GOVERNANCE in INDIA Constitution Supreme : Federal in structure and Unitary in features 28 States and 7 Union Territories Center subjects : Union List State subjects : State List Both : Concurrent List LSG under the State List

Spheres of Government Centre Parliament: President, Lok Sabha (Lower House), Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Centre Supreme Court Executive – Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister, Bureaucracy Contd….

Contd….Spheres of Government Legislature: Governor, Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly) State Judiciary: High Court Executive: State Cabinet headed by the Chief Minister of the State, Bureaucracy

Contd….Spheres of Government Administration (Organ of the State) District Local Self Government Panchayats (Rural) Municipalities (Urban)

District Structure Local Government District Administration (Organ of State Govt) Rural (3 tier structure)   District Level: Zila Parishad District Collector Block Level: Panchayat Samiti BDO Village Level: Gram Panchayat Panchayat Secretary Gram Sabha: Peoples Council Urban Municipalities District Collector Executive Officer

Local Self Governance (1992) On average 1200 persons electing 7 to 10 representatives at each village level Bottom-up planning for Economic Development and Social Justice through people’s Councils : Gram/Ward Sabhas Three-tier Panchayats and single tier Urban Local Bodies converge at District Planning Committee level Participation of Women and Marginalized Caste ensured by constitutional reservation of seats in Panchayats and Municipalities Autonomous State Election Commissions in each state to supervise and conduct regular elections after 5 years term State Finance Commissions to study and recommend respective State Governments for fiscal devolution to Local Bodies About 3 million elected representatives in 0.25 million Local Bodies

Numbers of Members of Local Governments Panchayats (including extension areas) Gram Panchayats - 2,40,588 Block Panchayats – 5930 Zilla Panchayats - 515 Municipalities Nagar Panchayats – 2009 Municipal councils – 1430 Municipal Corporation - 101

GROUND REALITIES Rigid patriarchy inhibits women's participation in the democratic process Caste hierarchy inhibits participation of dalits in the democratic process Lack of awareness and apathy among the citizens Majority of Elected Reps are unaware and inexperienced Lack of clarity regarding devolutions of functions, functionaries and finances Apathy of bureaucracy

Campaigns Gram Sabha Ward Sabha Micro Planning

Capacity building of CBOs, CSOs and Citizen Leaders

Development Issue Research Advocacy Campaign

Interface Networking with CBOs and CSOs Interface with government, administration, media and academia

DRC AT WORK DRC Panchayat Mitra Nagar Sahai Support to Panchayat Mitra and Nagar Sahai Capacity building of CBOs, CLs and CSOs Linkage with the Block and District officials Linkage with media and academia Linkage with the SRC Local CSO Panchayat Mitra Awareness creation, mobilization and motivation of CBO’s and citizen leaders Interface and linkage with block administration Nagar Sahai Awareness creation, mobilization and motivation of CBO’s and citizen leaders Linkage between the CBOs and the MC officials

PRIA’S EFFORTS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL RURAL Campaign to create awareness about Gram Sabha and Panchayats and enhance peoples participation in Gram Sabhas Campaign to initiate ward sabhas and micro planning at the ward level Enhance clarity regarding overlapping of functions through initiating activity mapping with respect to one developmental issue i.e. education Enhancing participation of Women and the youth in developmental initiatives through linkages of Mahila Mandals and Youth Groups with the Gram Sabha and Panchayats Orientation of ER’S regarding their roles, responsibilities, functions and the relevance of peoples participation in governance Publication of Gram Chetna (once every 3 months) - a wallpaper giving information about roles, rights and responsibilities of Panchayats and citizens vis-à-vis institutions of local self governance.

PRIA’S EFFORTS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL URBAN Creating urban database including town profile and ward profile for getting a clear picture of the current status of facilities and services available within the municipal limits Study of problems of finances and overlapping of functions of the municipal bodies which are a key to their efficient functioning Initiating the process of ward sabhas as a forum at the ward level where the elected representative and the people of the ward interact to discuss problems and issues related to their ward and derive solutions for the same. (a process of bringing about peoples involvement in the planning process in towns) Sharing and highlighting urban issues with various stakeholders through MSDs, Nagar Manch, Kala Jathas (street plays) to help focus the attention of the media, the people of the town and the various government and administrative functionaries on relevant issues

PRIA’S EFFORTS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL CSB  Building and strengthening networks of CBOs (women, ex-servicemen) Identification and Involvement of interested and active citizens (CLs) and CBOs (both urban and rural) in the mobilization process through their orientation and capacity building on various issues related to governance Orientation of various government field functionaries on governance issues to increase dissemination and outreach of related information to people e.g. orientation of aanganwadi workers, NYK volunteers Celebration of Vikas Utsav a festival creating space for civil society actors to interact with their ER’s, with functionaries of various developmental departments. A space for people to put forth their views before various stakeholders, access assorted information; as well as a platform to promote rural entrepreneurship Networking and capacity building of local CSOs on issues related to governance through regular sharings, MSDs and orientation programmes Interface and strengthening relationships with the district administration, media and academia on developmental issues and their role in strengthening governance institutions.

DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DRC Mobilization of CBOs to take initiatives to solve the issue of SWM at their ward level Posters on the responsibilities of citizens in ensuring SWM in a city Kala Jathas (street plays) to highlight the issue of SWM and the role of citizens and the MC in this regard Collection of data regarding the SWM system in the city by the MC Interface with the MC officials to facilitate peoples participation in solving the problem of SWM SRC Sharing initiatives, problems and issues related to the administration for advocacy purposes 

DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUE EDUCATION DRC Survey on the status of the VEC in 25 Panchayats Orientation of members of the VEC in these Panchayats regarding their roles and responsibilities Orientation of CBO’s on the existence of the VEC, its roles and functions and the responsibilities of CBO’s in ensuring quality education in their local primary schools Study on status of devolutions of functions, finances and functionaries to facilitate activity mapping SRC Sharing initiatives, problems and issues related to the administration for advocacy purposes