ASCI, DARPG to Host International Conference on State Capacity

India stands at the cusp of a historic transformation to emerge as a global and economic superpower by 2047. Strengthening state capacity—India’s ability to effectively design, implement, and deliver on its governance promises—remains central to this journey. While the country demonstrates notable strengths in mission-mode programmes, it continues to grapple with persistent challenges in social sector delivery, procedural inefficiencies, and inadequate local governance structures.

Recognising the urgent need to address these issues, the Centre of Excellence in State Capacity has been established at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, in partnership with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India.

As part of this initiative, ASCI, in knowledge partnership with DARPG, GoI, is organising a Two-Day International Conference on State Capacity in India – Building Individual and Institutional Capacities on August 21–22, 2025, at its College Park Campus (CPC), Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. The conference will bring together senior bureaucrats, policymakers, academicians, and industry experts.

Objectives of the Conference:

• Understand challenges and opportunities of state capacity in India from national and global perspectives

• Identify sectoral gaps and areas for improvement

• Formulate an action plan for enhancing state capacity across governance systems

Proposed Sub-Themes:

• State Capacity in India: Governance and Policy Perspectives

• Sectoral Challenges and Context-Specific Approaches

• Training as a Tool for Building Capacity

• Care and Capacity: Policies for Emerging Social Realities

• Public-Private Partnerships for Enhanced State Capacity