Mangaluru: A model youth grama sabha (MYGS) was held at the Govt High School, Badaga Yekkar, under the guidance of rural development and panchayat raj department of state govt and State Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (SIRDPR), Mysuru, Wednesday.The programme helped students understand the structure and purpose of grama sabha meetings by learning the process in school and practising it through a simulated session. It aimed to build decision-making abilities in local governance, leadership, communication skills, and confidence to raise questions in public forums.
School development committee president Sudeep Amin said MYGS would create awareness among youth about the importance of village meetings, introduce them to the functioning of local self-governing institutions, and strengthen democratic values among students.Students enacted key roles seen in village-level governance, including president, vice-president, panchayat members, panchayat development officer, social justice committee president, secretary, school development committee president, anganwadi worker, community health officer, and headmasters of primary and secondary schools. The session followed meeting procedures and showed how issues were raised, discussed, and addressed.Several rural development topics came up. An Anganwadi worker proposed starting a kitchen garden near the anganwadi to improve children’s nutrition, and the panchayat development officer suggested forming it collectively through the child development committee, with saplings bought within panchayat limits. A farmer representative sought clarity on seed availability for legume sowing ahead of the monsoon, and the agriculture officer said seeds would reach farmer contact centres across the taluk next week. A widow raised a pending pension issue, and the village administration officer advised her to submit documents to the office for necessary action.Students also spoke on drinking water, roads, cleanliness, education, health, environmental protection, and youth empowerment.
