Budget: Centre earmarks Rs 299 cr for training of babus, Rs 65 cr outlay for administrative reforms

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) As many as Rs 299 crore have been earmarked for the next fiscal to train government employees, both in the country and abroad, and augment necessary training related to infrastructure, according to the Union Budget 2026-27 presented on Sunday.

Besides this, Rs 65 crore have been provided for administrative reforms. The provision includes a scheme for modernisation of government offices, pilot projects on administrative reforms which consist of promotion of e-governance, fostering of good governance and also a comprehensive system for the redressal of public grievances, according to the Budget document.

Of the total outlay of Rs 299 crore for the next financial year, Rs 120.8 crore is to meet establishment-related expenditure for the Training Division, Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM) and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Rs 52.2 crore for training schemes and Rs 126 crore for the Centre's ambitious 'Mission Karmayogi' or the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building.

The Mission Karmayogi, dubbed as the biggest bureaucratic reform initiative, is aimed at making government employees more "creative, proactive, professional and technology-enabled".

The provision of Rs 120.8 crore includes establishment-related expenditure of Delhi-based ISTM, Mussoorie-based LBSNAA and training division, department of personnel and training, the Budget document said, mentioning details of budgetary provisions for the personnel ministry.

These organisations arrange several training programmes, including foundation courses, refresher courses and mid-career training, to equip all levels and grades of secretarial functionaries with adequate exposure to the latest rules and regulations and aptitude. The allocation will also cover expenditure on domestic or overseas travel, course fees in respect of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) and Central Secretariat Stenographers Service (CSSS) officials.

The allocation of Rs 52.2 crore includes provision for "training for all", the Budget document, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said.

A fund of Rs 3.5 crore has been set aside for the propagation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act during the next financial year.

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which is entrusted with the redressal of service matters of public servants, has been given Rs 166.42 crore for the next fiscal to meet establishment-related expenditure.

This also includes provision for purchase of land and construction of buildings for various benches of CAT, the Budget document said.

An amount of Rs 52.07 crore has been earmarked for the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) for 2026-27.

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC), which conducts various recruitment examinations for central government jobs, has been allocated Rs 525.2 crore for 2026-27.

It was allocated Rs 515.15 crore for the ongoing fiscal in the last budget, which has been revised to Rs 548.5 crore. PTI AKV PRK PRK