Thu Jan 16 23:17:00 UTC 2025: ## Manglagiri Official Awarded Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration

**Amaravati, January 17, 2025** – Nishant Kumar, Director of Excise and Prohibition in Manglagiri and former District Collector of Parvathipuram, has been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for 2023. The award recognizes his exceptional work leading the PRISM 10 initiative, a project aimed at reducing the infant mortality rate below 10.

Kumar spearheaded the PRISM 10 project in Parvathipuram, a tribal district facing significant challenges in maternal and child health, including high infant mortality (IMR) and maternal mortality (MMR) rates, and low immunization coverage. When the project began in 2022, Parvathipuram’s IMR stood at 24, MMR at 128, and immunization coverage at just 47.2%.

Through an integrated approach focusing on pregnancy tracking, safe deliveries, and expanded immunization, Kumar’s leadership dramatically improved these metrics. By February 2024, the IMR had plummeted to 8, saving an estimated 210 infant lives annually. The MMR decreased by 42% to 74, and immunization coverage soared to 97.77%, placing Parvathipuram at the top of state rankings.

The award, presented under the ‘Innovation District’ category, celebrates Kumar’s innovative and results-oriented governance. The announcement was made in a letter dated January 10, 2025, from V. Srinivas, Secretary to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.

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