JAMMU, AUGUST 21: The Jal Shakti Department Friday launched its “Knowledge Sharing and Ideation” workshop series to promote continuous learning, professional development and exchange of technical knowledge and field experience among its engineers and officers.
The workshop series was inaugurated by Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmad Rana in the presence of Additional Chief Secretary, Shaleen Kabra.
The series, earlier conducted by the Administrative Department, has been revived as a regular platform for sharing technical knowledge, innovations, field experiences and good practices, besides discussing emerging technologies and improved approaches to planning and execution of departmental works.
Appreciating the initiative, Minister Javed Ahmad Rana described it as an innovative and out-of-the-box approach to upgrading the professional skills of engineers without any additional financial burden on the Government. He emphasised the need for continuous learning, acquisition of new skills and adoption of Artificial Intelligence to improve service delivery and ensure quality. He also encouraged other Government departments to emulate the initiative and make greater use of their existing institutional expertise for capacity building.
The workshops will be held every Friday from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM and will be attended by all engineers and gazetted officers of the Department. The inaugural session was conducted today through virtual mode and witnessed participation of 1,519 engineers from across J&K, including 788 from Kashmir and 731 from Jammu, wherein all offices of Chief Engineers, 14 offices of Superintending Engineers and 74 offices of Executive Engineers were connected. The technical session was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session, during which young engineers participated enthusiastically and engaged with the presenters.
The inaugural session featured presentations on “Flood Plain Zoning and Risk Management of River Tawi”, delivered by Er. Sunil Singh, AEE, SD-Ist Flood Control Division, Samba, and “Seismic Safety of Structures”, delivered by Er. Mueed Rasool, XEN, I&FC Kupwara.
The sessions will cover a wide range of subjects, including technical and engineering matters, project planning and implementation, Artificial Intelligence, emerging technologies, innovations, field experiences, best practices, digital platforms, public service delivery and departmental procedures. The initiative will also provide a platform for engineers from different wings and field formations to share practical solutions and successful practices.
The Design, Inspection and Quality Control (DIQC) wing has been designated as the nodal agency for coordination and conduct of the workshop series. Constituted under the Cadre Review vide Government Order No. 91-JK(JSD) of 2026 dated May 15, 2026, DIQC is mandated to strengthen technical scrutiny, quality assurance, inspection and advisory mechanisms in the Department.
The initiative builds upon the Department’s existing emphasis on technology-enabled capacity building. Under i-GOT Karmayogi, the Government of India’s digital learning platform under Mission Karmayogi, all 15,556 employees of the Jal Shakti Department have been registered, with 3.20 lakh course completions recorded. The Department has secured No. 1 position in the UT in course completions, Sadhana Saptah, overall capacity building and AI course completion.
The Department is also focusing on the systematic orientation and capacity building of newly appointed Assistant Engineers and Junior Engineers. With a significant number of young technical personnel joining the Department in recent years, the workshop series will help bridge the gap between academic learning and practical field experience by exposing them to departmental procedures, field responsibilities, project execution, modern engineering practices, quality management and the experience of senior engineers from different wings. The Department is also planning a dedicated orientation programme for newly appointed technical personnel to facilitate their smooth transition from academic institutions to professional responsibilities.
The workshop series also seeks to consolidate and build upon the technical knowledge already generated within the Department. Earlier workshops and training sessions have covered subjects such as urban water management, water treatment and filtration, flood management, canal modernisation, Jal Jeevan Mission, rainwater harvesting, non-revenue water reduction, irrigation mechanisation, water supply planning and design, concrete canal lining, hydroelectric pumped storage, wetland rejuvenation and flood protection works, among several other technical and field-specific subjects.
As part of the initiative, DIQC will curate and maintain the presentations and other learning material generated through the workshops and host this material on its website, including material from earlier sessions. It will also take steps to develop online courses based on the workshop proceedings, using e-learning platforms provided by the Government of India.
Additional Chief Secretary, Shaleen Kabra thanked the Minister for his support and encouragement to the initiative, particularly for backing the innovative and cost-effective approach towards strengthening the professional capabilities of the Department’s engineers. He observed that the online format also helps break hierarchical barriers by providing junior officials an open platform to seek clarifications and interact directly with senior officers and experienced colleagues. It also enables engineers to remain informed about developments, innovations and good practices being adopted in other parts of the Department, thereby promoting wider learning and cross-sharing of knowledge and experience.
The workshop series is envisaged as a sustained institutional mechanism for professional development, knowledge sharing and technical capacity building, and is expected to contribute towards improving the quality and efficiency of engineering works and public service delivery in the Jal Shakti Department.
