Despite efforts by some State governments and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the practice of local democracy and welfare entitlements in India has not been impressive. The Union and the State governments, despite the promise of the Constitution, have more often than not treated the Local Democratic Institutions as non-desirable or as their agencies rather than as local governments. More action is needed to close the systemic gaps so that welfare entitlements reach the intended population.

The CSOs of India, as some outstanding examples have shown in the past, can play a crucial role to develop a vibrant local democracy and ensure delivery of welfare entitlements in the country. Fortunately, there are many CSOs which are willing to devote themselves to the cause, but do not have the domain knowledge to work on local democracy issues. The course has been designed to equip them with knowledge and understanding of the issues related to local democracy and welfare entitlements.
 

Why this course?

The course explores the theory, policy, and practice of local democracy and welfare entitlements in India, with a focus on rural local government, i.e., Panchayati Raj Institutions, and Gram Sabhas. Participants will be provided an overview of various ideas and policies that has informed India’s local democracy and welfare initiatives. The field experience of various issues related to local democracy such as participatory planning, poverty alleviation, empowerment of women and Dalits will be discussed. Case studies of successful collaboration between local governments and CSOs will be highlighted. Finally, the participants will be guided to develop their own vision and projects related to strengthening of local democracy and welfare entitlements in their respective field areas.
 

What does the course offer?

The course explores the theory, policy and practice of local democracy in India, with a focus on Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas. Participants will be provided a holistic overview of various ideas and policies that has informed India’s local democracy initiatives. Then the field experience of various issues related to local democracy such as participatory planning, poverty alleviation, empowerment of women and Dalits will be discussed. 

Case studies of successful collaboration between local governments and CSOs will be highlighed.  Finally the participants will be guided to develop their own vision and projects related to strengthening  of local democracy in their respective field areas. 

Who should attend?

The course is designed and intended for CSOs who are working or are interested in working on local democracy issues in rural forest and PESA areas. The course is best experienced by a minimum of two development practitioners from one organisation. The design of the course is aimed at mid to senior-level staff of the organisations having a minimum of seven years of experience.

Structure of the course

The course will be offered in Bengaluru from 23 Feb to 5 March 2026 in the face-to-face mode.  It’s divided into seven themes along with a field visit and a a way forward for the participants to plan their work in future. The themes cover the theoretical foundation, policy perspectives and dominant field realities, and major exceptions and good practices. 

Eligibility and selection

All applicants are expected to represent their organisation. 

A minimum of two participants from each organisation should participate.

All applicants must possess a working knowledge of English. 

Applicants will be shortlisted based on their applications and telephonic interviews. 

Important dates

The last date for applying is 5 Jan 2026. 

The selected candidates will be informed about the payment process by 12 Jan 2026. 

The last day for fee payment is 16 Jan 2026. 

The decision of the evaluation committee will be final.
 

Pedagogy

The course will be transacted in a mix of English and Hindi. It shall utilize published texts, videos and class presentations followed by interactive classroom sessions to explore the issues that will be discussed. The course will be conducted face-to-face only. Course materials will be available in Hindi and English.

Course faculty

The course will be anchored by Debraj Bhattacharya and Ashok Kumar Sircar.  Faculty members will be drawn from Azim Premji University, Philanthropy and a pool of noted resource persons from around the country.

Certificate of Participation

The participants will be awarded a Certificate of Participation after successfully attending all the days of the course and submitting assignments