DIMAPUR — As announced by the Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS) in April earlier this year, the Performance Incentive Grants (PIG), a programme of the NECTAR Project under the Department of School Education, Nagaland, has been awarded the ‘CIPS Innovation Award - 2024’ in the education sector.

In a press release, the Directorate of School Education (DoSE) stated that the CIPS Hyderabad, received 226 applications nationwide, with 83 shortlisted and 34 undergoing spot evaluations. Ultimately, 21 innovative projects across various sectors were recognised with awards.

The award was accepted by NECTAR team led by Avelu Ruho, Joint Secretary of School Education & Deputy Project Director of NECTAR, during the ‘CIPS Awards Ceremony – 2024’ held at the Directorate of Information, Srinagar, on August 22.

During the felicitation, chief guest Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, stressed that “people’s voice must be the soul of government policy” and that policymaking should be grounded in their needs and participation.

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Sinha stated that a file isn't just a document, but held significance for citizens' lives and futures. He emphasised that actions should be judged by their impact on people's lives and that considering this aspect would lead to more responsible and responsive governance.

In his address, guest of honour Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir, stated that it takes courage to innovate, and innovations should make lives simpler. He also said that bureaucratic innovations can accomplish in a few years what legislative practices cannot accomplish in decades.

The awarding body CIPS is an autonomous centre of the Administrative Staff College of India, established by the Government of India. As a national body, the mission of CIPS is “to help create and nurture a climate for accelerating and diffusing innovations in public systems.”

To achieve this mission, CIPS honours the best innovative practices by scouting and fostering new innovations that will bring about positive changes in the culture as well as the structure of governance across states.

A total of 1,914 government schools in Nagaland have availed of the Performance Incentive Grants amounting to INR 86.13 cr. This has significantly enhanced the capacities of School Management Committees (SMCs) and School Management and Development Committees (SMDCs) across the state.

“The PIG funding model promotes needs-based planning with a bottom-up approach, allowing decision-making by the people closest to seeing, feeling, and understanding the needs of the schools.

“The flexibility in fund utilisation has enabled schools to tailor spending to their specific needs while fostering community engagement and improving the learning environment. This programme has reinforced the role of community as guardians of public institutions,” the release stated.

Meanwhile, the Department of School Education extended its appreciation and gratitude to the district administrations, SMCs, SMDCs, and community leaders for their cooperation, active participation, and inputs, which have been instrumental in driving progress.