Vedpsagar: Adding Some Details W/ Sources

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Adding Some Details W/ Sources

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{{Short description|Indian civil servant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Nilam Sawhney
| image = Nilam Sawhney.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|06|2|df=yes}}
| occupation = [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS officer]]
| profession = [[Civil servant]]
| spouse = [[Ajay Prakash Sawhney]]<ref name="spouse">{{cite web |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/senior-ias-officer-nilam-sawhney-back-in-andhra-pradesh-to-be-appointed-chief-secretary-of-the-state/articleshow/72010633.cms|title=Nilam Sawhney |work=BangloreMirror |access-date=11 November 2019}}</ref>
| honorific_suffix = [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]]
| office1 = [[Chief secretary (India)|Chief Secretary]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| term_start1 = November 2019
| term_end1 = 1 January 2021
| office = [[Chief secretary (India)|State Election Commissioner]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| term_start = April 2021
| term_end = March 2026
| office2 = [[Secretary to the Government of India|Secretary]] of [[Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment]]
| term_start2 = May 2018
| term_end2 = November 2019
| office3 = [[Secretary to the Government of India|Secretary]] of [[Central Vigilance Commission]]
| term_start3 = May 2015
| term_end3 = May 2018
}}
'''Nilam Sawhney''' (born 2 June 1960) is currently serving as chief election commissioner of Andhra Pradesh. She served as the first woman [[Chief secretary (India)|Chief Secretary]] of the newly formed state of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]], from November 2019 to January 2021. She is a 1984 batch [[Indian Administrative Service]] (IAS) officer of [[Andhra Pradesh]] cadre. She previously held the position of Secretary of Union [[Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment]] from 2018 to 2019 and before this served as the Secretary of [[Central Vigilance Commission]] in the [[Government of India]] from 2015 to 2018.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Supremo|url=https://supremo.nic.in/ERSheetHtml.aspx?OffIDErhtml=14485&PageId=#|access-date=2020-06-06|website=supremo.nic.in}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Sawhney hails from [[New Delhi|New Delhi, India]]. She earned her [[Master of Science|Masters of Science]] Physics degree with first division from [[University of Delhi]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=IAS Officers of Andhra Pradesh Cadre|url=https://www.gad.ap.gov.in/downloads/personnel/ias/ias-officers.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Senior IAS officer Nilam Sawhney appointed Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2019/nov/14/senior-ias-officer-nilam-sawhney-appointed-andhra-pradesh-chief-secretary-2061442.html|access-date=2020-06-06|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

== Career ==
Sawhney has served in various key positions for both the [[Government of India]] and the [[Government of Andhra Pradesh]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh ===
Sawhney assumed office as the first woman [[Chief secretary (India)|Chief Secretary]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]] in November, 2019. She has since been known for her proactive style of [[governance]] and rapid implementation of policies aimed at [[social change|social development]] of the [[States and union territories of India|state]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney interacts with beneficiaries in Gudavalli|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/vijayawada/2019/nov/17/chief-secretary-nilam-sawhney-interacts-with--beneficiaries-in-gudavalli-2062906.html|access-date=2020-06-06|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> She has aided the creation of major initiatives such as large scale revamping of the [[Public health system in India|public health systems]], creation of institutional transparency for [[pension scheme]]s through [[e-governance]] and e-[[disbursement]] initiatives and creation of Rythu Bharosa Centres for agricultural amenities.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-05-10|title=27 IAS, other officers transferred as part of restructuring|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/27-ias-other-officers-transferred-as-part-of-restructuring/article31552665.ece|access-date=2020-06-06|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> As the [[Chief secretary (India)|Chief Secretary]] of the state during the [[COVID-19]] crisis, she has thus far managed to maintain one of the highest [[per capita]] testing in the country in the state and large scale [[surveillance]] of symptoms in the population through five rounds of statewide door to door surveys and significant decentralisation and expansion of testing facilities to keep the pandemic in check.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Government of Andhra Pradesh abstract|url=https://nidm.gov.in/covid19/PDF/covid19/state/Andhra%20Pradesh/9.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Corona tests in PHCs soon|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2020/may/30/corona-tests-in-phcs-soon-2149933.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

