CBI, CVC officials to pursue anti-graft studies abroad

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has written to all union ministries and state governments seeking nominations of eligible officers for Masters Course in Anti Corruption Studies (MACS), conducted by International Anti Corruption Academy (IACA), Vienna.

The part-time programme consisting seven intensive modules of three months' interval will be conducted at IACA campus in Laxenburg and Kuala Lumpur.

"It is a new programme being launched in December 2012. The first pre-module (self-study phase) will begin in January 2013 and the first core module to commence in February 2013," according to a letter sent to states and all central government departments said.

Officers working in CBI, CVC, Vigilance and anti-corruption wings of state governments and central government including chief vigilance officers working in public sector enterprises, who have completed at least nine years of services, will be eligible for the programme.

Besides getting full sponsorship under the Domestic Funding of Foreign Training (DFFT) scheme by the DoPT, a successful candidate will also receive a daily allowance of USD 100 (about Rs 5,292).

"The political clearance in respect of an officer's participation in the course will be taken by the nominating organisation concerned," the DoPT said in its letter.

In April this year, the DoPT has charted out a plan for 453 IAS officers working in various departments to undergo mandatory mid-career training programme (MCTP) within and outside the country.

Sources said over 150 officials of 1979-84 batches were undergoing month-long fifth phase of MCTP ending on November 2.

It is pertinent to mention that the DoPT had recently asked all government ministries to make public details of official foreign and domestic tours undertaken by ministers and senior officers.

The details will include nature of the official tour, places visited, the period, number of people included in the official delegation and total cost of such travel undertaken by a minister or senior officers.

The "suo motu" decision was taken after central government departments received frequent applications under the Right to Information Act seeking details of official tours undertaken by ministers and other officials.