“For those who aspire to join Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the choice is right if you have a desirable level of dedication and commitment. If one lacks dedication and commitment, even a highly qualified person cannot contribute positively to the good of society,” says Thupten Rinzin.
Social Media Executive (SME): Could you briefly tell us about yourself?
Thupten Rinzin (TR): I am Thupten Rinzin and I am 29 years old. I am from Ravangla Kunphenling Tibetan settlement in Sikkim. I did my primary and high school at CST Ravangla, CST Darjeeling and Upper TCV Dharamshala, and higher secondary school from TCV Bylakuppe. I was awarded Gadhen Phodrang Student Merit Award in Commerce stream by the Department of Education, CTA in the year 2008. I completed my B.com from Loyola College in Chennai in the year 2011 and received Rev. Dr. Peter Xavier Medal for proficiency in Human Resource Management program. I did M.com in Banking and Insurance at M.S.University in Baroda, Gujarat and during that time, I had an opportunity to serve as a President of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), Baroda. After M.com, I was selected for 5-month training by Public Service Commission (PSC), CTA and subsequently selected for the post of Under Secretary in the month of January 2014. Since then I have been serving at the Department of Home. I have been involved in an agriculture project and Canada Resettlement project, and presently working as a program officer of Youth Empowerment Support (YES) section of the Department of Home.
SME: Please explain your job description & how best does your work represent you or vice versa?
TR: I am currently working as a program officer at Youth Empowerment Support (YES) section of the Department of Home, CTA. I am involved in designing skill-training program for unemployed Tibetan youth and supervising two training institutes under our program, which are Institute for Small Trade Learning (ISTL), Nelamangala in Bangalore and Tibetan Career Center (TCC) at Dharamshala. We also have a Micro-Credit program for those unemployed youth who have a business plan but faces financial issues, and apart from that, we provide skill training like motor driving training at the settlement level.
SME: What inspired you to serve the CTA?
TR: It is the advice and guidance of His Holiness the great 14th Dalai Lama that always encourages and motivates me to serve the Central Tibetan Administration. His Holiness says that one should lead a meaningful life so that we have no regrets when we leave this world. So serving at CTA adds meaning to my life.
SME: What does it mean for you to be a CTA civil servant?
TR: Central Tibetan Administration is a legitimate institution which represents Tibetan people inside and outside Tibet as this is an institution which has been renamed after 376 years old Gaden Phodrang Government established during the fifth Dalai Lama in 1642. It is a privilege to serve at CTA at a time when His Holiness the great 14th Dalai Lama is there to guide us. Every Tibetan should carry individual responsibility & take our democracy forward based on the foundation of morality. I realized that it is not right when we say, “everything will be okay as long as His Holiness the Dalai Lama is alive”. Even though we have a positive mindset when we say this, but we should realize that every day our responsibility is becoming heavier with the aging of His Holiness.
SME: How best do you think you could make a difference to CTA?
TR: Every individual is capable of making a difference at the workplace depending on the dedication, commitment, ability, and environment. After all, the community is made up of individuals and collective efforts of every individual will determine how far the particular community grows and develops so the Tibetan community is no exception to it. As I am working on the youth-related program, I feel a great sense of satisfaction when I see the positive impact of our program in changing someone else life.
SME: Who is your role model & why?
TR: All those Tibetans who have sacrificed their life and welfare to stand up to the brutality of Chinese Government policies in Tibet and those Tibetan who have put their toil, sweat, and tears into building our Tibetan community in exile are my role model. These people have contributed enormously to our Tibetan movement and it is very important for us to remember the sacrifice of these people.
SME: What is your piece of advice for young Tibetans serving or wishing to serve at CTA?
TR: I myself being a young staff with 5 years of service in CTA find it extremely important to renew our dedication and commitment on a regular basis. We are so lost & immersed in our daily life that we tend to forget the larger purpose of working at CTA.
Secondly, CTA has a democratic system of governance and have various rules & regulation to follow, and sometimes young staff like me tend to lose patience in following various rules, regulation and processes but it is important for every system to have these to keep check & balance. Even though there is always room for simplification & improvisation.
For those who aspire to join CTA, the choice is right if you have a desirable level of dedication and commitment. If one lacks dedication and commitment, even a highly qualified person cannot contribute positively to the good of society.
Every first Saturday of the month, as a part of its shout-out campaign, DIIR’s Social Media Desk will be profiling a civil servant of Central Tibetan Administration. This week we are pleased to profile Thupten Rinzin, a program officer at Youth Empowerment Support (YES) section of the Department of Home, CTA.