Seven Top Bureaucrats Get Good Governance Awards

NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 26, 2012 (Press-News.org) Union Minister for External Affairs, Salman Khurshid, presented the gfiles governance awards 2012 to serving and retired bureaucrats in the Capital. People who mattered, in the corridors of power, media and governance -- were present at Shangri-La-Eros Hotel to witness the Award ceremony coinciding with the fifth anniversary of gfiles magazine. NTPC Chairman Arup Roy Choudhury and ONGC Chairman Sudhir Vasudeva were the guests of honour.

Five years ago gfiles emerged as the brain-child of Former India Today, Editor, Inderjit Badhwar Former Political Editor, Jain TV Anil Tyagi, and well known Financial Expert Dr.G.S.Sood. The vision was to create a monthly magazine on governance and bureaucracy--the people who run the government of India.

This year's awardees were finalised by a high-power five member jury comprising of former Cabinet Secretary and Governor of Jharkhand Prabhat Kumar, former Chief Secretary of Haryana Vishnu Bhagwan, former Secretary power, Anil Razdan, former secretary internal security, DG CRPF and Delhi Police Commissioner M.B. Kaushal and CMD, IDBI Bank R. M. Malla.

S.K. Misra, IAS (Retd) was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award for setting exacting standards of leadership and leaving a lasting imprint on administrative positions. A 1956 batch Haryana cadre IAS officer, he is the man behind changing the destiny of Haryana, developing tourism infrastructure and starting many institutions of repute while in service.

Armstrong Pame, the young 2009 batch IAS officer who was instrumental in construction of a 100 km road in Manipur using tribal volunteers, without any government help was awarded the Exceptional Contribution Award. Similarly Anil Swarup, the 1981 batch IAS officer who evolved the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana--a health insurance scheme for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families was awarded Excellent Contribution Award.

The awardees included J.K.Tripathy, a 1985 batch IPS officer who initiated a proactive community policing scheme and in the process brought down the crime in Tamil Nadu. Jyotsna Sitling a 1987 bathc IFS officer who involved the local community to clear tons of waste, dumped by pilgrims, at Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Ajit Balaji Joshi, a 2003 batch IAS officer who worked to eliminate duplication of names in the voter lists and made use of available technology to increase efficiency. Apart from these the awardees included Aradhana Patnaik, a 1998 batch IAS who spearheaded a white revolution in Naxal-dominated Jharkhand making thousands of women form self-help groups to earn decent monthly income from dairy farming under Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana.

According to Editor gfiles Anil Tyagi every individual how so ever humble nurses a desire to be patted on the back and appreciated for good works once a while. Yet many people remain unsung heroes and never get an opportunity to get appreciated in front of seniors, juniors and colleagues. An award can work wonders on the morale of the awardee and motivate them to work harder and thus set a positive example for others to follow.

Expressing deep concern at the disturbing trend in which civil servants who rule India-are now being held accountable, sometimes even years after retirement, Minister for External Affairs, Salman Khurshid stressed for the need to understand the concept of an honest mistake and a dialogue, between different organs of the government. "Earlier there was a convention that the ministers stood by their civil servants who were never questioned in parliament. Now it is a disappointing scenario" he observed.

Referring to the civil servants as -the men and women who rule India, he said, "the nation owes you a great gratitude... I can only quote what Winston Churchill said, "never in the history of human endeavour was so much owed by so many to so few."

Speaking on the accession, former cabinet secretary and governor Jharkhand Prabhat Kumar lauded the initiative taken by gfiles for instituting the governance awards, "it's a curious fact that while the acts of misdemeanours, indiscretions and slip-ups of civil servants find mention in the mainstream media," he said.

In a speech laden with humour Anil Swarup an awardee had everyone in splits when he explained how no one wanted to own the rural health insurance scheme which landed in his lap and how he and his team went about turning things around.

Speaking on the occasion, Business Editor Gfiles, Dr.G.S.Sood emphasized the need for these kinds of awards. "The award is a formal recognition by the society for such officers who remain in oblivion, doing commendable work," he said.

About gfiles

gfiles is India's first widely read and highly reputed monthly magazine focusing on the power plays of governance and bureaucracy that shape public policy and shape India's destiny as the world's fastest growing global power. A platform-for people who matter-- the decision makers whose administrative initiatives affect the life of the masses and leaves a lasting impact on private, public and international lobbies. gfiles gives an exclusive insight into virtually everything that civil servants, bureaucrats, public sector employees, policy-makers, think-tanks and bankers--want or need to know. A barometer that reflects the mood and mindset of governance and bureaucracy--something every civil servant must read.