Sixth Job as Faculty in Dr MCR HRD Institute-2 >>>>> Systematic Approach to Training (SAT) Essential Principle >>>>> Professions, Checkered Career, and Lessons-11 : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Sixth Job as Faculty in Dr MCR HRD Institute-2

Systematic Approach to Training (SAT) 

Essential Principle

Professions, Checkered Career, and Lessons-11

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao (July 2, 2026)

During the period, working in Dr MCR HRD Institute, I was closely associated with the training of nine consecutive batches of IAS probationers allotted to the (Erstwhile AP) State, coordinating their district training and institute attachments. Many of these officers now occupy senior leadership positions, and the enduring professional bonds formed during those years remain a source of quiet satisfaction. I was similarly involved in foundation and thematic programs for Group I and II officers, heads of departments, and even the entire State Cabinet, which underwent a three-day orientation program after the 1999 elections, an initiative of the then CM Chandrababu Naidu, that was unprecedented at the time.

Equally enriching was the opportunity to work with a constellation of distinguished administrators and training professionals, where hierarchy rarely overshadowed collegiality. The collective energy, intellectual openness and shared commitment to public purpose created an environment where learning was continuous and contribution was valued over position.

Looking back, my years at Dr MCR HRD Institute were far more than a job or an assignment. They were a period of sustained learning, purposeful contribution, and institutional belonging. I witnessed how vision, when matched with leadership, systems and trust, can transform an organization and the people within it. The Institute’s journey from an obscure administrative training center to a globally recognized apex institution mirrored, in many ways, my own professional evolution.

These memories are recalled not merely as a record of the past, but as a source of reassurance and encouragement, for myself, and for those close to me, in times of uncertainty as well as achievement. They reaffirm my enduring belief that institutions grow when people are trusted, learning is nurtured, and purpose remains larger than personal ambition. The lessons gathered during this phase continue to guide me, quietly and consistently, in every walk of life.

This narrative is a comprehensive, chronological, and institution-centric account of the Dr Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource Development Institute, consciously rewritten to strengthen structure, depth, sequencing, and clarity. It places the Institute at the center, highlights the decisive roles of PVRK Prasad, N Chandrababu Naidu, Urmila Subba Rao and M P Sethy, and situates my association only where contextually necessary, avoiding self-repetition. The intent is to present a full, flowing history of institutional transformation, free of redundancy, rich in programs and outcomes, and entirely positive in spirit.

The origins of the Dr MCR HRD Institute lie in the early national recognition that administration, governance, and development depend fundamentally on the quality of human resources. Acting on recommendations made at the national level to strengthen training for civil and technical services, the Government of India advised States to establish dedicated administrative training institutions. Accordingly, the Institute of Administration was established in March 1976 in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh.

In its formative decades, the Institute functioned primarily as a conventional administrative training center, organizing rule-based, classroom-oriented programs with limited infrastructure, modest budgets and no systematic linkage between training inputs and governance outcomes. By the mid-1990s, the need for a fundamental shift, from routine administrative training to structured capacity and capability building, was becoming increasingly evident.

It was during this period that the Institute entered a phase of gradual but decisive transition. When I joined the Institute on September 5, 1995 as Faculty, under the leadership of Dr V Chandra Mouli, it was still widely known as the Institute of Administration. Training programs were repetitive, participation was limited to familiar groups of officers, and the Jubilee Hills campus was relatively unknown even within government circles. Yet, this phase also marked the beginning of introspection and preparation for change.

A critical catalyst in this transition was the role played by Urmila Subba Rao, who, as Additional Director General and later In-charge Director General, initiated the earliest steps towards professionalizing training. She recognized that training could no longer remain episodic or ceremonial and began aligning the Institute with the emerging framework of the National Training Policy. During this phase, the conceptual groundwork for systematic training, training needs analysis and institutional expansion was laid.

Her engagement with the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and always her meetings with the CM accompanied by me, reflected his growing interest in positioning training and capacity building as central to governance reform. The transformation acquired decisive momentum with the assumption of charge by PVRK Prasad as Director General in the late 1990s. PVRK brought to the Institute a rare combination of administrative experience, moral authority, and strategic vision. His career had already demonstrated his ability to leave behind strong, self-sustaining institutions, and Dr MCR HRD Institute became one of his most enduring legacies.

At the time PVRK took charge, the Institute was still functioning largely as a traditional training establishment. Within a short span, he re-imagined its role as the Apex Human Resource Development Institution of the State. One of his earliest and most consequential contributions was redefining the Institute’s mandate itself. The Institute was renamed as Dr Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource Development Institute, symbolizing a shift from administrative instruction to holistic human resource development, aligned with the present and future needs of the State Government.

This institutional redefinition coincided with the reform-oriented governance philosophy of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. A strong believer in systematic training, technology-driven governance and accountability, the Chief Minister took personal interest in the Institute’s evolution. As Chairman of the Board of Governors, he consistently emphasized that training must be purposeful, measurable, and linked to outcomes. His concept of SMART Governance, Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent, found practical expression through the training architecture developed at the Institute.

