From Indian Railways to Mauritius, this retired Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer is set to serve in a new capacity in a new country.
Dr Bhooma VG has been selected as the Vice-Chancellor of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation, Mauritius. The Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the development on August 12, 2026.
The new post will see the end of an era for Bhooma VG, who served in several capacities in the Indian Railways for decades. As the new Vice-Chancellor of the AIPSI, she is expected to contribute significantly to public-service and innovation in Mauritius, as per the MEA.
Dr BhoomaVG belongs to the 1987 IRPS Selection Batch. She was a Railway Board approved officer, and has served in various capacities in several Divisions and Units of the Indian Railways including Western Railway, South Eastern Railway, South Central Railway, Southern Railway including the Integral Coach Factory.
She served at South Central Railway as the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Guntur and has experience in areas like electrification projects and introduction of e-office system in the division.
It may be recalled that the DRM is one of the most important posts in the Indian Railways. It requires extensive administrative and technological expertise apart from dealing with the large organisational structure.
This experience would come handy in Bhooma’s new assignment at the AIPSI, where public administration and public-service, including innovation, are the main focus areas.
What is the AIPSI?
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation, Mauritius, also known as the AIPSI, is located at Reduit (Minissy), Moka, Mauritius.
The AIPSI was formerly known as the Civil Service College, Mauritius. It was inaugurated in March 2025 by the Prime Ministers of India and Mauritius, Narendra Modi and Navinchandra Ramgoolam, respectively.
The AIPSI has been visualised as a premier public-service training institution and centre of excellence for capacity-building for public administrators in Africa. It will also become an awarding institute.
This is why the post of the Vice-Chancellor is of great importance. In future, the person holding the post will have the responsibility of shaping not just the academic and training aspects of the AIPSI but also its vision as Africa’s leading public administration institute.
The Selection of Bhooma VG as the AIPSI’s Vice-Chancellor is also of great significance since there is an emerging convergence between Mauritius and India. The setting up of the AIPSI also indicates the type of engagement that is possible between the two countries in terms of public administration and governance.
Notably, Bhooma’s selection for the post also demonstrates India’s interest in sharing its administrative and organisational experiences with countries like Mauritius in Africa.
This institutional connectivity is expected to benefit not just Mauritius but also other African countries.
With her extensive professional experience, Bhooma is expected to take the AIPSI to new heights. For example, her vast experience in the Indian Railways, including serving as the DRM, Guntur, will be of tremendous value for the AIPSI.
It must be noted that a DRM has to deal with multifarious functions, like managing manpower, laying of tracks, introduction of new technologies, management of operations, passenger amenities among other duties. Thus, she can provide administrative insights that will be useful in making the AIPSI a reality.
The other advantage of selecting Bhooma as the AIPSI’s Vice-Chancellor is that her assignment in the Indian Railways has prepared her for the new assignment. She has had tremendous exposure in the organisational set up and structure of the Railways, including its massive operations and organisational structure.
According to reports, it was during her tenure as the DRM, Guntur that she was involved in works related to the main line electrification and the introduction of the e-office system at the division.
This type of organisational and administrative experience would come handy at the AIPSI, which has its own organisational set up. It must be noted however that Bhooma’s new assignment is rather different from her previous experience in the Railways.
While she has been a part of the organisational set up before, the AIPSI will require her to engage in training and teaching others about public administration, as she transitions to a new career.
Why it Matters:
The appointment has immense significance from multiple perspectives.
First and foremost, she has an opportunity to serve in a new capacity not just in a different country but also in an entirely new domain. It must be noted that Bhooma has had a long and illustrious career as an administrative professional, and the new assignment marks the culmination of her career.
Second, the timing of her selection as the AIPSI’s Vice-Chancellor also assumes significance. This is largely due to the fact that Bhooma has joined the AIPSI when it is yet to develop and establish itself as a premier public administration institute.
Thus, her experience and professional competence in administration and organisational set up will be used to create a vision for a public administration institute. This is a mammoth task that Bhooma has agreed to take up, which involves making a number of tough and challenging decisions.
The Selection of Bhooma as the AIPSI’s Vice-Chancellor marks a significant step in her professional career as well as in India-Mauritius relations. It remains to be seen how she engages with other stakeholders towards realising the vision for Mauritius and Africa as a whole.
@Rohit Manral
Written By – Shirin