Date: 2026-04-18Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration interacts with ISS Officer Trainees of ISS 2024, 25, and 26 batches at National Statistical Systems Training Academy
**Executive Summary**
On April 18, 2026, the Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) held a detailed interaction with Indian Statistical Service (ISS) Officer Trainees from the 2024, 2025, and 2026 batches at the National Statistical Systems Training Academy. The session focused on the critical role of civil servants in evidence-based policymaking and the importance of professional excellence in public service. Trainees were encouraged to prioritize innovation and collaborate with local administrations to achieve the vision of "Viksit Bharat."
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Role of the Indian Statistical Service (ISS)**
* ISS officers provide critical analytical inputs and data-driven insights essential for policy formulation and governance.
* The contribution of the service is characterized as "Selfless Service" with an impact extending far beyond its immediate domain.
* Officers are urged to prioritize core statistical activities over routine administrative work to maximize their professional impact.
**Professional Excellence and Innovation**
* Trainees are advised to invest at least 30% of their efforts into innovation, research, and new analytics.
* Continuous self-improvement is highlighted as the primary key to effective public service delivery.
* Officers should aim to move beyond formal responsibilities to work for the "larger good."
**Leadership and Civil Service Qualities**
* Essential qualities for civil servants include empathy, "eternal optimism" (sustaining vigor throughout a career), and a citizen-centric approach.
* Effective leadership requires clarity in decision-making, the ability to energize teams, and resilience in challenging environments.
* Trainees are encouraged to adopt the philosophical attitudes of a "Karmayogi" and a "Sthithapragya" in their professional lives.
**Field Operations and Collaboration**
* During field postings, officers must work to mainstream statistical thinking and mindsets within ground-level government systems.
* Routine statistical exercises, such as surveys, should be transformed into opportunities for broader institutional engagement.
* Increased collaboration is envisioned between the National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA) and LBSNAA.
**Impact Analysis**
**ISS Officer Trainees (2024, 2025, and 2026 Batches)**
**Impact**
Trainees are redirected from routine administrative mindsets toward a focus on innovation, analytical rigour, and leadership. They are provided with a framework for evidence-based governance and public service values.
**Action Required**
Trainees must allocate 30% of their professional efforts to research and analytics and actively work to mainstream statistical thinking during their field postings.
**National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA)**
**Impact**
The academy is identified as a key partner for increased institutional collaboration with LBSNAA to enhance capacity building and outreach.
**Action Required**
Coordinate with LBSNAA to implement organizational reforms and shared training initiatives for ISS probationers.
**District and Local Administrations**
**Impact**
These stakeholders are recognized as essential partners for ISS officers to improve the ground-level application of data.
**Action Required**
Collaborate with ISS officers during field-level exercises and surveys to enhance institutional engagement and data-driven governance.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Statistical Service (ISS): The specialized civil service cadre whose officer trainees are being mentored to provide data-driven insights and analytical inputs for governance.
Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA): India's premier civil service training institution, collaborating with statistical academies to foster leadership and evidence-based policymaking.
National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA): The specialized training academy for the Indian Statistical Service, focused on capacity building and organizational reforms in statistics.
Shri Sriram Taranikanti: Director of LBSNAA, who provided strategic guidance to ISS trainees on public service leadership, innovation, and citizen-centric governance.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation: The primary ministry responsible for overseeing the statistical services, organizational reforms, and outreach activities for ISS officers.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy
of Administration interacts with ISS Officer
Trainees of ISS 2024, 25, and 26 batches at
National Statistical Systems Training Academy
Posted On: 18 APR 2026 9:14PM by PIB Delhi
Shri Sriram Taranikanti, Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, had a
detailed interaction with Officer Trainees (OTs) of the Indian Statistical Service batches of 2024, 2025,
and 2026 at National Statistical Systems Training Academy, today (18th April, 2026).
Shri R. Rajesh, Additional Director General, Capacity Development Division, while welcoming the
Director, profusely thanked him for taking precious time from his busy schedule and travelling all the way
from Mussorie to address the ISS probationers, reflecting his keen commitment to reach out and inspire
the young public servants. While alluding to the ongoing organizational reforms, capacity building, and
outreach activities undertaken by the senior leadership of the Ministry, he also envisioned for increased
collaboration between NSSTA and LBSNAA.
During the interaction, Shri Taranikanti spoke extensively on public service leadership and the critical role
of civil servants in strengthening evidence-based policymaking. Addressing the Officer Trainees, he
lauded the crucial role of the ISS in providing critical analytical inputs and data-driven insights, for policy
formulation and governance. Describing the contribution of the ISS as “Selfless” Service whose
impact/influence goes far beyond their domain, he urged the Officer Trainees to engage in core Statistical
activities in their career instead of routine administrative work.Emphasizing professional excellence, he advised Trainees to invest atleast 30% of their efforts in
contributing pro-actively to innovation, new analytics and research, while also efficiently performing their
assigned responsibilities. He underscored that continuous self-improvement is the key to effective public
service.
Highlighting essential qualities of a civil servant, Shri Taranikanti emphasized the importance of being an
“eternal optimist” (sustaining increased vigour even as you go up the career), maintaining empathy, and
adopting a citizen-centric approach in governance. He noted that effective leadership requires clarity in
decision-making, the ability to energize teams, and resilience in challenging administrative environments.
While underlining the critical importance of statistics, he exhorted the Probationers to make efforts during
their field postings to mainstream statistical thinking/mindset within government systems at the ground
level, as well as reaching out to society at large. He encouraged Trainees to transform routine statistical
exercises, such as surveys, into opportunities for broader institutional engagement, particularly through
collaboration with district/local administrations and field-level stakeholders.
Emphasizing that public service should go beyond formal responsibilities towards working for larger good
and commitment to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat, he advised the Trainees to adopt the attitude of a
Karmayogi and a Sthithapragya in their life.
The talk was followed by a lively and extensive Question – Answer session carried over lunch also, in
which he clarified the queries with various practical anecdotes.This extensive interaction with Director, LBSNAA was highly valuable and enriching for the Officer
Trainees, reinforcing the importance of integrating analytical rigour, leadership qualities, and citizen-
centric values in strengthening evidence-based governance.
***
Samrat/Pranab
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