The Nagaland administration is set to commence a statewide public engagement initiative named Jan Manthan on October 2. Formulated as the initial citizen outreach stage of Reform Utsav 2026, the outreach exercises will be staged across the state through local Gram Sabha and Village Council platforms. The Department of Rural Development has been officially designated as the nodal agency to oversee the kickoff on October 2.
Integration with the People's Plan Campaign
Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y. Kikheto Sema highlighted in an official statement that this outreach drive will operate alongside the People's Plan Campaign (PPC), popularised under the banner of 'Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas'. Within Nagaland, field activities will be steered through Village Councils working within the established PPC operational framework, ensuring that community assemblies in remote hamlets participate directly in the consultative process.
The Four Pillars of Reform Utsav 2026
Reform Utsav represents a nationwide governance program formulated to bring everyday citizens into policy improvement conversations. The platform invites people to submit pragmatic suggestions to upgrade public utilities, streamline regulatory systems, advance ease of living, and strengthen ease of doing business across sectors. The overarching campaign is organised around four sequential phases
- Jan Manthan (Discover): Citizens are urged to pinpoint structural bottlenecks and propose updates regarding administrative methods, digital platforms, service delivery pipelines, and operating procedures.
- Vimarsh (Deliberate): Designated government departments review the incoming suggestions, testing feasibility and operational potential.
- Jan Samadhan (Deliver): Actionable proposals are adopted either as fast-track quick-win measures or converted into medium-term developmental and administrative initiatives.
- Sankalp Siddhi (Showcase): Realised reforms, policy outcomes, and positive systemic changes are presented publicly to display governance progress.
Focus on Institutional Shifts Over Individual Grievances
The state government underscored that discussions during Jan Manthan are designed specifically to discover structural and administrative solutions that deliver broad social utility, rather than functioning as a forum for settling isolated personal grievances.
To generate wide participation, participating government departments will circulate structured information, education, and communication (IEC) resources to explain existing government schemes and procedural standards while systematically gathering input from residents. The government has called upon residents, municipal bodies, administrative departments, district headquarters, and grassroots community institutions to actively join the consultative sessions and propose ideas capable of modernising governance systems and delivering better public services.
