India and Malaysia held the 2nd Joint Working Group Meeting on Cooperation in Public Administration and Governance Reforms on 18 August 2026. From India, the Additional Secretary of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Mr. Puneet Yadav, and the Deputy Director-General of Public Service (Development) from Malaysia, Dr. Mohd Bakhari bin Ismail, co-chaired the meeting. Participating dignitaries also included senior officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, DARPG, High Commission of India to Malaysia, and National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG).
The meeting was organised to lend momentum to the combined efforts envisaged under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2013 for cooperation in public administration and governance. The MoU was signed between India’s DARPG and Malaysia’s Public Service Department. It encapsulates a vision for economic and social growth, made possible by reforms in public service delivery and well-trained administrative officials.
The first JWG Meeting was organised in 2024, the same year when the bilateral relations between India and Malysia were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The recent meeting reviewed the agenda set out in 2024 and the progress made therein. Points of Contact were designated during the meeting to coordinate and execute the collaborative activities between the administrative institutions of both the countries. In addition, the “Malaysia-India Governance Partnership: 2027-2029 Strategic Roadmap” was presented on the day, laying down a framework for the next three years that will guide the implementation of joint initiatives the MoU outlines.
The delegates reviewed the ongoing cooperation in capacity-building through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. The Malaysian delegates appreciated the academic modules, institutional and field visits, and India’s reception of the participants. Capacity-building and training programmes for 2026 and 2027, including specialised programmes for senior Malaysian officials, were also discussed.
The meeting also sought to exchange best practices in digital governance. Malaysia shared its principle of “People, Process and Technology” that advances innovations and data-driven decision-making in the service of its citizens. The digital practices that the country employs include artificial intelligence, cloud services, shared digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and blockchain. In turn, India conveyed the technological developments it has made in grievance redressal mechanisms. The Centralized Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is the world’s largest 24×7 digital citizen interface platform for speedy resolution of citizen grievances in India. The interactive chatbot, Samadhan Didi, makes the experience more user-friendly.
The meeting was hailed as a positive step towards bilateral cooperation in capacity-building and strengthening public institutions.
