Pawar was selected for the state-level award in recognition of the innovative Navchetana and Poshandut initiatives implemented in Nashik district. Under Navchetana, 1.06 lakh single, widowed, deserted, divorced and unmarried adult women were surveyed, mapped and linked with schemes related to employment, self-employment, education, social rehabilitation and childcare

Nashik: ZP CEO Omkar Pawar Receives S. S. Gadkari Award For Excellence In Public Administration |

Nashik: Nashik Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Omkar Pawar has been conferred the prestigious S S Gadkari Award 2025-26 by the Maharashtra Regional Branch of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) for excellence in public administration and innovative initiatives.

The award was presented by IIPA Maharashtra Regional Branch President and former Maharashtra Chief Secretary Swadheen S Kshatriya (Retd IAS) at a function held at the Council Hall, Mantralaya Annex, Mumbai.

Pawar was selected for the state-level award in recognition of the innovative Navchetana and Poshandut initiatives implemented in Nashik district. Under Navchetana, 1.06 lakh single, widowed, deserted, divorced and unmarried adult women were surveyed, mapped and linked with schemes related to employment, self-employment, education, social rehabilitation and childcare.

Thirty-seven self-help group clusters received interest-free loans amounting to ₹1.18 crore, while three free and caste-neutral matrimonial meets resulted in seven remarriages. As many as 915 gram panchayats also passed resolutions against discriminatory social practices affecting widows.

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The initiatives also focused on education, child welfare and nutrition. Under the education initiatives, 31 meritorious students received higher education scholarships of ₹50,000 each, 322 girls were provided bicycles and 15,006 children received monthly assistance of ₹2,250 under the childcare scheme.

The Poshandut initiative, based on the concept "One Officer, One Child, One Promise, Zero Rupees", assigned individual responsibility to officers for tracking malnourished children, including their weight, treatment, immunisation, nutrition and family-related difficulties.

A total of 1,954 malnourished children were tracked, of whom 984 reached normal nutritional status and 611 came out of severe malnutrition. The programme was implemented without any additional financial burden on the government exchequer, relying on personal accountability and regular follow-up by officials.

Meanwhile, 643 village-level Dnyanjyoti Savitribai Phule Study Centres were established to provide students with accessible study facilities within their villages.

The award recognises an administrative model based on systematic surveys, targeted delivery of government benefits, individual accountability, inter-departmental coordination and continuous follow-up in the fields of women’s empowerment, child nutrition and education.

Accepting the award, Omkar Pawar dedicated the honour to the officers and employees of the Nashik Zilla Parishad, field-level machinery and all stakeholders who contributed to the success of these initiatives.

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