The report has been prepared by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), Hyderabad for the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
Key Highlights of Study Report
- Barriers to Participation: Low participation in Gram Sabha is multidimensional, influenced by socio-economic, institutional, governance and behavioural factors.
- Livelihood & Time Constraints: Single largest barrier contributed by busy work schedules and agricultural activities.
- Awareness & Communication Gaps: Poor outreach and limited procedural awareness.
- Weak Institutional Responsiveness: Poor follow-up, weak grievance redressal and limited official engagement.
- Governance & Trust Deficit: Lack of transparency, political interference and delayed implementation.
- Social & Inclusion Barriers: Migrants, youth, elderly and women remain underrepresented.
- Infrastructure & Accessibility Constraints: Inadequate facilities and digital infrastructure hinder participation.
- Participation Fatigue: Due to transparency concerns, lack of relevance, repetitive discussions, trust deficit, political interference and weak grievance resolution.
- Policy Recommendations
- Mission: Launch a National Gram Sabha Awareness, Procedural Literacy and Mobilisation Mission.
- Strengthen SHG-led Mobilisation: Leverage SHGs like Kudumbashree (Kerala) and Jeevika SHGs (Bihar).
- Promote Inclusiveness: Strengthen Mahila Sabhas, Ward Sabhas, Youth Sabhas and other inclusive participation platforms.
- Adopt Innovative Outreach: Use technological means, multi-channel communication and household-level campaigns, following the example of Gurdaspur (Punjab).
- Transparency: Ensure advance public disclosure of Gram Sabha agendas, beneficiary lists, budgets, development priorities and implementation status through both physical and digital platforms.
