In a first, India has won the presidency of the Belgium-based International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), an official statement said on Wednesday.
The IIAS, a global non-profit organisation, is a federation of 31 member countries, 20 national sections and 15 academic research centres jointly collaborating for scientific research on public administration.
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has represented India as a member state of the IIAS since 1998.
For the 2025-2028 presidency of IIAS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi nominated the Indian candidacy of DARPG Secretary V Srinivas in November 2024.
The hearings for the IIAS presidency were held in February 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Four nations -- India, South Africa, Austria and Bahrain -- submitted their nominations for the IIAS presidency for the period 2025-2028 and participated in the hearings before the Council of Administration of IIAS, which were held on the sidelines of the Annual IIAS Conference 2025.
Following the hearings, the candidacy of India, South Africa and Austria was forwarded to the General Body of IIAS for the next round by the Council of Administration, according to the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry.
South Africa withdrew its candidacy in May 2025.
The election was held between India and Austria on June 3. Of 141 votes polled, India got 87 votes (61.7 per cent of total), and Austria registered 54 votes, the statement said, adding that "India's candidacy received widespread support from across the membership".
This is the first time in the 100 years history of IIAS that the election to the post of president was held by ballot process and it is the first time that India has secured the "historic mandate" for the presidency of the IIAS, the statement said.
In his acceptance speech delivered via video conferencing on Tuesday, Srinivas said the country's presidency will be an inclusive one which will seek to bridge the north-south divide.
"India's administration works under the policy 'maximum governance - minimum government' under which we pursue next-generation administrative reforms using technology to bring citizens and government closer. Contemporary administrative theory has documented this transformation with a focus on a digitally empowered citizen and a digitally transformed institution," he said.
Srinivas said India had outlined its vision for "Resource Rich, Publications Rich, Digitally Agile IIAS" which will seek to integrate the best practices of digital public infrastructure to transform governance models.
"The Indian presidency of the IIAS will strive for harmonious and futuristic governance models and improvements in the implementation of public policy. It will be an inclusive presidency with a focus on unity which emerges from our Gandhian values, which will seek to bridge the north-south divide," he added.
The IIAS congratulated India and DARPG Secretary Srinivas on getting elected as the global organisation's president.
"Your role as a member of the IIAS Council of Administration, including as Deputy Chair of the Finance Committee, has been marked by your vision, commitment, and capable leadership. Your victory, with a significant margin of 62% to 38% against Austria's state member representative, Dr Alexander Balthazar, is a testament to the respect and trust you command within the international governance community," read a letter written by IIAS Director General Sofiane Sahraoui to Srinivas.
Sahraoui said the election underscores the global recognition of India's growing prominence in international governance circles.
"Your instrumental role as the host of the 2025 IIAS International Conference, organized at the Bharat Mandapam on behalf of the Government of India, showcased India's commitment to fostering international collaboration in public administration and governance.
"We are confident that, with your exceptional expertise and visionary leadership, you will steer IIAS to new heights during your tenure. Your presidency will undoubtedly enhance the Institute's global impact and further strengthen its mission of advancing administrative sciences and governance worldwide," the letter said.
Key member countries of the IIAS include India, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain, Qatar, Morocco, and Indonesia.
The IIAS maintains a close working relationship with the United Nations and participates in the UN's Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) and the UN Public Administration Network (UNPAN).
While the IIAS is not a formally affiliated body of the UN, it actively engages with the UN's work in public administration.
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