Delhi begins identifying projects for Centre’s governance reform scheme

The Delhi government has begun identifying projects for technical and financial support from the Centre under the State Collaboration Initiative (SCI), a scheme aimed at improving public service delivery through administrative reforms

The Delhi government has begun identifying projects for technical and financial support from the Centre under the State Collaboration Initiative (SCI), a scheme aimed at improving public service delivery through administrative reforms.

A detailed order has been circulated to all departments, district magistrates and civic agencies, asking them to submit suitable proposals (Representative photo)

A detailed order has been circulated to all departments, district magistrates and civic agencies, asking them to submit suitable proposals under the scheme after the Centre invited states and Union Territories to participate. The move comes after the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), in a letter dated June 2, 2026, asked states to submit project proposals on the SCI portal by June 23.

According to the communication, the SCI seeks to support initiatives that either replicate successful governance models recognised through the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration or the National e-Governance Awards, or pilot new ideas, institutional structures and systems capable of improving the quality of public services. The programme is also intended to provide technical expertise that may not be available within the implementing department or organisation.

“The Centre is implementing the ‘State Collaboration Initiative (SCI) Scheme’ to promote and support improvement in public administration in order to catalyse reforms at the cutting edge of service delivery to citizens. The scheme promotes replication of award-winning initiatives while also supporting pilot projects requiring specialised technical assistance. Around six to seven projects have been identified in Delhi and details are being worked out,” an official said.

The guidelines provide for grants of up to ₹2 crore for approved projects. Funds will be released in four instalments of 25% each, linked to the completion of milestones and submission of utilisation certificates and progress reports. The implementing departments will also be required to submit periodic monitoring reports, while projects will be reviewed through quarterly programme monitoring meetings chaired by senior DARPG officials.

The Centre has requested states to upload original project proposals approved by the head of the department on the SCI portal, with clearly defined deliverables across four implementation stages.

“The subsequent instalments will be released only after strict adherence to, and submission of, the previous stage’s deliverables,” the letter stated.

The guidelines accompanying the communication state that the initiative is designed to strengthen collaboration between the Centre and states for improving governance and citizen-centric service delivery. The objectives include developing collaborative relationships between ministries and states, encouraging reforms in public administration, and building institutional capacity at the district, state and central levels.

Projects proposed under the scheme are required to demonstrate measurable improvements in public administration and must either replicate proven best practices or introduce innovative governance models. Proposals are expected to include implementation plans, monitoring mechanisms, budget estimates and evidence of implementation capacity. They will be assessed by a screening committee before being placed before the competent authority for approval.