WHAT IS policy if it isn't executed innovatively on the ground? What is change if governance doesn't translate to a difference in people's lives? The foot soldiers of governance are District Magistrates (DMs), who hold charge of the basic administrative unit of India and bring order, stability and often some very imaginative changes to those who live in their districts.
It is to honour the work of these DMs, who form the “steel frame” of bureaucracy, that The Indian Express started the Excellence in Governance Awards (EIGA) in 2019. The biennial awards could not be held last year because of the pandemic. The Indian Express is launching its second edition this year and is calling for entries, the deadline for which is September 15. The jury will then evaluate DMs from 780 districts in the country for innovations implemented by them, which had a positive impact on the welfare of citizens and government efficiency.
The first edition of the awards attracted entries from all corners of India; from officers who helped citizens clean rivers, raised success rates in school exams, introduced intelligent transit systems that made bus journeys smoother, helped relieve farm distress, used technology to allow smart warnings for floods, turned garbage dumps into parks, gave a voice to school students, helped “reverse” the scourge of dowry and fought corruption through an app.
This year, the award has 14 categories: innovative education, healthcare, swachhata, gender…
