India and Mauritius Move to Deepen Cooperation in Civil Service Training, Digital Governance and Capacity Building

India and Mauritius have agreed to expand cooperation in public administration, civil service training, digital learning and institutional capacity building, building on a longstanding partnership between the two countries. The discussions were held in New Delhi on August 24, 2026, during a meeting between Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Mauritius Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms Lutchmanah Raj Pentiah.

The two sides discussed moving beyond individual training programmes towards sustained institutional partnerships between civil service organisations in India and Mauritius. The proposed cooperation includes wider training opportunities, exchange of expertise, joint programme development, research collaboration and greater use of technology-enabled learning platforms.

A major component of the partnership is India’s commitment to train 500 Mauritian civil servants over five years through the National Centre for Good Governance. The programme was agreed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius in 2025, and the first batch is already undergoing training in Mussoorie.

India and Mauritius are now exploring stronger linkages between the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation (ABVIPSI) in Mauritius and leading Indian institutions such as the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, the Indian Institute of Public Administration and the Institute of Secretariat Training and Management.

Potential areas of collaboration include joint curriculum and programme design, training of faculty, exchange programmes, development of governance case studies, research and sharing of administrative best practices. The two countries are also examining opportunities for Mauritian officials to participate in suitable mid-career and in-service programmes conducted by Indian institutions.

Digital capacity building is emerging as another important pillar of cooperation. The recently operationalised iGOT Karmayogi Mauritius platform is expected to support continuous online learning for Mauritian public servants. India’s Mission Karmayogi experience, which focuses on role-based and competency-driven training, could provide a framework for developing learning pathways tailored to Mauritius.

Indian and Mauritian institutions could also jointly develop digital courses and incorporate Mauritian governance experiences into training material, allowing the platform to reflect local administrative requirements rather than relying solely on imported learning content.

Mauritius has proposed that teams from India’s National Centre for Good Governance conduct programmes in Mauritius to train both civil servants and trainers. According to the discussions, 85 Mauritian officers have already received training through four missions, with Mauritius indicating its willingness to facilitate additional programmes in the country.

Mauritius is also seeking Indian assistance in developing ABVIPSI into a regional centre of excellence for public service learning and innovation, potentially serving countries across the Indian Ocean and Eastern Africa. The proposal could expand the India-Mauritius partnership from bilateral civil service training into a wider regional capacity-building initiative.

The discussions also extended into specialised areas such as the Blue Economy, ocean technologies, fisheries, desalination and sustainable development. Practitioner exchanges and specialised training programmes in these sectors could create additional opportunities for cooperation, particularly given the importance of maritime resources to Mauritius.

The Indian Institute of Public Administration has proposed collaboration in public policy, governance, leadership, monitoring and evaluation of government programmes, online course development and research. Cooperation could also include training for scientific and technical officials from Mauritius and exchanges involving faculty and researchers.

India and Mauritius intend to build the next phase of their administrative partnership around the 500-officer training programme, ABVIPSI, iGOT Karmayogi Mauritius and institutional links with Indian civil service academies. The broader objective is to establish a continuous framework through which officials from both countries can exchange knowledge, strengthen public institutions and develop modern approaches to citizen-focused governance.

Source: PIB: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2302791&reg=48&lang=1