The new recruits of 4th batch of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) at the Sri Krishna Institute of Public Administration (SKIPA) are receiving holistic training which incorporates lessons in Yoga.
The recruits, engage themselves in the library at SKIPA with more than 25,000 books on administration, economy and public service. They also have the luxury of technologically rich infrastructure that the institute boasts of.
The training in computer and technology has been made mandatory by the Personnel department and the officers get trained for the same at the institute. Various games and sports are also part of their everyday life at SKIPA. All these activities are part of their daily routine besides the theory classes. This makes the schedule quite demanding. The day dawns for these officers with one-hour yoga training.
The yoga trainer, Muktrathji said that yogic training synchronised the mind with the body and prepared the officers for demanding schedules. He also said that yoga effected tremendous behavioural changes among officers.
“The training hugely influences the behavioural pattern, so much so that many of them promise to be honest in their conduct. Officers of earlier batches (not all) whom I converse with have maintained high level of integrity despite various temptations and political pressures,” he said.
According to one of the senior officials at SKIPA, yoga was not a part of the training of the officers earlier. It was made mandatory – an hour, six days a week — later. All the four batches of JPSC officers received training in yoga while they were undergoing pre posting training at SKIPA.
Yoga, however, is still not an everyday phenomenon for IAS recruits. According to 2009 batch IAS Officer, Ameet Kumar, who is currently serving as Ranchi Sadar SDO, yoga didn’t form an indispensable part of their training. They had only two days’ fixed for yoga every week. But the IAS officer feels, “This is very good if the JPSC recruits are given physical relaxation through yoga. It trims and heals effectively.”