Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan will head the coordination committee for the proposed initiative. He has been holding meetings with chief secretaries so that state-level bodies can be formed and nodal officers identified.The Union government plans to launch a three-month campaign — Reform Utsav — with the aim of capturing “citizen voice” and effecting reforms, The Indian Express has learned.The two key objectives of the initiative, expected to be launched on October 2 (the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi), are to institutionalise reforms through citizen participation and build a responsive reform pipeline, a source said.The “end goal” of the campaign is that “citizen voice is captured as a suggestion, converted into an actionable reform and, finally, implemented or progressed on a committed roadmap”, sources said.The seed of the initiative came about amidst the students’ protest over the NEET paper leak which ultimately led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.As per sources, the proposed Reform Utsav campaign will have three levels: Jan Manthan (discover), Vimarsh (deliberate), and Samadhan and Sankalp Siddhi (resolution).The first level (discover) will commence on October 2 and continue for a month. During this period, citizens can give their suggestions through a designated portal. Several outreach activities, including public meetings and webinars, will also be organised.Once suggestions are in, AI will be used to sort them. In addition, a multilingual call centre may also be established.Story continues below this adDuring the second level (deliberate), the identification of ‘quick win’ reforms and roadmap for structural reforms will be undertaken. Finally, in the third level, the coordination committee will review the progress on a bi-weekly basis, sources said.Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan will head the coordination committee for the proposed initiative. He has been holding meetings with chief secretaries so that state-level bodies can be formed and nodal officers identified.Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More