OUTCOME REPORT: CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE SINGAPORE

Study tour -29th July to 11th August 2018

RishikaChoraria -Officer Trainee IES

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page -Saint Augustine.

Against this philosophy the entire training attachment at Civil Service College Singapore was a
remarkable event incorporated in the training curriculum intended to broaden our horizons through a
study tour beyond the territorial frontiers of India.

Faculty:

Eminent faculty members who had in-depth knowledge and practical experiences to share had been
invited to deliver the discourses. Most of the lectures were highly interactive and lucid such that there
was conceptual clarity.

Field visits and practical exercises:

Theoretical knowledge sharing sessions were followed by visits to the site. Forinstance, the sessions on
health system were followed up with a visit to their Hospital and detailed information shared on minute
aspects of its operations such as how they have tried to make the interface user friendly.

Similarly, a visit to their technical education school for secondary level children was arranged so as to
bring out the massive infrastructure investment in education that Singapore is making to skill it's future
citizens.

To enable participants to learn about the dynamics in international agreements and the need for
cooperation in achieving sustainable development a session on a practical game called Nexus was
organized and the outcomes discussed. This was a novel method in enabling learning.

Another unusual exercise was the scavenger hunt organized at Our Tampines Hub -a state of the art
community center. Various activities were to be completed to encourage participants to observe the
structural and organizational setup put in place to create a conducive, inclusive community bonding
center where locals of all age, gender, religion could participate and grow socially. This exposure made
us aware of the investment in building social capital by the government.

To help us retain what knowledge was disseminated there were everyday reflections and discussion
with creative use of post-its and charts.

Logistics:

Transfers to and from the airport and session venues were seamless and extremely punctual which
ensured we could make the most of our time in Singapore
Our hotel accommodation was in the prime location giving us a glimpse of the public life and enabling
easy commutation across important parts of the city.

Hotel services were excellent however the choice of Vegetarian Indian food was limited to 1-2 items
that were repeated every dayin spite of request to change.

Timings:

Class timings were apt starting sharp at 9 and closing at 5.

Overall feedback:

In a nutshell the whole experience widened our world view particularly making us aware of the
possibilities in Urban planning and governance. However, given the geographic and demographic profile
of Singapore the learnings are applicable in a limited context given the widely dissimilar and
exponentially larger framework of operation for India.

Nonetheless a key takeaway was that strong institutions and regulation are the keystones in
achieving growth in an economy.

I am extremely thankful to the cadre and the High Commission of India in Singapore for arranging
such a well-planned and organized learning environment and equipping me with economic and social
skills at par with global standards.