Shillong, May 20 (PTI) Twenty eight legislators and three ministers of Meghalaya attended a four-day training programme on leadership and public policy at the Mohali-based Indian School of Business, officials said.
Organised by Bharti Institute of Public Policy, an autonomous policy think tank of the institute, and the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship Programme (MLRF), the training is aimed to strengthen the legislative institution and explore leadership challenges and solutions for policymakers, they said.
The workshop concluded on Thursday with the participating members visiting the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to interact with legislators there. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit also interacted with the members during a special dinner.
“The workshop has sensitised us about the significance of leadership, how to serve people more efficiently, and to work for our citizens in empathetic and diligent ways. On a personal level, it has certainly encouraged me… to give my best to the state and nation I serve,” Meghalaya Sports Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh told PTI.
He said it was like sitting in a class again with classes from 9 am to 4 pm every day with sessions focusing on policy challenges for India in general and Meghalaya in particular.
Along with Banteidor, Ministers Hamlet Dohling and Renikton Tongkhar also attended the training.
The workshop facilitated the legislators with insights into research-oriented policy formulation and implementation, through case studies, group assignments and team-building activities.
“Undertaken by faculty experts at ISB and experienced practitioners from multiple domains, the sessions build on improving the nuanced understanding of aspects related to public policy, leadership management, innovation, sustainable development, digital transformation and public finance,” programme convener Dr Aarushi Jain said in a statement.
The Institute has been training and mentoring fellows under the structured two-year MLRF programme. The legislator and staff training through this workshop will further enhance the work dynamics in legislative, procedural and other functions in the Assembly, she added.
“Meghalaya is the first north-eastern state to start with a legislative fellowship programme, with young and highly motivated fellows assisting legislators in research and data analysis on issues of state importance and urgency,” an official said.
The programme also helped build and improve rapport among the MLAs, who despite their different political affiliations, were seen working, engaging and learning together inside and outside the class through group projects and studies, Meghalaya Institute of Governance Director Aiban Swer said, adding that the insights and teamwork spirit gained during the stay at the institute will bear significant results back home.
Bharti Institute of Public Policy executive director Prof Ashwini Chhatre said that these workshops, when expanded to all state assemblies, can prove to be game-changer, in terms of top leadership development, evidence-based policies, and leveraging of contemporary management principles for implementation of policies.