Catching Them Young One Day Sarpanch Initiative Gives Students Taste Of Grassroots Governance

Solapur, A novel initiative in Maharashtra's Solapur district is letting meritorious school students step into the shoes of a village sarpanch for a day, giving them freedom to propose solutions and a hands-on experience of grassroots governance, officials said on Sunday.

The initiative, launched by South Solapur Panchayat Samiti on June 4, aims to promote democratic awareness, leadership skills, and civic engagement among students who have excelled in scholarship and competitive examinations, they said.

Thirteen students securing top ranks in Class V and VIII scholarship examinations, as well as the Navodaya entrance test, were appointed as sarpanchs for a day in their native villages, including Mandrup, Valsang, Khanapur, Antroli, and Nimbargi from South Solapur tehsil, the officials informed.

The initiative has been started under the tagline 'Today's Student, Tomorrow's People's Representative' to encourage greater political awareness and participation among young citizens, South Solapur Block Development Officer Manoj Raut told PTI.

"We selected the top-ranking students at the taluka level in the scholarship and Navodaya examinations and gave them an opportunity to function as sarpanch for a day in their villages. The students were ceremonially welcomed and seated in the sarpanch's chair, with their parents and guardians being felicitated," he said.

As part of the exercise, the students were taken around village institutions such as schools, anganwadis and health centres and given a free hand to suggest measures and decisions they felt were necessary for the development of their villages, Raut said.

The students submitted a range of suggestions, including the repair of damaged school roofs, construction of libraries, development of playgrounds, improvement of toilet facilities, and ensuring an uninterrupted electricity supply, the BDO said.

"All these suggestions have been compiled and will be forwarded to the respective gram panchayats for further action. The proposals will be placed before village meetings for consideration and implementation. Any development work undertaken based on the students' recommendations would be inaugurated by the student concerned," Raut informed.

The initiative is essentially an educational experiment that helps children understand democracy, governance and leadership, he pointed out.

Students must realise that public service and politics are also avenues through which meaningful change can be brought about, the official emphasised.

According to Raut, 13 students from nine villages were selected under the programme, though some students had secured ranks in more than one examination category.

Speaking to PTI, Solapur Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Kaushal Jain lauded the effort and said the initiative will be replicated in other tehsils of the district.

It will help students acquire leadership skills, understand how decisions are taken and how issues are identified and addressed, he said.

The suggestions given by the students are practical and well thought-out, Jain noted, adding that authorities will see how the measures proposed for various problems can be implemented at the ground level.

Class VIII student Samruddhi Hukkeri, who was appointed as one-day sarpanch of Yelegaon, said the experience helped her understand local challenges.

"I tried to identify the issues and suggested solutions to them. I hope the gram panchayat will now act on them and address these issues," she said.

South Solapur Panchayat Samiti Chairman Sandip Tele said the initiative will encourage educated and young people to enter politics in the future, which will benefit and strengthen the nation's democracy.

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