PDUNASS and IC Centre for Governance Forge Landmark Partnership to Embed Ethics in Social Security Administration
In a transformative step towards redefining public service delivery in India, the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), the apex training institution of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), has entered in a strategic partnership with the IC Centre for Governance (ICCfG). The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed today in New Delhi, institutionalizes a comprehensive framework to integrate ethical leadership and moral integrity with technical expertise for EPFO officers.
The Memorandum of Understanding was formally signed by Shri Ram Anand, Regional P.F. Commissioner-I, PDUNASS, and Shri Shanti Narain, Secretary General, ICCfG, in the presence of Shri Kumar Rohit, Director, PDUNASS. The ceremony was graced by the presence of eminent ICCfG dignitaries, including Vice President Shri Mahesh Kapoor and former Secretaries to the Government of India, Shri Balvinder Kumar and Shri Anurag Goel. Also in attendance were senior members Brig. Rajendra Kumar, Shri Rajiv Sachdeva, Shri Sunil Kumar, Ms. Archana Dubey, Shri Vinod K. Maurya, and Ms. Rananahi Dwivedi. The PDUNASS delegation included Regional P.F. Commissioners Shri Prashant Sharma, Shri Harish Yadav, and Shri Ankur P. Gupta.
This alliance comes at a critical juncture as EPFO implements sweeping "Ease of Living" reforms and digital transformations, necessitating a workforce that is not only digitally proficient but also ethically grounded.
A Strategic Alliance for a "Future-Ready" Civil Service
The collaboration aims to operationalize the vision of "Mission Karmayogi" by shifting the focus from rule-based compliance to role-based ethical competence. It addresses the growing need for transparency, accountability, and empathy in the administration of social security for millions of Indian workers.
Shri Kumar Rohit, Director, PDUNASS, underscored the strategic imperative of the partnership: “As EPFO's responsibilities grow amid transformative reforms in India's social security landscape, our officers require not just procedural mastery but ethical competence. This alliance with ICCfG will institutionalise values-based training, building principled leaders who uphold institutional credibility and public confidence. We are moving beyond the training of skills to the cultivation of character.”
Structured Training Regimen
The MoU establishes a tiered, annual training framework. It includes specialized residential programs for Group ‘A’ officers at ICCfG centres focusing on leadership and policy, and dedicated campus-based training for Group ‘B’ officers at PDUNASS centered on professional conduct and citizen-centric service delivery. This segmented approach ensures that the entire workforce from decision-makers to the field force is equipped to deliver responsive and trustworthy public service.
Inner Alignment for Public Power
Shri Prabhat Kumar, President of ICCfG, former Cabinet Secretary and first Governor of Jharkhand, highlighted the philosophical depth of the initiative: “Integrity is both a private virtue and a public power. We urge officers to cultivate an inner alignment between duty and conscience. When a civil servant acts from a place of inner ethical alignment, governance transforms from a task to a service. This partnership is about awakening the 'Karmayogi' within every officer.”
Context of Reforms
This initiative complements the recent operational reforms introduced by EPFO in 2025, including the simplified withdrawal framework and the centralized pension payment system. As the organization reduces manual friction through automation, the discretionary powers exercised in complex cases require a higher standard of moral judgment. The PDUNASS-ICCfG partnership ensures that the human element of governance keeps pace with the digital element.
About the Institutions
About PDUNASS: The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS) is the premier learning and research institute of the EPFO, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India. Established to facilitate the continuous professional development of officers, it plays a pivotal role in aligning human resources with key national reforms, including the new Labour Codes and Digital India initiatives.
About ICCfG: The IC Centre for Governance (ICCfG) is a distinguished non-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the ethical fabric of public administration. Through executive education and policy dialogue, it conducts high-impact programs for senior civil servants, including IAS officers and PSU leaders. Its "Ethics in Public Governance" modules are widely recognized for their practical relevance and transformative potential.
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Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexaander