Pratibha Dabali: Ideas of Acharya, Maharjan, Sah at the top three

KATHMANDU: This year, the ideas of Nashib Acharya, Monica Maharjan, and Manoj Sah reached the top three in the 'Pratibha Dabali' programme. 

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) has been organising the 'Pratibha Dabali' programme for three consecutive years to foster the development of innovative ideas among civil servants, with technical support from Idea Studio Nepal. 

Acharya's idea secured first place, Maharjan's idea was the runner-up, and CIAA Survey Officer Sah's idea took the second runner-up position. 

Acharya is an electronics engineer at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu. Maharjan is an engineer at the New Town Project Coordination Office, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, while the second runner-up, Sah, is a survey officer at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Tangal.

The 'Pratibha Dabali' programme has been organised with the aim of harnessing the inherent talents of civil servants, solving the problems they encounter and experience in their offices through their own ideas, and facilitating the work of government for citizens.

This year's Pratibha Dabali programme was held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, on 20 May 2024. In the programme, the 10 best ideators out of 35 ideas received from civil servants across the country presented their ideas. 

The programme was chaired by the Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Bhanubhakta Joshi. Special guests included Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal and MoFAGA Secretary Mukunda Prasad Niroula. The keynote speaker was singer and social worker Ani Choying Drolma. Secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy secretaries, branch officers, and other employees of various ministries, as well as media persons and distinguished personalities from various organisations, were present at the programme.

Addressing the programme, Minister Joshi thanked the civil servants for bringing innovative ideas to solve the problems faced by government agencies despite their constant work and responsibilities, and congratulated all for organising the programme. 

Chief Secretary Aryal stated that "The government has, in a way, reflected the ideas presented in previous editions in its policies and implementations, and the ideas presented today will be reflected at some point". In his welcome speech, MoFAGA Secretary Niroula said, "The 'Pratibha Dabali' programme will develop the competitive ability of government employees/public sector employees, innovative ideas will find a place, and it is certain that a positive environment and capacity will be developed with the help of this programme." 

Speaker Drolma said, "The ideas that were pitched by the ideators on how to save time and resources in the service facility of the government office and how we can provide satisfactory service to the people are innovative and timely. I congratulate all the ideators."

The 10 best ideators from the ideas received in the 'Pratibha Dabali' programme were included in a five-day incubation. During the incubation, the ideators acquired knowledge and skills through training in various subjects as well as experiential learning, which will be useful for their future professional development.

Of the 10 best ideators, seven other participants this year included Chandan Prasad Das, Acting Office Chief at the Survey Office, Bara; Sanjeev Kumar Raut, Instructor at the Land Management Training Centre, Dhulikhel; Bikash Kumar Razak, Section Officer at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security; Bikas BK, Officer at the District Election Office, Dhading; Shankar Kandel, Engineer at the Gaindakot Municipality Office, Gaindakot;
Shiva Lal Bhusal, Veterinary Doctor at the Nepal Livestock Sector Innovation Project; and Tanoj Dulal, Engineer at the Sikta Irrigation Project, Banke.

After the incubation process, the ideators prepared for pitching ideas and presented them in the final phase of the programme. 

After presentation, the winners were selected based on the scorecard given by the jury panel. At the end of the programme, the evaluation of the ten participants was combined, in which three ideas succeeded in receiving awards. The first, second and third place competitors were presented with cash Rs 50,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 30,000 respectively and felicitations to each, while letters of appreciation were handed over to the six other participating competitors. 

The idea of Acharya, who succeeded in becoming the first, related to an integrated paperless vehicle fine management system and the first runner-up, Maharjan's idea related to an integrated coordination portal for Infrastructure Construction. Similarly, the second runner-up, Sah's idea was about National government e-commerce.

The jury panel of the programme included OPMCM Secretary Lila Devi Gadtaula, former secretary of the Government of Nepal Suresh Adhikari and Idea Studio Nepal Executive Chairperson Tshering Lama.