Can NIFM shape good officers?

By Ranjan Yumnam *

In 2007, when the results of the MPSC examination were announced, I was happy because I made the cut. But my happiness was short-lived. As a controversy ensued, our appointments at one point of time were in doubt. I couldn't breathe. In retrospect, those days were just a passing phase, an initiation rite for entry into a world of privilege and public service that lie ahead.

In 2008, I feel the 2005 batch of MCS/MFS/SDC recruits are a lucky lot. The state government has given us the best training available in the state and the country. Just a few days back we have returned from the National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM), Faridabad after successfully completing a four-month Management Development Programme (MDP) on "Enhancing Analytical Skills for Rational Decision Making".

Now, we owe it to the public to make the best out of these courses, not least because the state government had spent a huge sum of money on this training—particularly the one at NIFM—but also because the content of the course was specially tailored for the officers of the Manipur government.

The first lesson we learnt at NIFM was: Do not fritter away public money, which is why I took it upon myself to write this reflection about my experience at NIFM, and how it (the training) is likely to affect the capacity of the state's fresh recruits to provide good governance, implement developmental targets and strengthen financial position of the state in the near future.

NIFM did what it was paid to do. It introduced us to what initially seemed like Greek language to many of us: Finance and Accounts. In the beginning we had goosebumps, but our tension eased as we realized that the training programme was not meant to impart a thorough education so as to make a participant a financial wizard; instead it aimed to sensitize an officer to the various nuances of financial management so that he is not bamboozled by, say, a World Bank mandarin when he talks to you in the gilded language of finance and its jargons. We are not financial morons now, thanks to our learning experience at NIFM.

MCS/MFS/SDC probationers with Mr. Jarnail Singh and faculty members at NIFM, Faridabad.

NIFM vs. SAT
Our stay in the salubrious environs of NIFM also taught us something more vital than finance. The day we arrived at NIFM, we were shocked by the excellent infrastructure of the institute. We had just finished our foundation course at our modest State Academy of Training (SAT), Takyelpat, which made the contrast even more startling. This is what a virtual tour of the NIFM's facilities would look like: you will find all the hostel rooms of NIFM air-conditioned; computer labs open 24/7; two mess rooms serving different food for different programme participants and room maintenance quite decent. Believe me; NIFM's hostel is better than most high-priced hotel in Imphal.

Besides these, NIFM owns world-class facilities such as a gym, an indoor stadium for badminton, squash, table tennis and billiards. Outdoor facilities are equally impressive: the golf course, tennis court, basketball court, football/cricket ground are worth mentioning. Roses in the vast gardens of NIFM's campus will put the best horticulturist in Manipur to shame. During the day, peacocks are seen lazily strutting in the campus while bees' hornets at many places in the buildings of NIFM add to their architectural sophistication.

Which brings us to the point: While NIFM is all about opulence, SAT tells a different story of lack of infrastructure. We all agreed we should have better budgetary allocation to make our institutes comparable, if not superior, to others. The one advantage we have is: there is no dearth of good faculty talent in Manipur.

Eye-opening study tours
One of the most memorable parts of the programme at NIFM was the occasional study tours—a refreshing break from studying Musgrave and Musgrave. We had two such outings—one at Jaipur and the second at Bhakra Nangal Multipurpose Project, Punjab. The tours were enjoyable, but more than their entertainment and recreational value, they were instructive of the prosperity of North Indian states, thanks to their close proximity to the capital. We wondered aloud in our mind and felt pensive in our heart: Is Manipur underdeveloped because it is far away from the centre's gaze?

Two observations about these mainland states are worthy of note, and they are what made us think about our poor state. First, all roads in these states adjoining Delhi are superlatively good, and needless to say travelling is smooth and a real pleasure. It reminds me of the words of a prominent economist, "If I have money, I will build roads; if I have more money, I will build more roads and if I still have more money, I will build more roads anyway." Second, the state run tourism agencies in these states are not less efficient and well managed than those of the private sector, a fact which flies in the face of the popular belief that public sector is always doomed to failure. It is not true.

At Jaipur, tourism rides entirely on the back of camel, culture, heritage, handloom and handicrafts of the region. Manipur has everything that can attract tourists—culture, people, history, handicrafts, landscape. What it lacks is salesmanship and clever packaging. My guess is all these will come on its own and cash registers start ringing if only the RAP—the no.1 obstacle to growth of tourism in the state—is removed and foreigners are allowed unfettered access to the region.

A visionary Chief Secretary
All in all, our association with the NIFM will bear the fruits in the days to come in the form of enhanced capability of the young Turks of the state administration. The state government has shown commendable foresight, generosity and boldness in investing a huge sum of money in giving a solid foundation to the future pillars of Manipur government. It is probably the first in the history of Manipur that an entire batch of probationary civil servants is sent to a premier national institute with so much financial commitment and moral support. One man stands tall and towers over this grand scheme of things and he is Mr. Jarnail Singh, the Chief Secretary of Manipur Government. We thank our mentor for his vision of a competent and efficient state administration that can response to the challenges and opportunities of a globalised world economy and the changing role of government in such a milieu. Without the trust he reposes in the new blood, we would not have been where we are today. He not only talked but also walked the talk by paying frequent visits to the NIFM to enquire about the progress of the training, constantly seeking feedback from the probationers and keeping the management of the NIFM on toes. We share the vision of Mr. Jarnail Singh and feel that it is our duty to work collectively to take Manipur to new heights never scaled before. Thank you Sir.

Who will teach the values?
No doubt, we have made a new beginning. Yet, knowledge alone is not a panacea to all the ills of a tottering state embroiled in a vicious cycle of graft. Integrity, honesty and boldness will also matter as much as expertise. When all the layers of the vanity and pomposity of one's position are peeled away, what remains is the real person, the naked you, with all the glories and stains. How many of us will have the satisfaction of a life having lived by the highest standards of propriety from the beginning till the end and not succumb to the old beguiling ways? This is a big question. Alas, no institution can teach anyone the right values to reject the superficiality of the false rat race. (Someone aptly quipped, "The problem with the rat-race is that you are still a rat at the end of it"). Are we here for ourselves or the rare opportunity to render public service?

We can only listen to our Supreme Guide. Our conscience.

(The author is an MCS probationer. Views expressed are his own).

*** E-mail may be quoted by name in Ranjan Yumnam's readers section, in a future article, or elsewhere unless the writer stipulates otherwise.

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* Ranjan Yumnam is a frequent contributor to e-pao.net. He can be contacted at ranjanyumnam(at)gmail(dot)com . This article was webcasted on March 19, 2008.

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