New Delhi: Garima Dhruwa, a class 11 student at the Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) for tribal students in Kosambuda, Chhattisgarh, prominently featured in a packed auditorium at Bharat Mandapam on Wednesday as she acted as a ‘sarpanch’ during the “Model Youth Gram Sabha” (MYGS) event. This ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Garima, along with approximately 30 students, engaged in a mock gram sabha, presenting issues and solutions relevant to their villages. “There was no script here. We, along with our teachers, shortlisted the issues affecting the villages based on our everyday experiences,” she stated.
Garima, the daughter of a teacher, expressed newfound confidence in addressing local governance issues, particularly regarding water accessibility in her village. Each student in her team represented roles from ‘panch’ to panchayat secretary, highlighting diverse community concerns.
The students presented various issues, including appeals for support of women’s Self Help Groups and calls for improved sanitation and environmental initiatives. Additionally, they urged the Panchayat to allocate resources for transportation for pregnant women and to implement fines for public use of abusive language. Education was also emphasized, with members reproaching families who do not send their children to school.
Another group of students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Himachal Pradesh contributed by discussing challenges in their villages, advocating for solutions through community dialogue. Class 11 student Shivam Sharma noted that organizing the gram sabha had changed his perspective on local challenges.
Both EMRS in Chhattisgarh and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Una were awarded first prize at the national awards program, which recognized their contributions with a grant of Rs 1 crore each for development activities.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel remarked that these model youth gram sabhas represent a significant shift in civic education, fostering hands-on exposure to grassroots democracy and strengthening leadership qualities among students.
Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, mentioned that the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of nurturing young leaders. He emphasized the program’s role in enabling youth to address local issues effectively.
A comprehensive report on the MYGS initiative revealed that over 28,000 students from 619 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools participated in these simulated gram sabhas nationwide in recent months. The government intends to institutionalize the model youth gram sabhas in its scheme, the ‘Rashtriya Gram Sabha Abhiyan’, to further engage youth in governance.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj highlighted the importance of gram sabhas in rural governance, noting that they embody direct democracy and facilitate participation in local governance. Despite this, youth engagement remains low due to limited awareness and opportunities for involvement. To foster civic consciousness, the Ministry, in collaboration with other organizations, developed the Model Youth Gram Sabha.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
