1. 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

2. 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….

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Campaigns
Gram Sabha
Ward Sabha
Micro Planning

12. Capacity building of CBOs, CSOs and Citizen Leaders

15. Development Issue
Research
Advocacy
Campaign

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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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.

21. 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 

22. 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