ITANAGAR, 9 Jul: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday bade farewell to Dr Joram Begi, who retired after completing his five-year tenure as the chief information commissioner (CIC) of the State Information Commission (SIC).
Felicitating Dr Begi in a simple function here, Khandu wished him the best in the “third innings” of his life.
Dr Begi had earlier retired as the higher & technical education director, before being appointed as the CIC.
Khandu hailed Dr Begi “for ensuring transparency in the system of governance as the head of the SIC.”
“I also deeply appreciate your effort in bringing several key changes in the commission for the citizens to have easy access to information and providing speedy justice to the aggrieved,” the CM told Dr Begi.
He also acknowledged Dr Begi’s contributions towards improving the education scenario of the state during his stint in the education department, which, Khandu said, “is today widely appreciated by all.”
Dr Begi is one of the renowned educationists of the state. Brought up in a situation where there was no school, he went on to become the first master’s degree holder from his community. He is known as a thoughtful community leader, an excellent administrator and a good orator.
Before joining as the higher & technical education director, he had held several prestigious positions, such as principal of DNG College, registrar of Arunachal University, and joint director of public instruction (higher education).
His research thesis for his doctorate on ‘Growth and evolution of education in Arunachal Pradesh since 1947’ is considered a monumental document. He has authored three books, the latest being Dynamics of Higher Education – Local, National and Global, and over 20 articles. A scholar par excellence, he was a member of Dimapur-based North East Zonal Cultural Committee, New Delhi-based Sahitya Academy, the Indian Institute of Public Administration, and the Indian History Congress, New Delhi. He is a life member of the North East India History Association.
Earlier, the officers and staff of the SIC gave a warm farewell to Dr Begi.
“During his tenure, the image of the commission and the efficiency of its functioning were achieved to a great extent. Because of his endeavour, the commission’s office was shifted from Hotel Bomdila to its current location,” the SIC stated in a release.
“Under his tenure, the commission conducted awareness programmes on the RTI Act, 2005, in almost all the district headquarters of the state,” it said.
The SIC said that Dr Begi “led the commission and conducted regular hearings through the online mode, even from home, to avoid pendency of cases during the difficult time of Covid-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown.” (With input from CM’s PR Cell)
