NEW DELHI: On the day he was awarded the highest civilian honour of Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside his Mauritian counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam, jointly inaugurated the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation in Mauritius on Wednesday. This milestone marks another significant step in India’s ongoing efforts to establish itself as a reliable development partner on the global stage.
The institute, named in honour of the former Indian PM, underscores Vajpayee’s legacy of fostering strong India-Mauritius relations and symbolises the deepening ties between the two countries.
A senior govt official emphasised that PM Modi has consistently championed India’s role as a reliable partner in global development, supporting a wide array of initiatives worldwide. These efforts span critical sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and connectivity. “The inauguration of this institute is a testament to that vision, aligning with India’s broader mission to contribute meaningfully to the Global South and the Indian Ocean Region,” the govt functionary said.
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute was funded through a $4.7 million grant from India under a 2017 MoU. It is designed to meet the training needs of Mauritian civil servants across various ministries, public offices, parastatal organizations and govt enterprises.
The institute is also poised to become a centre of excellence in public administration. It will promote research, governance studies, and institutional collaboration with India, further strengthening bilateral ties.
India’s global outreach extends far beyond Mauritius. In Bhutan, India financed and developed the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital. In Bangladesh, Modi and then-PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated three projects in 2023, including the Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link. In Nepal, the Jayanagar-Kurtha railway marked the first broad-gauge passenger rail link between India and Nepal, built with Indian aid.