=== Secretary of Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment ===
Sawhney worked as secretary of [[Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment]] from May 2018 to November 2019.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|publisher=Press Trust of India|title=Social Justice Secretary Nilam Sawhney sent back to Andhra Pradesh|language=en|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/social-justice-secretary-nilam-sawhney-sent-back-to-andhra-pradesh-119111101130_1.html|access-date=2020-06-19}}</ref> While in office, she headed the group of secretaries for welfare setup by the honorable [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister of India]] to drive policy framework creation towards focused goals on social welfare.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gupta|first=Moushumi Das|date=2019-06-18|title=These 10 groups of IAS officers and scientists will set the agenda for Modi's governance|url=https://theprint.in/india/governance/these-10-groups-of-ias-officers-and-scientists-will-set-the-agenda-for-modis-governance/251423/|access-date=2020-06-19|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref> She drafted policy aimed at ensuring basic human rights such as right to work with dignity and right to life for those economically and socially vulnerable classes who were pushed into or chose manual scavenging as a job, despite known dangers. Several programmes, policies and welfare measures, including the legislative and programmatic interventions, were introduced and implemented aimed at ending manual scavenging and providing alternate means of work during her tenure.<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 August 2019|first=Dipak K.|last=Dash|title=Not a single conviction in deaths of sewer cleaners: Govt |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/not-a-single-conviction-in-deaths-of-sewer-cleaners-govt/articleshow/70746688.cms|access-date=2020-06-19|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Curse on society that people still die cleaning sewage: NHRC chief|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2019/05/24/curse-society-that-people-still-die-cleaning-sewage-nhrc-chief.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=The Week|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Govt prepares action plan to end manual scavenging|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/india/govt-prepares-action-plan--to-end-manual-scavenging.html|access-date=2023-01-04|newspaper=The Pioneer|date=20 August 2019|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=After Triple Talaq and Article 370 the next end could be of "manual scavenging"|url=https://english.webdunia.com/national-news/after-triple-talaq-article-370-the-next-end-could-be-of-manual-scavenging-119081900010_1.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=english.webdunia.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment|url=http://164.100.47.193/lsscommittee/Social%20Justice%20&%20Empowerment/17_Social_Justice_And_Empowerment_1.pdf}}</ref> During her stint as Secretary she also worked on policies aimed at eradicating [[AIDS]], [[drug abuse]] and [[human trafficking in India]] proactively over the next decade through massive education, de-[[stigmatisation]], drug [[Drug rehabilitation|rehabilitation]] and societal integration programs.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-26|title=MoU Signed between Department of Social Justice & Empowerment and National AIDS Control Organization|url=https://orissadiary.com/mou-signed-department-social-justice-empowerment-national-aids-control-organization/|access-date=2020-06-19|website=OdishaDiary|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Government & Civil Society have an Onerous Responsibility to Ensure that Potential Victims are Made Aware of Perils of Drug Abuse – Vice President|url=http://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1575867|access-date=2020-06-19|website=pib.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Union health ministry signs MoU with MoSJE to educate masses on HIV prevention|url=http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=117808&sid=2|access-date=2020-06-19|website=www.pharmabiz.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Government of India|url=http://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/DO%20letter%20to%20Principal%20Secretaries.pdf}}</ref> During her term, the [[Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment]] was also responsible for a paradigm shift in laws relating to reservation and preservation of equality in the country, with a shift in focus to economically weaker sections, pushing through a constitutional amendment to guarantee the reservation of 10% of public sector [[Quota in India|quotas]] for economically weaker sections of society.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training|url=https://dopt.gov.in/sites/default/files/ewsf28fT.PDF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-09|title=Parl approves 10 pc reservation for poor in general category|url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/parl-approves-10-pc-reservation-for-poor-in-general-category/|access-date=2020-06-20|website=Jammu Kashmir Latest News {{!}} Tourism {{!}} Breaking News J&K|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=Special Correspondent|date=2019-01-12|title=10% quota Bill becomes law|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/10-quota-bill-becomes-law/article25980845.ece|access-date=2020-06-20|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-11|title=10% EWS quota for social equality: Centre|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/10-ews-quota-for-social-equality-centre/story-bbe8QGr7gBifhrnPBSurEJ.html|access-date=2020-06-20|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-12|title=10% EWS Quota for Social Equality, Equal Opportunities Irrespective of Caste, Govt Tells SC|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/10-ews-quota-for-social-equality-equal-opportunities-irrespective-of-caste-govt-tells-sc-2064589.html|access-date=2020-06-20|website=News18}}</ref>

