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45-Day Training Programme Begins in Lucknow; 59 of 116 Joined Secretaries Have Prior Service Experience
Pooja Srivastava |
Anytime News Network
: Uttar Pradesh has begun a 45-day specialised training programme for newly appointed mandi secretaries, seeking to strengthen transparency, modern management and farmer-centric agricultural marketing across the state. Organised by the State Agricultural Produce Market Council, the programme commenced on Monday at IICMRT, Lucknow.
Experience Meets Academic Diversity
According to departmental figures, 59 of the 116 newly selected secretaries who have joined service—around 51 per cent—bring experience from other departments or services. The group includes 23 officials with prior experience in the Revenue Department, seven from finance, accounts, taxation and cooperation, and six each from Panchayati Raj and district courts.
Five have served in the defence services, while three each come from the railways and police. Banking and forest departments account for two secretaries each, with two others having experience in different departments.
The educational profile is equally varied. Of the 126 selected candidates, 84 are science graduates and 42 hold degrees in other disciplines. Candidates with additional qualifications, including technical credentials, are also part of the new cadre. So far, 116 candidates have assumed charge.
From Market Law to Digital Systems
The training curriculum covers mandi legislation, financial management, e-NAM and other digital marketing systems, with support from experts of the Government of India’s Directorate of Marketing and Inspection.
The secretaries will also undertake study visits to major mandis and modern agricultural marketing centres across India. They are expected to examine arrivals of agricultural produce, auction and price-discovery mechanisms, grading, storage, transportation, digital marketing and facilities available to farmers and traders.
Case studies and practical action plans are intended to connect classroom learning with the operational challenges of market administration.
Transparency Must Deliver Results
Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Dr. M.K.S. Sundaram, called upon the new secretaries to place transparency, accountability and farmers’ interests at the forefront of their work. Mandi Council Director Jitendra Pratap Singh said the programme aims to align the recruits’ capabilities with the practical requirements of mandi management.
The government has also highlighted reforms in recruitment, stating that selection has shifted towards a competitive, merit-based process through independent recruitment bodies. The newly appointed secretaries were selected through the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission.
The Real Test Lies in the Mandis
Administrative experience and academic qualifications can strengthen institutional capacity, but they cannot substitute for effective implementation. The real measure of this recruitment will be whether farmers experience fairer transactions, better facilities, transparent price discovery and quicker grievance redressal.
For the new secretaries, the challenge is clear: convert professional experience and training into measurable improvements in the daily functioning of Uttar Pradesh’s agricultural markets.
