Odisha Hosts Mission Karmayogi Workshop to Empower Urban Local Bodies

In a transformative step towards modernizing urban governance and equipping public officials with critical administrative capabilities, the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) of the Government of India, in collaboration with the Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) Department, Government of Odisha, organized an intensive capacity-building workshop for Urban Local Body (ULB) officials. The day-long event was held on 23rd July 2025 at the Odisha Urban Academy in Bhubaneswar, bringing together over 100 urban administrators from across the state.

The workshop was organized under the ambit of Mission Karmayogi, India’s flagship national programme for civil services capacity building (NPCSCB), with the objective of making ULBs more citizen-centric, transparent, and digitally empowered.

Dignitaries Highlight Collaboration and Reform-Driven Governance

The event witnessed the presence of key dignitaries, each emphasizing the strategic importance of sustained learning and cross-government collaboration:

• Dr. Alka Mittal, Member – Administration, Capacity Building Commission

• Smt. Usha Padhee, IAS, Principal Secretary, H&UD Department, Government of Odisha

• Shri S.P. Roy, Joint Secretary, CBC

• Shri Satrughna Kar, Additional Secretary, H&UD Department

• Dr. Santanu Rath, Director, Odisha Urban Academy

Delivering their keynote addresses, the dignitaries stressed the need to continuously upgrade institutional capabilities and align local governance with the evolving demands of a rapidly urbanizing India. They commended Odisha’s proactive leadership in integrating digital platforms for training and performance management and reiterated the government’s commitment to a citizen-first approach.

Workshop Objectives: Building Future-Ready Urban Administrators

The workshop was designed to align with the core pillars of Mission Karmayogi, focusing on enhancing individual competencies, institutional capacity, and organizational outcomes. By integrating domain expertise with digital learning models, the workshop aimed to:

• Enable evidence-based decision-making in municipal governance.

• Foster financial prudence and improved service delivery at the grassroots level.

• Strengthen ethical public procurement and compliance.

• Build a culture of outcomes-driven public administration.

This strategic intervention was intended to catalyze a new cadre of urban professionals who are equipped not just with domain knowledge, but also with critical soft skills such as leadership, agility, and citizen engagement.

Thematic Sessions: Bridging Knowledge Gaps at the ULB Level

The workshop featured several expert-led sessions tailored to real-world challenges faced by ULB officials:

1. Foundational Principles of Mission Karmayogi Participants explored how the initiative aims to create a competency-driven, role-specific civil service that aligns with citizen expectations and governance reforms.

2. Public Procurement Processes in Urban Administration This session focused on the transparency, efficiency, and legal compliance of public procurement mechanisms—a crucial area for municipal operations and infrastructure projects.

3. Budget Planning and Financial Management With municipalities being frontline agencies for service delivery, this module highlighted the importance of robust budgeting, fund allocation, and financial forecasting.

Through interactive discussions and case-based learning, participants were empowered to rethink urban governance from a results-oriented and digitally inclusive perspective.

Spotlight on iGOT Karmayogi: India's Digital Learning Ecosystem

A major highlight of the event was the live demonstration of the iGOT Karmayogi platform, a centralized digital hub offering modular, self-paced, and competency-based training for government officials. The platform represents a paradigm shift in how public servants access knowledge, enhance competencies, and plan their career development journeys.

Odisha has emerged as a frontrunner, having already onboarded more than three lakh government employees onto the iGOT Karmayogi portal. This reflects the state’s commitment to fostering a learning-oriented administrative culture, where every official is encouraged to take ownership of their growth and development.

Paving the Way for Scalable, Inclusive Capacity Development

The Bhubaneswar workshop is part of a broader national vision to reimagine the role of public servants, especially at the local level, where governance outcomes are most immediately felt. As cities continue to grow and citizen demands become more complex, ULBs must adapt by embracing data, technology, and continuous learning.

This initiative marks a collaborative milestone between the Centre and the State to institutionalize capacity-building in the urban domain—ensuring that ULB officials are not just administrators, but change leaders capable of delivering high-quality governance in line with India’s aspirations for a self-reliant future.

The success of such programs reaffirms the transformative potential of Mission Karmayogi in cultivating a responsive, ethical, and future-ready civil service capable of steering India through its next phase of urban development and democratic maturity.