By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, APRIL 19, 2018: WITH a view to acknowledge the innovative work done by Central and State Government officers for the welfare of common citizens, a 2-day Civil Services Day function is to be organised here on April 20- 21, 2018. The function is organising by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

The Vice President of India, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu will be the Chief Guest at the inaugural function tomorrow. The Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi will confer the awards for  excellence  in  Public  Administration for effective implementation of identified Priority Programmes and Innovation to districts or implementing units and other Central or State organisations on April 21, 2018.

A new category of awards for Additional Secretary or Joint Secretary level officers and Director or Deputy Secretary serving in Government of India has also been introduced this year to recognize their contribution towards bringing about transformational improvements in processes or systems through simplification and process re-engineering.

Following four priority programmes have been identified for the awards to be presented on Civil Services Day 2018:

1) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana,

2) Promoting Digital Payments,

3) Pradhan MantriAwas Yojana – Urban & Rural, and

4) Deen Dayal Upadhyaya  Grameen Kaushalya Yojana.

In addition there are awards for Innovation for Central, State organisations including Districts.

11 awards for 4 identified Priority Programmes will be given this year while two awards shall be given to organizations of Central or State Government or Districts for innovations out of which one award will be given to an aspirational District.

In the inaugural session, the Vice President will release a book titled: 'Emulating Excellence- Takeaways for Replication' and inaugurate an exhibition put up by DARPG on identified Priority Programmes and Innovations. 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 a Plenary Session on the topic 'Evolving Strategies for Transforming Aspirational Districts' chaired by Mr Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. Apart from this, four Breakaway Sessions will be organised on subjects related to Agriculture, Housing, Digital Payments and Skilling.

The Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Panchayati Raj, Mr Parshottam Rupala will chair the Session on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana while Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Change), Housing & Urban Affairs will chair the session on Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines, Mr Narendra Singh Tomar will chair the session on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gramin Kaushalya Yojana and Ms. Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary Telecom will chair the session on Promoting Digital Payments.

During Awards event on April 21, 2018, Mr Narendra Modi will release two books, namely 'New Pathways' comprising of Success stories on implementation of identified Priority Programmes & Innovations and 'Aspirational Districts: Unlocking Potentials' on evolving strategies for transforming Aspirational Districts. The Award ceremony will be preceded by the Plenary Session on 'Artificial Intelligence for Effective Governance' chaired by Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Law & Justice, Electronics & Information Technology.