=== Secretary of Central Vigilance Commission ===
Sawhney worked as Secretary of [[Central Vigilance Commission]] (CVC) from May 2015 to May 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nilam Sawhney appointed CVC secretary|url=https://www.cfo-india.in/cmsarticle/nilam-sawhney-appointed-cvc-secretary/|access-date=2020-06-20|website=CFO India|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-04-07|title=Nilam Sawhney appointed Central Vigilance Commission secretary|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/nilam-sawhney-appointed-central-vigilance-commission-secretary/articleshow/46841598.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2020-06-20}}</ref> As Secretary of CVC, she played a major role in streamlining the proceedings of graft and [[corruption]] charges, bringing down average times for pending cases to be completed by more than 2 years.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-06-22|title=Over 3,500 babus under CVC probe for alleged graft|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/over-3500-babus-under-cvc-probe-for-alleged-graft-4717218/|access-date=2020-06-20|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> Of note, was her work in strengthening current strategies while also re-balancing them at the same time from largely punitive deterrence focused systems to ones that focused more on preventive [[Alertness|vigilance]], through dedicated institutional mechanisms to identify and punish the corrupt necessarily complemented by the need to deter wrongdoing and for the inculcation of ethical values in order to ensure that individuals as well as organisations act with integrity. During her term, there was notable increase in the [[Central Vigilance Commission|Commission]]'s emphasis on the importance of preventive vigilance in government organisations as well as the public outreach and awareness initiatives of the commission.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-10-26|title=Vigilance Awareness Week to be observed from 30th October to 4th November, 2017 with theme My ision-Corruption Free India|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/vigilance-awareness-week-to-be-observed-from-30th-october-to-4th-117102600983_1.html|access-date=2020-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Vigeye Vani|url=https://cvc.gov.in/sites/default/files/March%202018_18.06.2018%20CVC%20Vigeye%20Vani%20Newletter%20for%20web.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Central vigilance commission|url=https://cvc.gov.in/sites/default/files/gtacs17.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Suggestions for preventive vigilance and systematic improvement|url=https://cvc.gov.in/sites/default/files/gtacs17.pdf}}</ref>

=== Principal Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Department of Women & Child Development & Social Welfare ===
Sawhney joined the Department of Women & Child Development & Social Welfare, [[Government of Andhra Pradesh]] in February 2012 and served in this top post at the department till May 2015.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-06-05|title=Andhra Pradesh gives new postings to 22 IAS officers|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140605/nation-current-affairs/article/andhra-pradesh-gives-new-postings-22-ias-officers|access-date=2020-06-21|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en}}</ref>

==== Child development and mothers` welfare ====
She focused on child health and emphasised the need to promote optimal infant and young child feeding practices in order to reduce malnutrition. She led awareness campaigns on the advantages of [[breastfeeding]], [[malnutrition]] and [[anemia]], leading to an improvement in infant and young child feeding indicators, as well as general health of women. Highlighting the issue of malnutrition among children during the first two years of life and permanence of the damage thus done, she led key interventions initiated at the state level under the integrated child development services which include addition of meaningful food models along with intensified health & [[nutrition education]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Department for Women, Children, Disabled & Senior Citizens|url=http://wcdsc.tg.nic.in/SNP/References/28022014WCDW_MS15.PDF}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=A New Approach to Fight Child Malnutrition in India |url=https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/child-malnutrition-in-india/|access-date=2020-06-21|website=Knowledge@Wharton|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=National Thematic Workshop on Best Practices for Women and Child Development|url=https://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/FinalBBBPReport06042015.pdf}}</ref>

The following schemes were run by her department during her tenure as principal secretary:

* Introduction of acceptable fortified Take Home Ration for the children of 7 months to 3 years
* Supervised feeding of malnourished children - identification of malnourished child is based on measurement of weight for age as well as weight for height along with medical check-up of [[malnourished children]].
* Introduction of one wholesome meal in the afternoon in place of Take Home Ration for pregnant and [[Lactation|lactating]] mothers. In addition to full meal, eggs, milk and extra oil are also provided. Regular weight monitoring and supervised administration of IFA are ensured for pregnant women. This effort also helped in increasing fetal weight and hence better outcome at birth.
* Capacity building on skilled infant and young child feeding counseling through counseling courses.
* In place of one Nutrition and Health Day per month, two are being conducted. One is exclusively for growth monitoring of children and pregnant women and the other is for other health services<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

