The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), the apex training institute of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), inaugurated a high-level five-day training programme on exemption management, legal framework and valuation of securities, running from nine to 13 March 2026. The session was opened by Shri Kumar Rohit, Director, PDUNASS, who outlined the critical importance of specialised training in the modern social security landscape and the need to strengthen regulatory and financial oversight across regions. He emphasised that regulation of exempted establishments is one of the most specialised and technically demanding areas within the EPFO and that attending officers bear significant responsibility for ensuring compliance and prudent fund management. He noted that exempted establishments today manage tens of millions of Rs in provident fund accumulations and stressed that those funds must be safely invested, effectively regulated and subject to robust audit mechanisms. The inaugural session drew on expertise from senior officials and domain specialists, with the Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar, outlining the latest conditions governing exemptions and the simplified standard operating procedures approved by the Central Board of Trustees. The Chief Learning Officer, Rizwan Uddin, underlined the need for enhanced legal awareness and analytical precision when navigating complex compliance matters. PDUNASS assembled a faculty of EPFO and legal experts alongside industry leaders from Deloitte, CRISIL and Darashaw & Company to lead modules on investment management, valuation of securities and financial statement analysis. Organised under the guidance of Prashant Sharma as Course Director and Shivendra Pratap Singh as Deputy Course Director, the programme brought together officers from across India for comprehensive exposure to the financial and legal dimensions of fund management. PDUNASS said the initiative reflects its commitment to building a highly skilled workforce capable of safeguarding the national social security fabric and ensuring transparent management of workers' interests. The academy operates under the Ministry of Labour & Employment as the premier institute for training, research and capacity building in social security administration.