AT THE Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards 2020-21, held recently at The Oberoi, New Delhi, 19 district magistrates — chosen from 400 entries received from 182 districts across 29 states — were honoured for their pioneering work across categories that range from agriculture to disaster management, e-governance, healthcare, innovative education and social welfare. From using high-speed wireless systems to provide tele-medicine to villagers in a tribal hamlet in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, to a start-up incubator in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, from launching a micro-irrigation project in the Maoist-hit Malkangiri, Odisha, to a club for the elderly in Jamtara, Jharkhand, these...