The first review meeting of Programme Officers undergoing On-the-Job Training (OJT) was held at the Lakshmanrao Inamdar National Academy for Cooperative Research and Development (LINAC-NCDC), marking the completion of the first three-month phase of their practical training.
The review was chaired jointly by Dr. Manoj Kumar, Director General, LINAC, and Vikas Upadhyay, Director (P&A), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), in the presence of Programme Coordinator Smt. Sweta Kujur, Deputy Director. All 20 newly recruited Programme Officers participating in the OJT programme attended the review.
Addressing the officers, Dr. Manoj Kumar underlined the importance of practical exposure in building a meaningful understanding of the cooperative sector. He said field-based training enables officers to understand ground realities across different cooperative sectors, identify challenges faced at the implementation level and gain practical insights into executing programmes.
The first three-month phase of the OJT has provided the newly recruited officers with an opportunity to move beyond classroom-based learning and gain exposure to the functioning of cooperative institutions and development programmes. The field experience is intended to help them connect institutional policies and programme objectives with the realities faced by cooperatives and their members.
Following the successful completion of the initial phase, all 20 Programme Officers will now proceed to their respective next OJT postings for another three months. The second phase is expected to further broaden their field exposure and strengthen their understanding of cooperative operations, programme implementation and sector-specific challenges.
The structured OJT programme is aimed at developing a cadre of Programme Officers equipped with both institutional knowledge and practical experience. Such exposure is particularly significant as the cooperative sector expands its role in implementing various development initiatives and reaching farmers, members and grassroots institutions.
The review meeting also provided an opportunity to assess the officers’ learning from the first phase and reinforce the importance of field engagement as an integral component of their professional development. The continuation of the OJT programme will allow the officers to build on their initial experience while gaining exposure to new cooperative environments and operational situations.
