Andhra Pradesh official bags Prime Minister’s award for excellence

Nishant Kumar, Director, Excise and Prohibition.

Nishant Kumar, Director of Excise and Prohibition, Manglagiri, and former District Collector of Parvathipuram, has been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for 2023.

This accolade recognises his exemplary leadership in implementing the PRISM 10 (Project to Reduce Infant Mortality Rate Below 10) initiative during his tenure from 2022 to 2024 in Parvathipuram.

In a letter dated January 10, 2205, V. Srinivas, Secratary to Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India, informed Mr. Nishant Kumar that he was selected for the award.

The PRISM 10 project tackled critical maternal and child health challenges in Parvathipuram, a tribal district grappling with high Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), and inadequate immunisation coverage, Mr. Nishant Kumar said in a statement on Thursday.

At the project’s inception in 2022, Parvathipuram’s IMR stood at 24, MMR at 128, and immunisation coverage at 47.2%.

Under Mr. Nishant Kumar’s leadership, the initiative adopted an integrated approach to maternal and child healthcare. Efforts focused on tracking pregnancies, ensuring safe deliveries, and expanding immunisation coverage. By February 2024, the district’s IMR dropped to 8, saving over 210 infant lives annually, while the MMR fell by 42% to 74. Immunisation coverage surged to 97.77%, propelling Parvathipuram to the top spot in state rankings.

The award, recognised under the ‘Innovation District’ category, highlights Mr. Kumar’s innovative and result-driven governance.