Organisation : Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Scheme Name : Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana – RGSY
Home Page : https://panchayat.gov.in/
Details Here : https://www.statusin.in/uploads/22821-RGSY.pdf
RGSY :
The objective of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana is to assist States for Training and Capacity Building of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions so that they can effectively perform the functions devolved and the schemes entrusted to them.
Related : Ministry of Panchayati Raj ePanchayat BRGF Backward Regions Grant Fund : www.statusin.in/18598.html
The need for Training and Capacity Building of elected representatives and officials of Panchayati Raj Institutions at all the three levels of Zilla Parishad, Block Panchayat and Gram Panchayat cannot be underscored.
With the implementation of welfare Schemes such as National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which is extended all over the country, the duties and responsibilities of the elected representatives of Panchayats is increasing manifold.
In order to understand the complexities of these responsibilities and to fulfill the aspirations of their constituencies, the elected representatives need strong support in the form of Training and Capacity Building.
Coverage and Methodology :
A National Capacity Building Framework is already being implemented in 250 Backward Districts (Out of which 236 Districts have Panchayats in existence and 14 Districts are in Sixth Schedule Area) of the country under the Backward Region Grants Fund (BRGF) programme of the Ministry.
The Training and Capacity Building of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana will be implemented in Non-BRGF Districts. The methodology is as under :
(A) Training and communication ought to reach all PRI functionaries and elected representatives, namely,
(i) Gram Panchayat Members, Chairpersons, and Office bearers,
(ii) Intermediate Panchayat Members, Chairpersons, and Office bearers,
(iii) District Panchayat Members, Chairpersons, and Office bearers,
(iv) All officials concerned at National, State, District, Intermediate & Village level; and
(v) Standing Committee members at all levels.
(B) There should be special effort made towards sensitising the media, political parties, representatives in the legislatures, civil society organisations and citizens,
(C) There must be special campaigns for mobilisation of Gram Sabha members.
(D) There must be special training for women, SC/ST representatives as well as first time entrants into the Panchayat system within 3 months of their entry.
(E) Training for PESA areas should be designed so as to have regard to the cultural traditions and special needs of tribal people.
(F) Training and communication should not be viewed as a single one-time intervention but should be a continuous, ongoing process leading to enhanced sense of self esteem and confidence.
Training should cover both the “before” and “after” election periods. Initial training and communication should reach all elected representatives within one year.
(G) For those Panchayat members who need it, a functional literacy training course should be undertaken immediately after their elections.
(H) Content of training should press on strategic and technical aspects and should be based on a systematic Training Needs Analysis arrived at through multistakeholder consultative workshops, which would precede the design of training modules and materials.
(I) There should be a minimum core curriculum that is common across the States adapting to suit local contexts. Core curriculum should include :
(1) Vision on Purna Swaraj through Gram Swaraj;
(2) Principles of secularism, equality and human rights emanating from the Constitution of India;
(3) Gender equity and social justice;
(4) Status of human development;
(5) Poverty alleviation;
(6) Participatory planning, implementation and monitoring;
(7) Right to information and transparency;
(8) Social Audit; and
(9) Rules and Regulations covering Panchayati Raj.
(J) Thematic curriculum should include:
(i) Human Resource Management,
(ii) Natural Resource Management,
(iii) Disaster Management,
(iv) Financial management, including own resource management and accounting,
(v) Sectoral approaches into providing basic human needs.
(K) Training strategy should be inclusive, participative and interactive and a composite mix of various interventions :
(a) Face-to-face participatory training courses including seminars and workshops;
(b) Exposure visits;
(c) Peer training/learning;
(d) Satellite training;
(e) Radio/cassettes/films;
(f) Traditional means of communication;
(g) Newsletters, updates and digests of replies to Frequently Asked Questions;
(h) Resource centres and Help Desks for Panchayats.
(L) Overall perspective of training must reinforce issues of social equity, gender sensitivity and justice among all participants in the process of governance through Panchayati Raj, including all levels of the bureaucracy.
(M) Training content processes should be relevant to the ground reality of elected representatives. It should continue to develop and evolve based on feedback and impact assessment.
Training should become a two way process so that feedback can help in reforming the content and process of training, as also result in systemic changes in Panchayat and Government functioning.
(N) States should also institutionalise collaboration with Community-based organisation at the State, District and Block level.
(O) Training should inspire elected representatives to form federations or collectives and facilitate them to voice their demands for genuine devolution and development.
(P) Training should include exposure to best practices through visits to other Panchayats.
(Q) Training programmes shall be designed especially for the secretarial and technical staff working with Panchayats.
(R) Education in democracy and constitutional role of Panchayats as institutions of local self-government should be made part of school curricula.
(S) With respect to the training needs of Panchayat members from the Union Territories and States with Sixth Schedule areas, SIRDs, Extension Training Centres and other institutions are identified.