Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) has been honoured with the ‘Panchayat Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar’ by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, in recognition of its efforts to foster comprehensive and sustainable development through panchayati raj institutions.
KILA was selected for this prestigious award for its outstanding contribution in training and supporting local self-government institutions (LSGI) at the national level.
This recognition is attributed to KILA’s interventions in enhancing the efficiency of local institutions, promoting skill development, and ensuring better facilities. KILA has played a significant role in decentralised planning and local development activities, setting a global benchmark. The institute conducts a range of training programmes aimed at modernising local self-governance institutions in line with contemporary needs, according to a press release from the institute.
Contributing factors
The award selection process evaluated several factors, including number of training sessions, the percentage of elected representatives and officials trained, the number of faculty members and resource persons trained in sustainable development goals (SDGs), and KILA’s efforts in helping Panchayats prepare development plans (PDPs) aligned with SDGs.
KILA also leads in data collection and research related to local governance and assists the government in policy formulation. The institute organises seminars, workshops, discussions, and project planning programmes on various critical issues like local governance, gender equality, climate change, disaster management, waste management, health, and urban policies. KILA collaborates with national and international agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNEP, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to strengthen decentralised governance, the press release added.
The institute is recognised as one of the country’s key centers for training on decentralised governance and local planning. It operates several specialised centres, including the Centre for Urban Governance, Child Resource Centre, Gender School for Local Governance, and the Sustainable Development Centre, among others.
The award will be presented by President of India, Droupadi Murmu, during a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday (December 11).
Published – December 10, 2024 06:23 pm IST
