In a landmark victory, India has elected President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) for the term 2025–2028. India win after defeating Austria with a commanding lead during the IIAS Presidential Election 2025 held on June 3, 2025, in Brussels.
India secured 87 out of 141 votes (61.7%), while Austria garnered 54 votes (38.3%). This is the first time in IIAS’s 100-year history that the presidential post was decided through a ballot-based election. It also first in history that India wins IIAS Presidency for the first time.
India’s Vision for Global Administrative Reforms
India was represented by Secretary V. Srinivas of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), whose candidacy personally nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2024. India’s vision, centered around “Maximum Governance, Minimum Government,” emphasizes digital empowerment of citizens, digital transformation of institutions, and next-generation administrative reforms.
The Indian Presidency aims to bridge the North-South divide, promoting unity and inclusivity among IIAS member states while setting the agenda for globally inclusive governance practices.
Journey to Victory IIAS Presidential Election 2025: From Hearings to Ballot Box
Four nations — India, Austria, South Africa, and Bahrain — submitted nominations for the IIAS presidency during the Annual IIAS Conference 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Following candidate hearings in February 2025, only India, Austria, and South Africa advanced to the final round. South Africa later withdrew in May 2025, leaving India and Austria in the fray.
PIB Stated, “The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances represents India as a Member State of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences since 1998.
The International Institute of Administrative Sciences is a Federation of 31 Member Countries, 20 National Sections and 15 Academic Research Centres jointly collaborating for scientific research on public administration. Key member countries include – India, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain, Qatar, Morocco, Indonesia etc. 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.”
“The election was held between India and Austria on June 3, 2025 in which 141 votes were polled, of which India registered 87 votes (61.7 percent of the vote), and Austria registered 54 votes (38.3 percent of the vote). India’s candidacy received wide spread support from across the membership,”: PIB.
India’s Commitment to International Public Administration
Founded in 1930, the IIAS, a premier international body dedicated to advancing the science and practice of public administration. While not formally affiliated with the United Nations, IIAS maintains strong partnerships with UN bodies such as CEPA (Committee of Experts on Public Administration) and UNPAN (UN Public Administration Network).
India has been a member of the IIAS since 1998 through DARPG and continues to play a pivotal role in shaping global administrative discourse.
