Jorhat (Assam) [India], July 19 : In a unique and inspiring initiative, two young students from Jorhat were appointed as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district for a day on Saturday. The symbolic appointment was part of a special programme organised to promote leadership and administrative awareness among young students, particularly girls.
Gitashree Sharma, a postgraduate student from CKB Commerce College, and Santhista Baruah, a Class 9 student from Titabor, were given the rare opportunity to assume the role of Jorhat's Deputy Commissioner for a day.
Santhista Baruah told ANI, "At first, we had an essay competition on the topic 'One Day as a District Commissioner'. I wrote many things in my essay, and eventually, I was selected as the first-ranked holder in the competition. On July 1, there was a meeting where the Deputy Commissioner was also present. I delivered a speech based on my essay, and on that day, we also had the prize distribution ceremony."
Santhista added that this experience will help her to appear for the APSC and UPSC exams.
"I am very happy and proud to be selected as the District Commissioner for one day. I believe today I will learn many things from the actual DC -- about what officers really do. It is a great opportunity, and I think this experience will be very useful for my future. If I appear for exams like APSC or UPSC in the future, this will definitely help me," she said.
"Also, many students -- especially girls in rural areas -- are not aware of exams like APSC and UPSC. So, competitions like this can play an important role in spreading awareness and promoting the empowerment of women," Baruah told ANI.
Gitashree Sharma told ANI, "It's truly an overwhelming feeling to be a District Commissioner (DC) for a day. I believe it can really motivate students like us to appear for competitive examinations such as the UPSC or APSC, as it provides practical knowledge about how a DC functions. The competition was organised in groups, and I was selected as the winner from Group B. Being a one-day DC was a great experience that has inspired me to seriously consider appearing for these exams."
She mentioned that her main focus as a DC would be to ensure good governance, especially in rural areas.
"As a one-day DC, my main focus would be on ensuring responsive governance and people-first leadership, which I also highlighted during the DC competition. I believe such an approach can significantly impact the lives of people, especially the villagers. I would particularly focus on key sectors such as the health and education departments, as I feel these areas are crucial for the development of the region," she said.
"Yes, this experience definitely motivates students to appear for competitive examinations by giving them practical exposure to the responsibilities and decision-making process of a DC.
This opportunity has motivated me personally and provided the exposure I needed to prepare for the APSC and UPSC examinations. I have learned how a DC makes decisions in a calm and composed manner, and this is something I will carry forward from this experience," Sharma added.
Both students reported to the office of the Jorhat DC, Jay Shivani, in the morning and actively participated in the day's administrative proceedings. Throughout the day, Gitashree and Santhista took part in several official activities, gaining first-hand experience of district-level governance.
This initiative was the result of an essay competition jointly organized by the Jorhat district administration and the Women and Child Development Department under the 'Sankalp' project.
The objective of the initiative was to boost the confidence of young girls and to inspire them to consider careers in public administration. It also aimed to promote awareness about competitive exams and leadership opportunities available to youth, especially young women, in the region.
Jorhat Deputy Commissioner, Jay Shivani, told ANI, "As part of the nationwide Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, we are also implementing this initiative in our district with the objective of empowering girl students, promoting women empowerment, and improving the educational status of the girl child. In line with this initiative, our district Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao team took the initiative to organise an essay writing competition. The topic of the competition was One Day as a District Commissioner."
She added, "The competition had two categories -- one for junior students and one for senior students. Two students emerged as the winners: one from Class 9 and another who is currently pursuing M.Com in our district. They secured the first rank in their respective categories, and the results were announced on District Day. On the same day, during the celebration held at Jorhat Theatre, we also gave them the opportunity to speak on the topic "One Day as a District Commissioner" in front of the public."
The students joined the video conference held between the current DC, Jay Shivani, and the Chief Secretary.
"Our day began with a video conference, which was part of a monthly review conducted by the Chief Secretary. The students attended the meeting, learned about various departments we oversee, the key performance indicators we track, and how our district is performing. They also understood how we can improve and aim to become one of the best districts in the state," DC Shivani told ANI.
Describing the students' day as a DC, she added, "Following that, we have multiple meetings scheduled. One important meeting is regarding the Combined Medical Services Examination, which is being held tomorrow. I will review the preparedness for the exam, and the students will attend this meeting to learn how examinations are conducted in a district, including managing centres and ensuring that guidelines are followed."
"Later, we also have an election-related meeting to discuss polling sessions, which they will attend as well. After that, we have two scheduled field visits -- one to the District Library and another to Chandan Nagar. The students will accompany me on these visits too. I truly believe that experiences like these will motivate students to excel in their careers, particularly in the field of administrative services," she said.