**Summary:**
The Ministry of Labour and Employment's Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), through the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), has partnered with the National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad to introduce a Design Thinking initiative into its training programs. This initiative, launched on August 11, 2025, is designed to foster a future-centric and human-centric approach to governance.
The inaugural one-day training program, a first-of-its-kind in the government training ecosystem, was held at PDUNASS and included both in-person (65 participants) and online (approximately 100 participants) attendance. The program commenced with a ceremonial Deep Prajwalan in the presence of Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthy, CEO CPFC, EPFO, Dr. Ashok Mondal, Director, NID, and Shri Kumar Rohit, Director, PDUNASS.
The initiative aims to equip officers with the skills to lead reforms that enhance citizen experiences. Shri Kumar Rohit emphasized the need for context-sensitive service design for EPFO stakeholders, including pensioners, wage workers, and small businesses. Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthy highlighted the importance of Design Thinking in resolving the dichotomy between facilitative stakeholder engagement and strict regulatory compliance. Dr. Ashok Mondal reiterated NID's commitment to fostering creativity and problem-solving in governance and expressed hope for future collaborations.
Sessions were led by Prof. Jitendra Rajput and Prof. Amit Sinha of NID, focusing on empath-led service design, problem redefinition, and social innovation in governance. The program utilized interactive discussions and case-based exercises to explore user-centric approaches to public service delivery.
This initiative signifies a commitment to continuous innovation and citizen-focused governance within the EPFO and PDUNASS training calendar.
The point of contact for this initiative is Rini Choudhury, Release ID: 2155184.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour Employment: The Indian government ministry responsible for labour and employment policies.
Employees Provident Fund Organisation: A statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, responsible for managing provident fund schemes in India.
PDUNASS: Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security, a training academy.
NID Ahmedabad: National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, a design institute in Gujarat, India.
Design Thinking Initiative: A program to introduce design principles in governance and training.
Ramesh Krishnamurthy: CEO CPFC, Employees Provident Fund Organisation.
Ashok Mondal: Director, National Institute of Design.
Kumar Rohit: Director, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security.
Ministry of Labour & Employment
EPFO’s PDUNASS Partners with NID Ahmedabad to
Introduce Design Thinking
Initiative emphasises future-centric and human-
centric approach for bringing design in governance
Posted On: 11 AUG 2025 6:25PM by PIB Delhi
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), Employees’ Provident
Fund Organisation (EPFO), in association with the National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad, organised
a pioneering one-day training programme on Introduction to Design Thinking—a novel initiative in the
government training ecosystem. It is first-of-its-kind approach to induce Design in curriculum of young
Officers’ training program. The initiative has emphasis on future-centric and human-centric approach for
bringing design in governance.
The programme was inaugurated at 10:00 AM in Manthan Hall, PDUNASS, through a ceremonial Deep
Prajwalan, in the presence of Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthy, CEO & CPFC, EPFO, Dr. Ashok Mondal,
Director, NID, and Shri Kumar Rohit, Director, PDUNASS. CPFC and Director NID joined the event
virtually, while 65 participants attended in person and around 100 participants connected online.In his welcome address, Shri Kumar Rohit, Director PDUNASS, underscored that EPFO’s
stakeholders—pensioners, wage workers, and small businesses—require context-sensitive service design.
“This collaboration with NID mirrors our vision to train officers not just to manage processes, but to lead
reforms that improve citizens’ experiences,” he said.
CPFC Shri Ramesh Krishnamurthy set the tone for further session and discussion by highlighting dichotomy
being faced by organisations. He underlined how, on one hand, an organisation is required to be facilitative
and empathy centric towards its stakeholders, while on the other hand, its regulatory work of ensuring
compliance of legislation requires it to be strict in implementation. He desired that “Design Thinking” should
lead to resolving such dichotomies. He further said that “Design Thinking” appears abstract outwardly, and
that success of this initiative will depend upon practical outcomes it brings in decision making approaches.
“Public institutions face complex challenges, but our solutions must remain simple, empathetic, andimpactful,” he added.
Director NID, Dr. Ashok Mondal, highlighted the institute’s commitment to fostering creativity and problem-
solving skills in diverse sectors, including governance. He appreciated EPFO’s initiative to embed design-led
innovation in its training modules and expressed hope for more such collaborations.
The sessions were led by eminent NID faculty members, Prof. Jitendra Rajput and Prof. Amit Sinha, covering
themes such as empathy-led service design, problem redefinition, and social innovation in governance.
Through interactive discussions and case-based exercises, participants explored ways to reimagine public
service delivery using creative and user-centric approaches.The programme concluded successfully, leaving participants enriched with fresh perspectives and actionable
insights. This initiative marks a significant step in PDUNASS’s training calendar, reinforcing EPFO’s
commitment to continuous innovation and citizen-focused governance.
*****
Rini Choudhury
(Release ID: 2155184)