KILA wins national award for capacity building of local bodies
For the second year in a row, the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) has bagged the prestigious Desiya Panchayat Kshamatha Nirman Sarvotham Sansthan Award (Best Institution Category) for the year 2023-2024. This recognition highlights KILA's efforts in enhancing the efficiency and skills of local self-government institutions (LSGIs) through innovative and sustainable interventions.
The award, declared by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, celebrates institutions across the country that have shown excellence in training and capacity building of the LSGIs. KILA has secured the top position in the category in the previous year too.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the award to KILA at a function in Madhubani, Bihar, on Thursday (April 24, 2025).
Decentralised planning
'KILA's work has been recognised as a model for decentralised planning and local development, not just in India but globally. Over the past year, the institution has implemented a wide array of training programmes to modernise local governance systems, aligning them with contemporary needs and challenges. These programmes spanned topics such as decentralised governance, gender equality, climate change, disaster mitigation, waste management, health, and urban policy,' said A. Nizamudeen, Director General, KILA.
KILA is also a key advisory body for the government in policy formulation related to local governance. Its faculty members collaborate with both national and international development agencies such as the UNDP, UNFPA, UNEP, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. On the national front, KILA works closely with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and the National Institute of Urban Affairs to enhance capacity-building frameworks across the country, he added.
With a vision to evolve into an international centre for research and training in governance, KILA continues to expand its programmes through various thematic centres such as the Centre for Urban Governance, Child Resource Centre, Gender School for Local Governance, Geo-Informatics Centre, Centre for Environment and Biodiversity Climate Change, Centre for Sustainable Development, and Innovation & Incubation Hub. It also houses the technical secretariat for the State Urban Policy Commission.
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