• Direct Participation: It enables every eligible voter in the village to actively participate in governance, reflecting Gandhian ideals of Gram Swaraj, or village self-rule.
• Transparency and Accountability: The Gram Sabha reviews and approves the Gram Panchayat's budgets, audits, and development plans, ensuring financial and administrative transparency and preventing corruption or elite capture.
• Empowerment and Inclusion: It empowers marginalized groups including women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes by providing them a platform to voice concerns and participate in decision-making.
• Local Self-Governance: Acts as the primary mechanism for local development planning, selection of beneficiaries for welfare programs, resource management (like minor forests and water bodies), and resolution of local disputes.
• Strengthens Panchayati Raj System: It is constitutionally mandated under Article 243(b) and 243A, making it the vital democratic unit that grounds Panchayati Raj institutions in participatory democracy.

• Approving village development plans and budgets.
• Conducting social audits for government scheme implementation.
• Overseeing the work of the Gram Panchayat to prevent misuse of funds.
• Facilitating social and political education among villagers.
• Enabling community harmony and democratic supervision of local functionaries.
• Acting as a platform for collective decision-making and dispute resolution.?

• Insufficient Devolution of Powers (3Fs): State governments are often reluctant to fully devolve the 3Fs: Funds, Functions, and Functionaries. Gram Sabhas and Panchayats have limited authority over the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, such as education, health, and sanitation, which remain largely under state control.
• Lack of Trained Manpower and Infrastructure: Many Panchayats face shortages of basic infrastructure like office buildings, internet connectivity, and essential staff such as secretaries and computer operators. A lack of training and skill development for elected representatives also hinders their ability to perform effectively.
• Bureaucratic and Political Interference: The functioning of Gram Sabhas is often hampered by excessive interference from higher-level government officials and local political leaders. The creation of parallel bodies for development schemes also undermines the authority and legitimacy of the Gram Sabha.
• Poor Record-Keeping and Transparency: There are issues with maintaining proper records of meetings, decisions, and financial expenditures, which reduces transparency and accountability. 

• Inadequate Financial Resources: Gram Sabhas depend heavily on grants from state and central governments and have minimal power to generate their own revenue through local taxes. This financial dependence restricts their independent decision-making and the ability to implement local development projects.
• Delays in Fund Flow: Funds from government schemes are often delayed, weakening planning and execution of development work.
• Unwillingness to Levy Taxes: Local bodies are often reluctant to impose or collect local taxes and fees due to fear of losing popularity, contributing to their financial weakness. 

• Low and Irregular Participation: A significant challenge is the low attendance and lack of sustained interest among villagers in Gram Sabha meetings, often held infrequently.
• Dominance of Elites and Social Hierarchies: Decision-making is often captured by influential local groups, male relatives of women representatives (the "Sarpanch Pati" phenomenon), or caste divisions, which marginalize women and weaker sections of society.
• Lack of Awareness: Many citizens and even elected members are unaware of their rights, roles, and the powers of the Gram Sabha, limiting their ability to engage meaningfully in governance.
• Gender Inequality: Despite reservations for women, patriarchal norms and family pressures often prevent women representatives from participating substantively in discussions and decisions. 

• Decisions Not Implemented: Decisions and suggestions made during Gram Sabha meetings are frequently ignored by higher authorities, leading to public frustration and reduced participation.
• Ambiguity in Role: Most state laws treat the Gram Sabha as merely a consultative or advisory body, without formal recognition or clear procedures and penalties for non-compliance, thus limiting its impact. 

• Experiential Learning: The core of MYGS involves students simulating real Gram Sabha processes within their schools. Students take on roles such as Sarpanch and ward members, deliberating on local issues, welfare schemes, budgets, and development plans.
• Curriculum Integration: The initiative is designed not as an extra subject, but as a practical, experiential learning module within the existing civics and social studies curricula. It aims to bridge the gap between theoretical classroom learning and the practical functioning of India's democratic system at the village level.
• Objectives: The primary objectives include educating students about the Panchayati Raj System (established by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment), fostering leadership skills, promoting an understanding of local issues, and encouraging youth participation in governance processes.

• The program is being rolled out in over 1,000 schools, including Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).
• A comprehensive Training Module and an MYGS Portal have been unveiled to support effective implementation, build teacher capacity, and provide structured guidance.
• Facilitation Modules for Teachers are available, offering step-by-step guidance and preparation plans to ensure engaging and high-quality sessions.
• Outcomes: The expected outcomes include building essential life skills (communication, critical thinking, teamwork), nurturing constitutional values, and empowering youth to become socially responsible individuals committed to local and national development. 

• July-August: Identification of schools and an orientation program for over 200 master trainers and teachers.
• August-September: Mock Gram Sabha sessions organized in identified schools to provide practical exposure.
• October-November: Regional competitions held across five regions.
• December: A national competition where top-performing teams will be felicitated. 

• The initiative is currently launched in Phase I across over 1,000 schools in 28 States and 8 Union Territories, including Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), Kendriya Vidyalayas, Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs), and State Government Schools.
• It directly involves over 600 JNVs and 2200 Kendriya Vidyalayas, with more than 1,238 teachers trained to lead the program.
• Students from classes 9 to 12 participate by role-playing as village officials like Sarpanch, ward members, and other village functionaries in simulated Gram Sabha sessions.

• Future phases plan to extend the program to include additional schools, Zilla Parishads, and state-run schools, progressively scaling the simulation exercise into wider geographic and administrative layers.
• The implementation includes specialized teacher training workshops, incentives, certification, and performance recognition to ensure quality and motivation.
• Integration into school curricula is emphasized to make civic education experiential and rooted in real-world governance challenges.
• The initiative is also aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, to foster civic consciousness and embed democratic values in youth.
• The program uses a collaborative governance model involving the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Tribal Affairs, alongside the Aspirational Bharat Collaborative.

• The MYGS aims to nurture informed, responsible, and empathetic citizenship among youth with a strong focus on constitutional values.
• It builds leadership skills and civic pride among rural and tribal youth, encouraging them to actively engage in local governance.
• The program simulates decision-making on issues like sanitation, water supply, and education, bridging academic theory and practical governance.
• This comprehensive scale and phased expansion strategy ensures the Model Youth Gram Sabha becomes a nationwide movement for empowering youth and deepening grassroots democracy participation across India.

• Experiential Learning of Democracy: The initiative familiarizes students with the democratic processes at the village level by simulating real Gram Sabha meetings where they role-play roles such as sarpanch, ward members, village secretary, and other local governance officials. This practical exposure bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world civic participation.?
• Youth Engagement in Local Governance: By involving youth actively in decision-making processes, budget preparation, and development planning at the grassroots, the initiative cultivates leadership skills, critical thinking, and civic responsibility among young citizens. It addresses the low participation of youth in actual Gram Sabhas by raising awareness and interest early on.?
• Strengthening Grassroots Democracy: The Youth Gram Sabha helps embed transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in local governance. It ensures future generations are well-acquainted with democratic duties, thereby supporting India’s vision of an empowered and participatory democracy, in line with Viksit Bharat goals.?
• Educational Innovation: The program incorporates simulation-based learning into school curricula, making democracy a lived experience for students rather than an abstract subject. It also includes teacher training for effective implementation and promotes competitions with certificates and prize money to motivate participation.?
• Nationwide Reach: The initial rollout covers 600+ Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200+ Eklavya Model Residential Schools, with plans to expand to other schools across the country, ensuring widespread impact.?

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