Odisha Cadre IAS Trainees Gain Insights Into Inclusive Governance At SSEPD Attachment Program

BHUBANESWAR – MAY 2026 – A group of IAS officer trainees from the Odisha cadre participated in a specialized institutional attachment program today at the Department of Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD). The visit, a core component of their district training curriculum, was designed to provide future administrators with firsthand exposure to inclusive governance, social welfare frameworks, and field-level service delivery.

During the interaction, Shri Suresh Kumar Vashishth detailed the department’s extensive portfolio of social security schemes and specialized institutional frameworks. The technical briefing covered landmark state and central welfare initiatives, including the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY), the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), and the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS).

The Secretary emphasized targeted interventions for marginalized populations, highlighting the Sweekruti scheme—which drives equality, justice, and socio-economic inclusion for transgender persons—as well as dedicated rehabilitation programs for senior citizens, beggars, and destitutes. The trainees were also briefed on the emerging socio-demographic transitions facing administrators, specifically focusing on the “feminisation of ageing” and the critical governance lenses required to address it.

“As future administrators, it is imperative that you coordinate with the respective District Collectors to undertake comprehensive field visits to the district-level SSEPD offices. This is essential for gaining a profound insight into their operational framework and localized challenges. Rather than limiting yourselves to routine visits, you must actively engage with both senior and junior officials to meticulously evaluate the functional efficacy of various government sections.” said Shri Vashishth while addressing the IAS trainees.

The operational role of Sub-Collectors in monitoring and executing SSEPD programs effectively at the sub-divisional level was underscored as a vital takeaway for future bureaucrats.

To understand the grassroots, the officers were familiarized with the functioning of Integrated Infrastructure Complexes across the state, the State Institute of Special Education & Research (SISER), and Advanced Rehabilitation Centres (ARCs). The discussions also highlighted the state’s educational support systems, such as the management of special schools, specialized training and sensitization for newly recruited special education teachers, and the distribution of laptops to visually impaired students to promote digital literacy and skill development.

The attending IAS officer trainees included Abhi Jain, Anup Nayak, Jaskaran Singh, Jitendra Kumar, Saranya S, and Sudha Chauhan.

“This exposure is vital for equipping our future officers with the insights needed to implement policies effectively, manage public grievances, and empathetically address the needs of society’s most vulnerable sections,” the Department stated in an official release.

The comprehensive orientation session was led by Shri Suresh Kumar Vashishth, Principal Secretary, SSEPD, alongside Additional Secretaries Shri Deepak Routrai, Smt. Sonia Behera, and Shri Bhaskar Raito. The senior leadership team briefed the trainee officers on the department’s structural operations, navigating from state-level policy formulation down to block and field-level execution.

Avinash Sagar