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In a month-long initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, students of Navodaya Vidyalayas across the states debated on local development priorities and issues that directly affect them.
Each mock Gram Sabha replicated the format of a real Gram Sabha with a principal chairperson, elected student representatives, deliberations, resolutions, and voice-vote approval. (AyraNews24x7)
Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh is talking about India-China border sensitivities and employment-related issues, Anantnag in Kashmir is discussing school dropout incidents and ways to retain children through skill training, while Phulera in Uttar Pradesh is working hard for better mid-day meals.
But, none of these priorities came from bureaucrats or politicians. They came from school children. In a month-long initiative of the Panchayati Raj Ministry, students from Navodaya Vidyalayas (central government-run schools) across the states sat in mock gram sabhas and debated on local development priorities and issues that directly affect them. A total of 821 schools were included and 1,095 teachers from all the schools were appointed as nodal teachers.
Ministry moves ahead, students move ahead
The Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) initiative, launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj last month, aims to train students to debate and deliberate on key local issues while increasing public awareness. The mock Gram Sabha sessions brought participation from schools located in some of the most difficult terrain and socially complex districts of India – from the high altitude border belt of Tawang in Arunachal to insurgency-hit Kokrajhar in Assam, from Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir to Phulera in Uttar Pradesh.
What emerged inside temporarily converted classrooms in village halls or in school courtyards was not the timid voice of the ‘beneficiaries’, but the assertiveness of the stakeholders. The students questioned the delay, demanded accountability and more importantly, they justified their demands with logic and reality.
In this unique initiative, the ministry identified over 1,000 central government-run schools across states, appointed assistant commissioners with responsibilities of schools in specific areas and assigned principals and teachers to conduct mock gram sabhas. Over the past weeks, the Ministry received positive responses from all States, with some seeing full participation in interior or difficult areas. Malaram Chaudhary, assistant commissioner appointed for the north-eastern region, told News 18: “A total of 86 schools from the north-eastern states have already conducted the mock gram sabha with enthusiastic participation of students and teachers.”
A senior official monitoring the program said, if adults often enter gram sabhas with folded hands and expectations, these children come with data points, priorities and timelines. They spoke of digital access, clean water, safe transportation, nutrition, employment and border preparedness not as abstract concepts, but as everyday needs that shape their childhood and future, related to developmental and infrastructure needs.
Across the fault line – from Anantnag to Tawang
Even in areas that share international borders and are grappling with crisis situations, including natural disasters or political issues, a total of 53 gram sabhas were convened in important northern states and union territories in this cycle. “These include 23 in Punjab, 15 in Jammu and Kashmir, two each in Leh and Kargil, 12 in Himachal Pradesh and one in Chandigarh,” said Sukhraj Kaur, assistant commissioner of the region.
Each mock Gram Sabha replicated the format of a real Gram Sabha with a principal chairperson, elected student representatives, deliberations, resolutions, and voice-vote approval. The ‘hot topics’ were far from childish as they dealt with issues like drinking water supply, nutritional standards in mid-day meals, broken irrigation channels in agriculture, cost of fertiliser, digital classrooms, employment prospects in rural areas, MNREGA implementation, border awareness and rural road repairs.
In Tawang, the mock gram sabhas reflected the inseparable mix of welfare and security of the border district. ML Meena, principal of Tawang Navodaya Vidyalaya, told News 18, “Students stressed on organized village cleanliness drives and demanded employment opportunities, expediting MNREGA work and construction or repair of rural roads. Strengthening primary health services and improving access to Navodaya Vidyalayas were also ranked high.” Teachers confirmed that China-India border sensitivity has also emerged as a priority, because security here is not theoretical, it is daily life.
Kokrajhar is dominated by peace and rehabilitation benefits, scholarships and sports infrastructure. Phulera of Uttar Pradesh, unlike others, focused sharply on the quality of midday meals, demanding nutritional checks, consistency in supply and accountability on missing food items.
In Kashmir’s Anantnag, possibly one of the sensitive and important districts of the region, a remote Navodaya school organized a mock gram sabha. SN Gupta, principal of the school, said the students started with tough questions on school dropouts and irregular attendance and even identified the reasons for children not coming to school.
He said the students also discussed issues related to mid-day meal. “The discussion on mid-day meal took a practical turn, focusing on not only the quality of food, but also sustainability of ration supply and timely wage payment to cooks, which directly impacts the food served,” he said.
Agriculture comes next, said another teacher, not in abstract form but with detailed demands like repairing broken water channels, fixing weather-damaged irrigation lines and ensuring availability of fertilizer before the sowing season.
The final segment shifted to child and maternal welfare, where students stressed on better assistance to pregnant women and young mothers and prompt resolution of grievances raised by Anganwadi workers and Asha workers.
In a district known nationally for security headlines, the loudest voices in the room were speaking the language of everyday survival and long-term development.
About the author
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (Policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for almost 14 years. She has been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues extensively. He has cum…read more
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