Sawhney also pushed for India wide adoption of certain key recommendations which yielded good results in the State, such as organising two Nutrition and Health days and having convergence at the grass roots level and further emphasised on the institutionalisation of the convergence actions at the grassroots level during her tenure.<ref name=":1" />

=== Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Cooperation ===
Sawhney served as the Vice Chairman And Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Cooperation, Government of Andhra Pradesh from June 2011- February 2012.<ref name=":0" />

=== Joint Secretary of Union Ministry of Rural Development ===

Sawhney served as the Joint Secretary at Union Ministry of Rural Development for five years from August 2005 to August 2010.<ref name=":0" /> During this term she also had the opportunity to be a member of the committee in the working groups for the eleventh five-year plan (2007-2012) for Social Protection Policy and the National Social Assistance Programme and Associated Programme, setup by the planning commission of India.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Social Protection Policy -National Social Assistance Programme and Associated Programme|url=https://niti.gov.in/planningcommission.gov.in/docs/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp11/wrk11_15e.htm}}</ref> Of particular note was her role in guiding the world's largest public housing project (by number of houses built from 1985 to 2020) under the [[Indira Awaas Yojana]] (IAY) (later run as [[Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana]]), with more than 9 million houses (pukka) permanent settlements - modern houses built under IAY scheme from 2005 to 2010 alone during her tenure and more than 30 million built till 2020 (under IAY from 1985 to 2015 and PMAY from 2015 to 2020).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Working Group on Rural Housing|url=https://niti.gov.in/planningcommission.gov.in/docs/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp11/wg11_rdhou.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=PMAYG - Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana 2020 {{!}} Eligibility & Features|url=https://groww.in/p/savings-schemes/pradhan-mantri-gramin-awaas-yojana/|access-date=2020-06-21|website=Groww|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)-PMAY (U)|url=https://pmaymis.gov.in/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India Annual report|url=https://jalshakti-ddws.gov.in/sites/default/files/anualreport080911_eng.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Social protection for a changing India|url=http://164.100.94.191/niti/writereaddata/files/document_publication/ESP-Report_0.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Drivers and Challenges in India's Rural Housing Development Program|url=http://demo.ncaer.org/popuppages/EventDetails/E15Dec2008/summary.pdf}}</ref>

She also played a major role in kick-starting one of the largest direct social benefits schemes in the world under the umbrella of The National Social Assistance Programme divided into five parts—the [[Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme]], the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme, the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme, the National Family Benefit Scheme and the Annapurna scheme in which [[Below Poverty Line|below poverty line]] families without breadwinners get wheat and rice.<ref name=":2" /> During her term as [[Joint secretary to the Government of India|Joint Secretary]], successful running and expansion of these schemes while facing the twin challenges of wading through red tape in [[bureaucracy]] and lackluster implementation brought these schemes to international recognition as well as catapulting the stories of implementation hurdles and challenges in the [[Naxalite|naxalism]] affected areas across India into limelight.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2011-09-14|title=Rural schemes to be modified for Naxal-affected areas|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/rural-schemes-to-be-modified-for-naxal-affected-areas/articleshow/9974677.cms|access-date=2020-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Outlook India Magazine|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/access-denied/266268|access-date=2020-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Tewari|first=Ruhi|date=2010-01-08|title=Housing targets in Naxal-affected areas still largely unmet|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/GYyvpYieHXhpJzHP94QUXM/Housing-targets-in-Naxalaffected-areas-still-largely-unmet.html|access-date=2020-06-21|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Devesh|date=2010-06-19|title=Indira Awaas Yojana scope to be widened, states to come in as partners|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/indira-awaas-yojana-scope-to-be-widened-states-to-come-in-as-partners/articleshow/6065821.cms|access-date=2020-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Evaluation of Rural Housing Programme (IAY) under Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) in Selected Naxal Affected Districts in Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha|url=http://164.100.94.191/niti/writereaddata/files/document_publication/ESP-Report_0.pdf}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/all-set-for-launch-of-rythu-bharosa-kendras/article31698775.ece Rythu Bharosa Centres for agricultural amenities]
* [https://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Vaziralli-2019-policy-brief-Cash-in-kind.pdf Take Home Ration]
* [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infant-and-young-child-feeding Infant and Young Child Feeding]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sawhney, Nilam}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian Administrative Service officers]]
[[Category:Indian government officials]]
[[Category:People from Delhi]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Delhi University alumni]]

Nilam Sawhney - Revision history

Vedpsagar: Adding Some Details W/ Sources