The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration is located in Mussoorie and is a premier training institution for the civil services in India. It is headed by a Director (an officer of the level of Secretary to the Government of India) and is an attached office of the Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India.
It conducts a common Foundation Course for entrants to the All India Services; Indian Foreign Service; Group ‘A’ services of the Union and the Royal Bhutan Service followed by professional training for the regular recruits of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and members of the Royal Bhutan Service. The Academy also conducts in-service and Mid-Career Training Programmes (MCTPs) for members of the IAS and Induction Training Programme for officers promoted to the IAS from State Civil Services. In addition, workshops and seminars on policy and governance-related issues are held from time to time. After the completion of training, successful trainees get a masters degree (MA) in public management.
Directors of Training Center LBSNAA
Below is the list of directors who look over the activities at LBSNAA –
| Sr.No. | Name | From | Till | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Dr. Sanjeev Chopra | 1 January 2019 | Incumbent | IAS |
| 6 | Rajeshwar Prasad | 11 May 1973 | 11 April 1977 | IAS |
| 1 | A.N. Jha | 1 September 1959 | 30 September 1962 | ICS |
The 1st director at LBSNAA was A.N. Jha. So in his memory, there is an A N Jha Plaza which happens to be the most visited spot in the academy. Further, Indian Civil Services was renamed as Indian Administrative Services after the British left. So, the first IAS officer as the director of LBSNAA was Rajeshwar Prasad. Dr. Sanjeev Chopra is the current serving director at LBSNAA.
LBSNAA
LBSNAA is the dream destination of aspiring IAS officers. Here, they are trained and taught public policy and administration related matters. They also get involved in sports, dance, singing, etc. Let us further know more about this place.
Location and Activities
- The Academy is located at Mussoorie, a hill station at a height of little above 6580 ft and is spread over 189 acres. It offers services like gym, tennis court, horse riding etc. A typical day at the academy normally starts at 6:00 AM with an exercise drill at the Polo Ground for an hour or a 6-10 km jog. The trainees can also opt for riding at that time. After this, they have an hour to get ready and have their breakfast.
- They have classes commencing at 9:00 AM. Each classroom session lasts for 55 minutes and in a day there would be around 5 – 6 sessions. From 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM sports and riding activities are held.
- If there are cultural programmes, they are also scheduled before dinner time which is at 8:00 PM.
- During weekends and holidays during IAS training, the trainees engage in extra-curricular activities like community service, adventure sports such as rock-climbing, paragliding, short treks, river rafting, etc.
History – Training Period at LBSNAA Center
After clearing the tough UPSC exam, the candidates undergo a 2-year training process at LBSNAA. The concept of LBSNAA was put forward on the 15th of April 1958 when the then Union Home Minister Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant announced that a training center would be set up for Civil Service Officers. On 1st September 1959, the training center was set up at Metcalfe House, where the first batch of officers was trained. However, the academy’s name has been changed twice.
-
- On October 1972, it became Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration.
- On July 1973, it was renamed as Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).
Timeline of the developments of LBSNAA
| Date | Growth |
|---|---|
| 15th April 1958 | Home Minister announcement in the Lok Sabha. |
| 13th April 1959 | Training of the first batch of officers (115 officers) commences in Metcalfe House |
| 1st September 1959 | Academy shifted to Mussoorie at Charleville Hotel. |
| Inception to 31st August 1970 | Academy functions under Home Ministry. |
| 1st September 1970 to April 1977 | Academy functions under Cabinet Secretariat Affairs Department. |
| October 1972 | Name changed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration. |
| July 1973 | Name changed to Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). |
| April 1977 to March 1985 | Academy functions under Home Ministry. |
| April 1985 till date | Academy functions under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions. |
| 1988 | NICTU was established. |
| 1989 | National Society for Promotion of Development Administration, Research and Training (NSDART) established. |
| 3rd November 1992 | Inauguration of Karamshila building. |
| 1995 | Softrain, now known as Publication Cell established. |
| 9th August 1996 | Inauguration of Dhruvshila and Kalindi Guest House. |
| 14th October 1996 | NSDART made Society under Societies Registration Act, now known as National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR). |
| 2011 | Buildings Gyanshila, Silverwood and Valley View were built. |
| 21st June 2013 | Inauguration of Brahmaputra building. |
| 29th June 2015 | Inauguration of Adharshila building. |
LBSNAA Ideals – Training Center LBSNAA
Facts
The training at LBSNAA started at Charleville Hotel in Mussoorie. It was the first hotel at this hill station. However, the property was later on bought by the government. Also, the training center LBSNAA’s building was destroyed in a fire. Further, the first batch started at Metcalfe House in 1959. Later in September, the academy shifted to the Charleville hotel. Also, buildings kept on adding over the years. Start preparing for the exam if you want to enter this prestigious academy.
Academy Song
The Academy Song is a Bengali Song composed by Shri. Atul Prasad Sen, a successful lawyer, philanthropist, social worker, and educationist. The academy adopted the song during Rajeshwar Prasad’s tenure (1973-1977). There have been changes in the song with due time. For instance, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi translations have been included. The song denotes the spirit of the Civil Services and is thus a constant inspiration for all the officers.
The training at LBSNAA consists of a variety of programs aimed at overall personality development and technical upskilling of fresh recruits so that they are able to face the challenges of the service. The training schedule at LBSNAA is given below:
Foundation Course:
Usually, this lasts from August to December. So, all the selected candidates of Grade A Central Services and All India Services in the CSE get an invite to join this foundation course. Later, trainees of different services go to their respective academies. For instance, IFS trainees go to the Foreign Services Institute in New Delhi and IPS trainees go to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), etc. The IAS trainees continue their training at LBSNAA.
