On lines of Model UN, Centre set to launch Youth Gram Sabha initiative from Oct, Pg8.

Key Highlights:

• The Centre will launch the Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) initiative in schools across the country starting October 2025.
• Students from classes 9-12 will participate in mock Gram Sabhas, playing roles such as sarpanch, ward members, and village-level officials.
• The initiative will be launched in over 600 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in the first phase.
• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with the ministries of Education and Tribal Affairs, will implement the initiative.

Detailed Insights:

• The MYGS initiative aims to educate students about local governance and encourage active citizenship by simulating Gram Sabha proceedings.
• Students will discuss local issues, prepare village budgets, and create development plans, gaining practical knowledge of Panchayati Raj systems.
• The initiative will also be implemented in selected Zilla Parishad schools in Maharashtra and Karnataka, with plans for expansion to state government-run schools in the second phase.
• Training sessions have been organized for two teachers from each of the 1,100 schools participating in the first phase, enhancing their capacity to guide students.
• The initiative seeks to supplement existing school syllabus on Panchayati Raj by providing hands-on experience of how panchayats function at the grassroots level.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Gram Sabha: A village assembly consisting of all adults in a rural area.
• Sarpanch: The elected head of a Gram Panchayat.
• Panchayati Raj: A system of local self-governance at the village level in rural India.