New Delhi, April 21: The government today recognised an IFS officer’s “selfless service” in evacuating Indians from Libya as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh handed out awards to several civil servants for their administrative efforts.

Singh gave away the “PM’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration for the year 2010-11” in three categories — individual, group and organisation.

India’s then envoy to Libya M. Manimekalai was given the award in the individual category for “rendering selfless service to evacuate Indian nationals” during the civil war in Libya last year.

Over 15,000 Indians were working in Libya at that time and the IFS officer’s work had come in for praise from all her seniors. Manimekalai was later posted as India’s envoy to Romania.

Those awarded in the group category included district collector of North Tripura Soumya Gupta and her team members for a project to improve health and nutrition among villagers.

Gujarat’s chief conservator of forests Ram Kumar received the award for “participatory scientific watershed management” in the organisation category.