Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh on Friday, 3 July 2026 launched and addressed the third batch of DAKSH (Development of Aspiration, Knowledge, Succession and Harmony), a year-long leadership development programme designed for senior executives of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).

Context

Addressing the third cohort, Dr. Jitendra Singh articulated a shift in how the government conceptualises capacity building. 'Capacity building is no longer confined to enhancing individual competencies but must also create synergy across institutions to develop governance systems capable of meeting the aspirations of common citizens,' he said. The remark signals that CPSE leadership training is being reoriented from individual skill upgradation toward a broader institutional convergence model.

The minister also underscored the 'Whole of Government' principle, stating that it 'calls for convergence of diverse individual and institutional capacities, where institutions and professionals contribute their respective strengths and expertise towards common national goals.' This framing positions CPSE executives not merely as corporate managers but as participants in national policy delivery.

Policy Backdrop

DAKSH sits within a wider post-2014 administrative reform architecture. The Mission Karmayogi national programme, launched in 2021, established a standardised capacity-building framework for civil services through the iGOT digital platform, and the Capacity Building Commission was constituted the same year to set competency standards across government institutions. Extending a structured, year-long leadership module to CPSE senior executives reflects the next logical step: bringing public sector enterprise leadership into the same reform orbit as the civil services.

Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that over the last 12 years, the Narendra Modi government's governance philosophy has 'evolved from a Whole-of-Government approach towards a broader Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Nation framework.' The distinction is significant — the latter explicitly incorporates societal actors and institutions beyond the formal government apparatus into policy implementation.

Stakeholders and Impact

Central Public Sector Enterprises collectively employ hundreds of thousands of personnel and operate across critical sectors including energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Their senior leadership directly influences capital allocation, project execution, and service delivery at scale. A structured year-long programme targeting this cohort aims to align CPSE decision-making with the outcome-oriented governance priorities that the central government has championed since 2014.

The programme's design — emphasising synergy across institutions rather than siloed individual training — also reflects lessons from implementation gaps identified in earlier reform cycles, where inter-departmental coordination remained a persistent challenge. CPSE executives who complete DAKSH are expected to carry cross-institutional thinking back into their respective enterprises.

What's Next

With the third batch now underway, attention will turn to whether the government scales DAKSH to additional cohorts or extends similar modules to mid-level CPSE executives. Parliamentary standing committees and the Comptroller and Auditor General periodically review CPSE performance metrics, and outcomes from DAKSH participants could feature in future assessments of governance quality within public sector enterprises. The evolution toward a 'Whole-of-Nation' framework also raises the question of how private sector and civil society actors may eventually be drawn into complementary capacity-building initiatives.