Isha Foundation’s Inner Engineering Leadership program has become part of the curriculum of IAS officers’ in-service training. The credit goes to Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, who of late developed immense interest in yogic and spiritual activities. He believes that these sciences, if practiced, would enhance the leadership qualities and performance levels, both of the individual and the institution led by the individual. In last January, Naidu organized a crash course for all IAS, IPS and IFS officers in the state in an expensive resort in Hyderabad, at a huge cost and bringing the secretariat to a standstill.
The three-day worksshop, titled” Inner Engineering for Joyful Living” was organized by the Isha Foundation headed by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev from January 29 to 31, 2015. The Guruji, along with 100 of his volunteers, had taught Yoga Prakriyas and Asanas to chief minister Naidu, his entire cabinet and all All India Services officers. This was the first of its kind program in India.
Isha foundation defines the Inner Engineering like this : “Inner Engineering is a technology for well-being derived from the ancient science of yoga. An authentic program for self-empowerment and personal growth, the course opens up the possibility of living life to your fullest human potential – a potential modern physicists and psychologists say is almost unlimited.”
Impressed by the efficacy of the program, Naidu is said to have requested Guruji to start their centre at the upcoming capital Amaravati and the foundation is said to have sought about 25 acres of land in Capital Region.
Today, four IAS officers from Andhra Pradesh have chosen the Inner Engineering Program, the foundation organizing in Coimbatore, for their compulsory in-service training for 2015-16. The Department of personnel and training ( DOPT) has agreed to allow them to undergo the training in Inner Engineering at Isha Foundation, Coimbatore. The program will be conducted from January 4 to 8, 2016.
The officers, who chose the Inner Engineering as the course of Civil Service in-service training are J V Prasad (Secretary, endowments), Poonam Malakondaiah (Principal secretary, Health), K V Ramana ( Collector, Kadapa) and M Ravi Chandra (secretary R&E). IAS officers can choose any area for the training which is “relevant to the their current job as well as the kind of assignments they are likely to hold in future”. Both government of Andhra Pradesh and DoPT have given their willingness for these officers to learn Inner Engineering Techniques at Isha Foundation Centre, Coimbatore as part of the in-service training.