Bharat Darshan:
This is a study tour for IAS trainees. The country tour spans about 45–50 days in which trainees are taken to important parts of the country. They go to different PSUs, NGOs, Armed services, ULBs, etc. It is an essential part of the training as trainees get to meet various district administrations over the course.
Phase I
This phase is usually held in Feb-May. Phase I includes Core training of IAS trainees.
District training
In May, IAS get their respective postings in districts. They get to posted as Assistant Collectors and this lasts for about 11 months. This is the first practical experience as an IAS officer.
Phase II
The IAS officer trainees gather at Mussorie again for training for another 2 months.
Assistant Secretary
After Phase 2, all the officer trainees are posted in New Delhi under different Ministries as Assistant Secretaries. Besides learning, they get to experience live workings of the Central govt and center-state coordination.
Confirmation
The President of India appoints the successful officers as confirmation of service.
- Teaching Facilities – Training center LBSNAA has very spacious and well-equipped classrooms. Further, it has 4 main buildings Karmashila, Dhruvshila, Gyanshila, and Aadharshila. Moreover, it has lecture halls, an officer mess, and a lounge too.
- Accommodation – Firstly, officer trainees have to stay at the academy during the training. Secondly, there are 3 hostels Ganga, Kaveri, and Narmada. Moreover, all rooms at LBSNAA have central heating, phones, TV, and are double-occupancy rooms. In addition, the mid-career trainees stay at Silverwood, Happy valley, and Mahanadi executive hotel. The academy has a studio apartment too.
- Horse-riding – Trainees who wish to indulge in this activity need to come to the ground with proper kits. Also, the breeches should be in beige color only.
- Library – Popularly called Gandhi Smriti Library, it has over 1.65 lakhs books. 5000 CD/DVD and 38 newspapers.
- IT Services – SARGAM, a training software that manages all activities held in LBSNAA.
- Dispensary – Medically equipped training center LBSNAA has doctors and nurses too. From x-ray to dental care everything is available.
- Officer Mess – The officer mess is within the academy. Moreover, this place is full of brotherhood and fraternity. Further, they are responsible for formal and informal get together.
- Indira Bhavan Complex – It is a km away from the training center LBSNAA and consists of extra facilities for classrooms, workshops, and conferences.
- Facilities for PWD – The course teaches awareness about the welfare of PWD candidates. Also, there are elevators, ramps, restrooms, a different hostel, and room service, etc. that can be availed by the trainees.
Rules of LBSNAA Training Center
The IAS Probation Rules – These rules specify the probation period of the candidate in IAS. Also, a candidate is successful after completing probation. However, the trainees are under the disciplinary control of the director. Further, the following rules cover the training period-
-
- Under rule 9, if he/she fails the re-examination
- If the central government is satisfied that the candidate is not eligible for the service.
- If the central government thinks that he/she willingly neglects studies.
- Above all, if the candidate lacks the quality of mind and character required for the service.
IAS Probationer’s final examination Regulations, 1955 – These rules deal with exams that are to be conducted during training. Moreover, the director has the right to decide the examination date, day, time, and venue.
Assessment of the Training at LBSNAA
For the assessment of the training, the committees review and evaluate everything accordingly. Further, they also suggest the improvement of the training and much more.
- Study group of UC Agrawal (1984) – LBSNNA re-evaluated the sandwich pattern in 1977 which was introduced in 1969. It was reviewed by a study group under the chairmanship of UC Agrawal in 1986. Further, the study group emphasized problem-solving and creative thinking in administration.
- Committee of Dr. S Ramesh, Shri P.K. Lahiri and Shri P.K. Patnaik (1996) – In addition, a study group of three IAS officers S. Ramesh, P.K Patnaik, and P.K Lahiri revised the training syllabus in 1996.
- Surindernath Committee Report (2003) – The committee recommended that the annual performance appraisal report should be used as a tool to find out the training needs of future assignments.
- Yugandhar Committee Report (2003) – The committee recommended that the annual performance appraisal report should be used as a tool to find out the training needs of future assignments.
- The R.V.V. Ayyar Committee Report (2007) – R.V. Vaidhyanathan Ayyar committee was made in 2007 to review the IAS training syllabus. Further, he recommended many changes in the curriculum.
- Dr. Y.K. Alagh Committee Report (2009) – The major changes in the Mid-Training program was recommended by the Alagh committee.
- Evaluation Report of MCTP for IAS officers by NIAR (2010) – NIAR did an assessment on the MCTP course impact.
- Kiran Aggarwal Committee Report (2014) – This committee found some key changes needed in the program and made the changes accordingly as well. Firstly, it emphasized to re-engineer the cadre allocation system. Secondly, information of cadre before the commencement of FC.
Conclusion
Life at the training center LBSNAA is really amazing because you come out as a changed person. Moreover, officer trainees get to live some of the best moments of their entire lives. Further, LBSNAA fully trains and molds candidates according to their jobs. Above all, adventure, fun, and discipline is a part of the training. A mixture of all the three leads to the formation of a strong and polished officer.
FAQ Regarding Training Centre LBSNAA
1. Does the trainee gets paid during the training?
The trainee gets paid during the training period. Each trainee is allotted a sum of 45000 rupees. However, the amount of mess and other facilities is deducted from it. So, the final amount they receive is 38,500 rupees. This amount is sufficient for personal expenses like shopping or other misc. spending.
2. What are the facilities offered at training center LBSNAA?
From fully equipped classrooms to horse riding, LBSNNA covers everything. Also, the accommodation has a central heating system, tv, phone, etc. These rooms are as good as any high end luxurious hotel.
