Foundational Training Programme for Indian Economic Service Probationers (30 June – 4 July 2025)

The Indian Economic Service (IES) probationers participated in a weeklong Foundational Training Programme from 30th June to 4th July 2025, aimed at strengthening their capacity in evidence-based policy formulation and strategic economic thinking.

This comprehensive programme was designed to provide a robust grounding in key areas essential to effective public policy analysis and formulation. The curriculum was structured around four core streams:

  • Economic Reasoning

  • Public Policy Craft

  • Policy Communications

  • 8-Fold Path to Policy Analysis

Throughout the week, participants engaged in intensive sessions that blended conceptual learning with hands-on application. The programme featured simulation exercises on stakeholder analysis and policy communication, offering practical experience in navigating real-world policy dynamics.

Additional training in data visualisation, public communication, and policy writing further helped participants build the skills necessary to develop and convey compelling, evidence-based policy recommendations.

The officers applied their learnings and used a structured 8-step method to solve some of India’s pressing policy problems:

  1. Improving Urban Infrastructure in India

  2. Increasing Women’s Labour Force Participation

  3. Formulating India’s Strategy on Chinese Investments

These problem-based exercises challenged participants to apply rigorous analytical tools, evaluate trade-offs, and craft actionable policy solutions aligned with India’s development goals.

The participants also had a comprehensive training on crafting compelling content from engaging blogs, newsletters, and op-eds to impactful formal writing like issue briefs and discussion documents.

The Foundational Training Programme reaffirmed the commitment to nurturing a cadre of economists ready to tackle the complex policy challenges of the future with clarity, competence, and confidence.


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