New Delhi, Apr 21 : Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari will inaugurate the Civil Services Day here today.

The theme for this year is `Excellence in Governance''.

This Day is observed by all the Central Civil Services to rededicate and recommit themselves to the cause of the people. It provides a unique opportunity for introspection as also chalking out future strategies to deal with the challenges being posed by the changing times.

The Day is being celebrated since 2006.

The Vice President will give away the `PM Award for Excellence in Public Administration'' for the year 2007-08.

Nine outstanding initiatives in three categories - individual, group and organization - have been selected for the award. These are: (i) Financial Sustainability of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Karnataka), (ii) Evacuation of Indian Nationals from Beirut during the war, (iii) State Motherhood and Child Survival Programme (Gujarat) and (iv) Activity Based Learning (ABL) Modules (Tamil Nadu) in the individual category.

In the group category, the winners are: (i) Computerization of Personnel Information System in Manipur (Manipur), (ii) SCORE: e-Registration in Bihar (Bihar), (iii) MCA-21 and (iv) Improved Health and Sanitation Practices through Convergence among district administration, panchayats and community in district Surguja (Chattisgarh).

The third category of ''Organization'' includes one initiative that is Implementation of Risk Management in Customs.

A book on initiatives in e-Governance titled "BYOB" compiled by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances will also be released on the occasion.

The book covers various innovations successfully tried out by different Ministries/ Departments, state/UT administrations, national and international organisations.

After the inauguration, the technical session would commence with successive panel discussions on two issues.

The panel discussion will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.

The panelists of the first panel discussion on ''Performance Management in Government'' areC. M. Vasudev, E. Sreedharan, P. C. Halder, and Dr. Prajapati Trivedi.

For the second panel discussion on ''Civil Service: Accountability to People'', the penalists are Wajahat Habibullah, V. N. Dhoot,. D. Swarup and G. K. Pillai.

The valedictory session will feature an address by the Chief Justice of India. (ANI)