SHILLONG:
Meghalaya has been recognised for its exemplary innovations in the healthcare sector at the Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS) 1st Award Ceremony in Shillong on January 19. The event, organised in collaboration with the Government Innovation Lab (GIL) and the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), aimed to applaud outstanding initiatives in Education, Health, Information Technology, and Rural Development across the states of India.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, the Chief Guest, commended the collaborative efforts that led to groundbreaking innovations, emphasising the importance of a decentralised approach. He added that innovation in all forms is always great, but any innovation is only good as long as it can help people achieve their goals. One has to undergo the process of problem diagnosis in any sector, for innovation to work effectively; often those problems are not easily identifiable at first sight.
For instance, when addressing high maternal and infant mortality in the State, he said “it was important to economically engage our mothers and women through SHGs and create an enabling environment for women in decision-making realms at the grassroots”. In line with this, currently, Meghalaya is at above 95 per cent of households covered under SHGs. He stressed the importance of working together as a team and the need to streamline and simplify rules and processes to be able to achieve collective goals.
Guest of Honour Dr V.K Paul, Member of NITI Ayog, lauded Meghalaya’s focus on competitive federalism and its commitment to strengthening health systems. He praised the Meghalaya Model, urging other states to emulate the innovative approaches.
Development Commissioner, & Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Meghalaya, Sampath Kumar outlined Meghalaya’s State Capability Enhancement Approach, emphasising the 5-pillar framework and collaborative efforts that contributed to significant achievements.
The award ceremony acknowledged innovators across various sectors, including Positive Public Health Management, Drone Delivery Network, and Visual Diagnostic Kit for the African Swine Fever Virus.
The distinguished awardees and their innovative contributions across various sectors are as follows: The list of awardees who were awarded for innovation in various sectors, along with the respective innovations are as follows:
- Sampath Kumar, IAS: Positive Public Health Management Meghalaya
- Dr Phunchok Norboo, Mission Director, ABDM, Ladakh: Integration of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission with e-Hospital
- Ram Kumar S, IAS: Meghalaya Drone Delivery Network
- A. Arun Prince Milton, Scientist, ICAR, Meghalaya: Rapid and cost-effective visual Diagnostic Kit for African Swine Fever Virus
- Shantanu Gotmare, IAS: Kritagyata- Online Pension Sanction and Payment Tracking System
- Mukesh Repaswal, IAS, Information Technology Director, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp 1100
- Krishna Kumar, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Jiribam, Manipur: Manipur E-district Portal
- Issac Zothanpuia, Project Manager, Mizoram State e-governance Society, Mizoram: RTI Online to promote accountability and for ease of filling requests
- Pallav Gopal Jha, IAS, Managing Director, GMDW & Assam: Web-based water supply connections, Registration & Payment System
- Shyambir, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, J&K: MASHAAL-E-GAASH- A people-driven initiative to promote literacy
- Dev Raj Dhiman, Principal, Himachal Pradesh: Inquiry-Based learning for holistic development
- Varnali Deka, IAS, DC, Nalbari, Assam: Poshan Club: Nurturing children for welfare schemes
- Purva Garg, IAS, sECRETARY education, Samagra Shiksha: ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education as per new education policy 2020.
- Varnali Deka, IAS, DC, Nalbari, Assam: Mushrooms as a tasty nutraceutical supplement
- Shiv Kumar Upadhyaya & Deepak Shah: Village as Harbingers of change toward optimal utilization of resources
- Prasada Rao Vaddarapu, IFS: Bamboo brooms with handles as alternatives to plastics
- Ajit Kumar Ranjan, IAS, DC, Wokha Nagaland: Entrepreneurs Task Force, one-stop model for rural entrepreneurs
- Chete Lohe, CEO, Kiwi Production company, Phek, Nagaland: Promotion & Marketing of Organic Kiwi Fruit.
The event also featured insightful panel discussions and the release of the book “Celebrating Inclusive Innovations.”
Dr Nirmalya Bagchi, Chairman of the Steering Committee at CIPS, highlighted the institute’s role in replicating innovations nationwide, emphasising the annual recurrence of the awards ceremony in the Northeast.
The genesis of the CIPS Award Scheme was explained by Dr Anjali Hazarika, underscoring the importance of recognising innovators and building leadership to champion the cause. Retired IAS officer Dr PV Ramesh applauded ASCI and CIPS as catalysts for sharing knowledge among states.
The ceremony, divided into panel discussions and the award ceremony, concluded with a Khasi folk dance performance, showcasing the vibrant culture of the region.