PM to present awards on implementing Government’s priority programmes to mark the Civil Services Day

The 10th Civil Services Day function will be organised at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on April 21, 2016 by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, PG and Pension. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will confer awards to civil servants for excellence in implementation of Priority Programmes of the Government of India namely Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY), Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), Swachh Vidyalaya and Soil Health Card Scheme. This is for the first time a new category of Excellence in implementing a Priority Programme has been added to the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration.

A total of ten districts will be awarded the Prime Minister’s Awards this year under the four Priority Programmes. These awards be given in three Groups, - the first group consists of eight North-Eastern States and the three Hill States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The remaining 18 States constitute the second Group while the third Group comprises of the seven Union Territories. Eight awards will be given to the first and second Group under the four Priority Progammes. However, no award will be given for two Programmes, - Swachh Bharat (Grameen) and Soil Health Card for the Group comprising seven Union Territories.

The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) has conducted an exhaustive analysis and assessment for short listing the awards. Ministries concerned with the four Priority Programmes were involved at each stage. Line Ministries submitted a list of top ranked 74 districts in all the four Priority Programmes, - PMJDY - 20, Swachh Vidyalaya – 20, Swachh Bharat (Gramin) – 17 and Soil Health Card – 17. This was followed by presentations by each District Officer. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances hired an expert agency, Quality Council of India (QCI), to analyze the feedback taken from the citizens. A call centre was set up through BSNL and more than 3 lakh surveys were conducted across the four priorities programme. Citizen feedback was analysed and it was incorporated into the evaluation process. A two member team consisting of Director/Deputy Director level Officers were sent for Field Study Visits to 38 shortlisted districts during March 9-12, 2016. These teams held multiple interactions with various stakeholders. Based on firsthand experience which helped validate the claims made during presentations by district officers, the Experts Committee headed by Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Shri Devendra Chaudhry recommended 24 districts to the Empowered Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar Sinha. This committee made final recommendation to the Prime Minister.

Like the previous year, the Civil Services Day function will be an elaborate affair spread over two days. The Union Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu will be the Chief Guest at the inaugural function on April 20, 2016. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh will preside over the function. The inaugural session will be followed by eight panel discussions on the replication of PM awarded initiatives during last year and four priority programmes. These sessions will be chaired by Union Ministers/persons of eminence.

Civil Services Day is organized on 21st April every year, when civil servants rededicate themselves to the cause of the citizens and renew their commitment to public service. This day coincides with the date on which Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel had addressed the first batch of probationers at the All India Administrative Service Training School at Metcalfe House, New Delhi in 1947. The Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration are also given away on this day. Civil Services Day was organised for the first time in 2006. Since then every year the function is being organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

PM Awards for Excellence in Public Administration have been instituted with a view to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by officers of the Central and State Governments for the welfare of common citizen.