Andhra Pradesh seeks wider partnership with Singapore beyond Amaravati

Andhra Pradesh has sought to expand its partnership with Singapore beyond capital development to cover education, digital governance, skill development and leadership training. Minister for Education, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh has proposed a series of capacity-building initiatives for teachers and government officials.

At the third meeting of the Singapore-Andhra Pradesh Joint Implementation Standing Committee (JISC) at the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) office in Amaravati on Wednesday, Mr. Lokesh said the training programmes conducted with Singapore’s assistance had yielded encouraging results. He called for extending the cooperation to more areas.

The meeting reviewed progress under the memorandum of understanding between the two governments for developing Amaravati as a modern, integrated and sustainable capital city. It also examined the implementation of decisions taken at the previous two meetings.

Thanking Singapore for organising training programmes for six Ministers and 37 teachers from Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Lokesh proposed sending outstanding teachers to Singapore during the summer vacation to gain exposure to international teaching methods. He suggested that the teachers who underwent training should subsequently share their learnings with colleagues across the State through school complex meetings.

He said capacity-building in education should cover guidance, direction and administration to benefit the entire system. Under the SAGE programme, he proposed joint training for Ministers and Secretaries of the respective departments to improve coordination between policymaking and implementation.

The Minister also sought training and exchange opportunities for senior officials in leadership, contemporary administrative practices and digital skills.

Seeking Singapore’s expertise in digital transformation, he proposed cooperation in developing integrated digital platforms, command and control centres and data-driven governance systems. He said cyclones had delayed some initiatives, but the government would take them forward.

The meeting also discussed delays in implementation, with Mr. Lokesh directing officials to review progress every six months. Officials said a dedicated nodal officer had been appointed to monitor the programmes.

The Singapore delegation was led by Gan Seow Huang and included representatives of its Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, Enterprise Singapore and its diplomatic missions in India. Singapore Consul General in Chennai William Chik and Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi Sumaya Bakawi were among those present.