VP to open civil services day function, PM to give awards

New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate a two-day civil services day function here on Friday while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present awards for excellence in public administration on the concluding day on April 21, a press release issued on Thursday by the Personnel Ministry said.

The awards are for the effective implementation of identified priority programmes and innovation and given to districts or implementing units and other central or state organisations.

The PM awards for excellence in public administration were instituted with a view to recognising the "extraordinary and innovative work" done by districts and organisations of the central and state governments for the welfare of common citizens, it said.

Four priority programmes-- the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Promoting Digital Payments, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban & Rural -- and the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana -- have been chosen for the awards.

In addition, there are awards for innovation for central and state organisations.

Eleven awards for the four identified priority programmes will be given this year while two awards shall be presented to organisations of central or state governments or districts for innovations.

Out of these, one award will be given to an aspirational district.

A new category of awards for Additional Secretary- or Joint Secretary-level officers and Director or Deputy Secretary serving in the government of India has also been introduced this year to recognise contribution towards transformational improvements in processes and systems through simplifications and process re-engineering, among other measures.

In the inaugural session, the Vice President will release a book Emulating Excellence- Takeaways for Replication' and inaugurate an exhibition put up by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances on identified priority programmes and innovations.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region and Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh will preside over the function.

The inaugural session will be followed by a plenary meet on Evolving Strategies for Transforming Aspirational Districts', chaired by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.