India has won the presidency of the Belgium-based International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS).

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has represented India as a member state of the IIAS since 1998.

International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)

• The International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) is an international non-profit organisation with scientific purposes. 

• IIAS is a federation of member states, national sections and academic research centres jointly elaborating public administration solutions to the policy challenges of the day. 

• It was established in 1930 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

• IIAS is a worldwide professional association in the field of governance. 

• It is also a holding of autonomous international and regional institutions.

Objectives of IIAS:

i) To organise high impact events targeting and involving both public service and academia.

ii) To produce and disseminate relevant knowledge on public governance.

iii) To enable collaborative and strategic projects with members and partners.

iv) To accredit both academic and professional training programs in line with standards of best practices in public management.

v) To produce and promote comprehensive content on public governance research and practice to different audiences.

• 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. 

How was the election conducted?

• 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 in 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.

• 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, and Austria registered 54 votes.

• This is the first time in the history of IIAS that the election to the post of president was held by ballot process.

• It is the first time that India has secured the historic mandate for the presidency of the IIAS.

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