Nagaland Civil Service probationers begin Bharat Darshan tour in Chennai

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 27 (MExN): Ten Nagaland Civil Service (NCS) probationers of the 2025 batch began their five-day Bharat Darshan attachment at the Anna Administrative Staff College in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on October 26. The first day of the attachment focused on the functioning and best practices of various line departments, including Agriculture, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. The exposure aimed to familiarise the officer trainees with governance models and development initiatives that could be adapted to Nagaland.Tamil Nadu's implementation of the VB-G RAM G scheme, formerly known as MGNREGS, was highlighted as a notable example of rural development. The state has consistently recorded among the highest person-days generated in the country, with high figures for employment provided to workers and women's person-days.Major works undertaken under the scheme include farm ponds, check dams, plantations and nurseries. The state has also converged various schemes and programmes with VB-G RAM G, including Finance Commission grants and the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).The Agriculture Department showcased its Uzhavar portal, a digital platform providing farmers access to services, including fertiliser purchases and information on agriculture officers posted in their respective blocks. The trainees were also introduced to the Soil Health Card initiative, which helps farmers assess soil conditions and identify suitable crops for cultivation. State-sponsored welfare schemes implemented by Tamil Nadu to address specific social and developmental needs were also presented during the sessions.Under the Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, the Pudhumai Penn Scheme provides monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to eligible female students pursuing higher education who studied in government schools from Classes 6 to 12. The scheme has also been extended to transgender students.The Cradle Baby Scheme, or Thottil Kuzhandhai Thittam, was presented as an initiative to prevent female infanticide by allowing parents to anonymously surrender unwanted infant girls at designated centres for legal adoption. The trainees were also briefed on dedicated budgetary allocations for transgender welfare, covering skill development, educational access and socio-economic rehabilitation. Another initiative, Anbucholai day-care centres, provides senior citizens with daytime meals, basic healthcare, physiotherapy and recreational activities.The exposure offered the probationers an opportunity to study administrative practices and welfare models that could be adapted to Nagaland's local requirements. Following the Chennai attachment, the officer trainees will move to another district for field-based learning on rural development practices. They will subsequently undertake similar one-week attachments at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA) in Pune, Maharashtra, and in New Delhi.