorsement of the ‘G20 Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure’ in the G20 Summit New Delhi Declaration, emphasizing the role of DPI in service delivery.
Dr. Singh urged the IIPA to widely publicize its subject-specific lecture series, making it accessible to aspiring candidates for UPSC Civil Services and other exams. He emphasized the potential of IIPA to rival private coaching academies in providing valuable knowledge. Dr. Singh also called for the integration of various government Capacity Building programs and encouraged the IIPA to showcase success stories on social media through short videos. He highlighted the IIPA’s potential to become a hub of new knowledge by collaborating with the Capacity Building Commission.
In the past year, the IIPA initiated training programs for State Government officials in collaboration with State Administrative Training Institutes of Bihar, Maharashtra, Govt. of NCT Delhi, Allahabad High Court, J&K Urban Local Body, conducting a total of 32 training programs for State Governments.