One of the most path-breaking initiatives of this phase was the Systematic Training Needs Analysis of State Government employees using Optical Mark Reader technology. Conceived to operationalize the National Training Policy’s vision of ‘Training for All’ this exercise covered several lakh employees across cadres, from Junior Assistants to Heads of Departments. It was among the first such large-scale, data-driven training needs assessments undertaken in the country and marked a decisive departure from intuition-based program design.

The findings of this exercise became the foundation for the State Training Initiative (STI), an ambitious and structured program aimed at ensuring a minimum quantum of training, approximately sixty hours, for every State Government employee. The STI represented a fundamental shift from sporadic capacity building to sustained capability building. Training was no longer viewed as an event, but as a continuous process embedded within administrative life.

Institutional infrastructure expanded rapidly to support this transformation. The Institute’s thirty-three-acre campus at Jubilee Hills was developed into a modern, state-of-the-art learning environment. New floors were added, training halls and auditoriums were modernized, conference and mini-conference halls were created, and residential facilities, sports infrastructure and support services were strengthened. What emerged was not merely a training campus, but a comprehensive ecosystem for learning, reflection, and professional interaction.

A landmark achievement during this period was the establishment of the Centre for Good Governance within the Institute campus. Conceived as a hub for identifying best practices, promoting administrative reforms, and developing replicable governance models, the Centre soon gained national and international recognition. Its inauguration by the then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and his extended engagement with the Chief Minister on the campus, symbolized the global relevance the Institute had attained.

Parallel to infrastructural expansion was a deliberate effort to professionalize training design and delivery. The Institute pioneered the use of video, and DVD-based learning, satellite-supported programs, and computer-based training modules. Large-scale trainer development initiatives were undertaken, and the Institute achieved ISO certification within a record period, reinforcing its commitment to quality systems and processes. Collaborations with national and international institutions, including the Department of Personnel and Training, UNDP, and leading academic bodies, further strengthened its professional credibility.

A crucial contributor to this professional depth was MP Sethy, one of the country’s foremost Master Trainers and a key figure in shaping India’s Trainer-Training Ecosystem. Brought to the Institute through determined institutional effort, Sethy’s presence elevated the quality of Trainer Development, Module Design and Pedagogical Rigor. His association significantly strengthened the Institute’s capacity to design and deliver high-impact programs and contributed to its reputation as a national leader in training innovation.

Another distinctive feature of this phase was the emphasis on leadership ownership of training. To institutionalize this principle, the Orientation to Management of Training program (OMOT) was conceptualized and implemented for senior IAS, IPS and non-cadre officers, including Heads of Departments. This program underscored that training effectiveness depends as much on leadership commitment as on content or methodology. The model was later adopted by training institutions across the country.

The Institute also played a central role in developing change leadership within the State through programs such as Governing for Results, Core Group Development initiatives and sector-specific interventions in areas including land reforms, tribal welfare, forest development, human rights, disaster management, child labor elimination, and citizen-centric administration. Innovative strategies, such as influencing key stakeholders and opinion leaders, were employed to ensure wider societal impact.

Training of successive batches of IAS probationers allotted to the State, foundation programs for Group I and II officers, and thematic programs for a wide range of services further consolidated the Institute’s role as the State’s apex training institution. A defining moment in this journey was the conduct of the first-ever structured training program for the entire State Cabinet after the 1999 elections, reflecting the Chief Minister’s conviction that learning and governance must progress together.

Over time, the Institute evolved from a little-known administrative training center into an internationally respected center of excellence in human resource development. This transformation was not the result of isolated initiatives, but of sustained vision, leadership continuity, professional commitment, and institutional trust. The imprint of PVRK. Prasad’s institution-building leadership, the reform-driven governance philosophy of CM N Chandrababu Naidu, the foundational contributions of Urmila Subba Rao, and the professional rigor introduced by MP Sethy remain deeply embedded in the Institute’s DNA. I was part of every phase of this transformation and did my best.

This account is offered as a comprehensive institutional memoir that fits naturally within my sixth professional engagement, while keeping the focus firmly on the Institute, its leadership, and its programs. It stands as a reminder that when training is treated as a strategic priority, institutions can be transformed, governance strengthened and public service elevated. The legacy of Dr MCR HRD Institute during this period continues to affirm the enduring value of vision, patience, professionalism, and faith in institutional growth.

This long and fulfilling phase at the Institute not only enriched my professional capabilities but also reinforced my belief that institutions grow when people are trusted, learning is continuous, and purpose remains larger than position. These lessons, quietly accumulated over nine years, continue to guide me in every sphere of life. What this period gradually revealed to me was that meaningful work seldom announces itself loudly, and that the most enduring contributions are often the result of patience, shared effort, and an unwavering commitment to processes rather than personalities.

I came to appreciate that real satisfaction in professional life flows not from titles or tenures, but from being part of something that steadily outlives individual roles and momentary recognition. The confidence gained from having witnessed and participated in such institution-building is deep, unspoken, and self-sustaining, requiring neither validation nor explanation. What followed thereafter was yet another phase of varied engagements and transitions, which I touch upon later, with as much detail as memory permits, carrying forward these convictions not as learned theories, but as quietly internalized companions that continue to shape choices, responses, and perspective.

{{From my Forthcoming Book

PROFESSIONS, CHECKERED CAREER, AND LESSONS

(From Librarian to CPRO to CM KCR)

A Journey from Khangi School to Center for Excellence}}