PDUNASS Concludes Orientation Training for Newly Promoted APFCs, Introduces First-Ever Course on Compassion in Governance
This comprehensive training programme has equipped the newly promoted APFCs with the professional competencies, ethical grounding, and compassionate leadership needed to strengthen EPFO’s role in safeguarding India’s workforce and advancing its social security mission.
New Delhi, September 29: The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), New Delhi, has concluded a three-week orientation training programme for newly promoted Assistant Provident Fund Commissioners (APFCs). The valedictory session was addressed by Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC) Ramesh Krishnamurthi, who commended the Academy for shaping the next generation of EPFO leaders with a blend of knowledge, empathy, and service values.
The training covered a wide range of themes, including customer-centric approaches, ethics, landmark court judgments, design thinking, and audio-visual learning. A distinctive highlight was the pioneering course on “Compassion in Governance”, conceptualized by Sanjay Rai, RPFC-I, making EPFO the first institution in India to embed empathy and emotional intelligence in public administration training.
In his address, Krishnamurthi congratulated the officer trainees for their participation and urged them to uphold EPFO’s core values of integrity, accountability, and empathy while serving over 30 crore subscribers. He also released booklets authored by the trainees, featuring book reviews, creative reflections, and culinary initiatives under the “Delicious Initiative”.
The CPFC also highlighted recent EPFO reforms, including the rollout of the upgraded Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) system with advanced validations, international worker compliance checks, and automated calculations for damages and interest under Sections 7Q and 14B—aimed at reducing errors and streamlining enforcement.
PDUNASS Director Kumar Rohit emphasized the Academy’s evolving pedagogy, integrating case-based learning, outbound training, and design thinking workshops. He underlined that PDUNASS is committed to producing citizen-centric and compassionate officers who prioritize grievance redressal and public trust.
Course Director Shri Ram Anand reported that 50% of the curriculum focused on behavioural and leadership development, supported by faculty from premier institutions such as the National Institute of Design, National Law University Delhi, the India Centre for Governance, and the VV Giri National Labour Institute.
The programme also featured a four-day outbound training module, weekly assessments, and audio-visual sessions. Trainees were recognized with awards for excellence in classroom performance, outbound activities, contributions to initiatives, and extracurricular achievements ranging from yoga to cycling.
This comprehensive training programme has equipped the newly promoted APFCs with the professional competencies, ethical grounding, and compassionate leadership needed to strengthen EPFO’s role in safeguarding India’s workforce and advancing its social security mission.
