2 min readNew DelhiMay 26, 2026 04:00 AM IST
The fourth edition of The Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards is open for entries until June 30, with a distinguished jury set to evaluate innovations in public administration across 15 categories.
Launched in 2019, the awards honour District Magistrates nationwide for innovations that have positively impacted citizen welfare and government efficiency — and help spread best practices across government, innovation, leadership and learning.
Applications are open across 15 categories including education, healthcare, swachhata, gender and inclusion, social welfare, agriculture, e-governance, skill development, MSME and industries, start-up and innovations, climate change and sustainability, water, energy, urban governance and liveability and jury awards.
The jury for this edition Nation’s best DMs: Entries for Indian Express Governance Awards open until June 30 brings together some of the country’s most distinguished administrators: Jury Chair Wajahat Habibullah, former chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities and former Chief Information Commissioner; K M Chandrasekhar, former Cabinet Secretary; Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary; and Amarjeet Sinha, Senior Fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress, former Advisor to the Prime Minister and Member, Public Enterprises Selection Board
The awards have grown steadily since their inception. The third edition in 2025 drew around 450 applications, with Railway, I&B and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presiding over the ceremony along with Guest of Honour, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space.
District Magistrates can submit their entries at excellenceingovernanceawards.indianexpress.com
