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AIBEA Opposes Religious Elements in Govt’s “Karmachari to Karmayogi” Training Programme
All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has opposed the government’s “Karmachari to Karmayogi” training for bank employees, objecting to the inclusion of religious content and urging that public sector banks remain secular and inclusive.
Author: Ishna
Published: 2 hours ago
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The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has strongly objected to the inclusion of religious content in the newly introduced government training initiative titled “Karmachari to Karmayogi.” The association has described it as an unwarranted attempt to mix religion with official training meant for bank employees.
Image - AIBEA Letter to the Secretary, Department of Financial Services
Background of the Training Programme
Under the Rashtriya Karmayogi Mission, the Government of India has launched a behavioural training initiative aimed at enhancing employee efficiency and ethics across public institutions, including banks and insurance companies. The programme, coordinated by the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), focuses on transforming government staff “from rule-based governance to role-based governance,” and “from Karmachari to Karmayogi.”
However, according to AIBEA, the training video begins with a narration from the Ramayana, recounting how Hanuman realised his inner strength upon being reminded of his divine powers. The association argues that this story, though motivational in a mythological sense, introduces religious undertones into what should be a secular and professional training module.
AIBEA’s Concerns
In a letter addressed to the Secretary, Department of Financial Services, AIBEA’s General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam emphasised several key issues:
- Secular Nature of Public Sector Banks:
AIBEA stressed that public sector banks are secular institutions and should not be used to indirectly promote any particular religion. The inclusion of a religious anecdote, they stated, has hurt the sentiments of employees from diverse faiths. - Existing Training Mechanisms:
The union questioned the need for a new one-day government-directed training when all banks already have well-established internal training programmes to develop their workforce. - Employee Workload and Stress:
AIBEA pointed out that bank staff are already overburdened due to staff shortages and heavy workloads. Instead of additional training modules, the government should focus on adequate recruitment and manpower support to improve efficiency. - Need for Modern Motivation Techniques:
The association urged the authorities to adopt modern psychological and management-based motivation techniques instead of religious or mythological examples.
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A Call to Preserve Secular Values in Banking
AIBEA has urged the Department of Financial Services to remove religious content from the training programme and maintain the secular character of government institutions. The letter concludes with a strong appeal for the Ministry to ensure that training content remains inclusive, professional, and neutral.
The controversy highlights growing concerns among public sector employees about the blurring lines between workplace professionalism and religious symbolism. As the government continues to promote the Karmayogi initiative across various departments, unions like AIBEA are calling for clear boundaries to protect secular values in public institutions.
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