DIMAPUR: A sensitisation programme on Reform Utsav, a citizen‑driven initiative aimed at identifying and implementing systemic reforms through public participation, was held in Kohima with State Nodal Officer (SNOD) for Kohima district, Limawabang Jamir, secretary, Social Welfare, convening the programme.
According to DIPR report, Limawabang said the programme was organised to sensitise Heads of Departments (HoDs) and create awareness on the objectives and implementation of Reform Utsav, a time‑bound and outcome‑oriented campaign of the government aimed at institutionalising a bottom‑up approach to governance reforms.
Reform Utsav seeks to source, deliberate upon and implement reform suggestions received from citizens, with emphasis on procedural and structural reforms that can have wider public impact. It follows a whole‑of‑government approach involving both Central and State governments and provides a mechanism for taking genuine reform suggestions from citizens through to implementation.
A presentation was made by Theodre Yanthan, joint secretary, Social Welfare, who highlighted that the campaign will be implemented in three broad phases-Jan Manthan (Discover), Vimarsh (Deliberate) and Jan Samadhan (Deliver).
Jan Manthan will focus on gathering reform suggestions from citizens through the Reform Utsav portal and outreach activities. The first phase will commence on October 2, 2026, with the launch of the portal enabling citizens to submit suggestions for systemic reforms. Awareness activities including Jan Sabhas, community outreach and other mobilisation programmes will also be undertaken.
Vimarsh will involve departments examining and deliberating on the suggestions to identify actionable reforms, categorised into quick‑win and medium‑term reforms, with inter‑departmental issues taken up through appropriate coordination mechanisms.
Jan Samadhan will focus on implementing identified quick‑win reforms and initiating medium‑term reforms through defined roadmaps, with progress monitored and updated through the portal.
The state‑level coordination mechanism has recommended that all districts constitute district‑level committees for effective implementation. These committees will include representatives from public organisations, Urban Local Bodies and Chief Executive Officers of municipal councils, among others, to provide district‑specific inputs.
The district‑level mechanism will also focus on awareness creation, ensuring active participation of departments and stakeholders, and soliciting reform suggestions from elected representatives.
The meeting emphasised that Reform Utsav is not merely about individual grievances but about identifying systemic issues and workable solutions that can benefit citizens more broadly. Reform suggestions are expected to address systemic causes, be applicable beyond individual cases, be implementable on a wider scale and provide constructive solutions.
The campaign will be followed by Sankalp Siddhi in December 2026, providing an opportunity to showcase reforms undertaken and outcomes achieved at the national, state and district levels.
The overall objective of Reform Utsav is to ensure that citizens’ voices are captured as suggestions, converted into actionable reforms and ultimately implemented or placed on a committed roadmap for execution.
