With an aim to encourage innovators from small states and inclusive innovations in public systems across the North East, Union territories and other hill states in the fields of education, health, information technology and rural development, an award ceremony and panel discussion was held today in Shillong.
Awards were given to states who stood out in terms of innovative practices in the specified sectors. This award ceremony was organised for the first time by the Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS) in collaboration with Meghalaya’s Government Innovation Lab (GIL).
Addressing the audience, the chief guest of the ceremony, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, said that the best way to achieve state goals is through collaborative efforts.
In the last five years, although ministers have laid down their vision for Meghalaya’s progress, it was down to the “capable and collaborative efforts” of officials for delivering on the vision through innovations in various sectors, he said.
The CM highlighted Meghalaya’s approach to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates by economically engaging women through self-help groups. The state has also seen a huge increase in externally-aided projects (EAPs) as it has the manpower capable of preparing reports and adhering to other requirements of outside partners.
The guest of honour was VP Paul, a member of NITI Aayog. He said that the country is moving towards strengthening health systems across the country through various national programmes to reach the last mile of the population and he requested the policy practitioners and administrators to create a paradigm that would enable running hospitals in the public sector using the best systems of administration.
Two state government officials received awards today – Sampath Kumar for ‘Positive Public Health Management’ and Ram Kumar S for the Meghalaya drone medicine delivery network. A Arun Prince Milton, a scientist at ICAR Umiam was also awarded for a rapid and cost effective visual diagnostic kit to detect African swine fever.
The award ceremony also included a book release called ‘Celebrating Inclusive Innovations’.
