New Delhi: The state-of-the-art library, New Age Learning Centre (NALC) in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, has got a shot in its arm. It has been selected for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration – 2022 in the category of ‘Innovation-District’.

The award would be presented to Changlang District Collector (DC) Sunny K Singh, IAS, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Civil Service Day April 21, 2023.

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is observing Civil Service Day on April 20-21, 2023 in Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

A brainchild of Sunny K Singh, the NALC was established in Changlang district with the aim of promoting reading habits among the youths and children.

The NALC has all genres of books and e-books, besides smart screens and tablets, coupled with free wi-fi.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu congratulated the young IAS officer. ‘Kudos to Team District Changlang for creating a watershed moment in public administration through innovation’.

He said that more and more districts make the most of technologies and innovation to further accelerate the pace of good governance.

Singh said he had started the project without funds in crowdfunding mode. The Border Road Organisation (BRO), Udayak supported a little bit, then panchayats and other social workers came forward and contributed their bit.

Following their efforts, Urban Development Minister Kamlung Mosang pursued the matter with the state government and had funds sanctioned for the project.

The NALC provides an alternative to youth who find traditional libraries as boring, clichéd and outdated. It has incorporated futuristic design based on aspirations of youths to make it relevant for the present as well as future generations. The NALC promotes smart and fun learning experiences for the readers.

The probationer IAS officers from Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) during their Bharat Darshan trip had visited NALC and commended the innovations in the library for promoting the waning reading habit among children and youth.

The library, besides being a repository of books, promotes new-age learning by holding classes to develop skills of extra-curricular activities and competitions. /BI/