Providing
Professional Education in Social and Human Development
PRIA International Internship Programme
Certificate in Panchayati Raj Institutions in India (Local-Self Governance)
I.
Why the need for this
course?
The
73rd Constitutional Amendment
Act of 1993 envisioned
a vibrant Panchayati Raj
system, responsive to
the needs and aspirations
of the local community,
where informed and inclusive
participation of all citizens,
cutting across caste,
class and gender, in the
planning and administration
ensured accountability
of the system to the local
community. In actual practice,
however, many impediments
still exist which affect
the functioning of Panchayati
Raj Institutions (PRIs).
The top down model of
development as practiced
by state over the years
has systematically undermined
people's capacity to govern
themselves. The marginalised
identities of women, dalits
& tribals have often
limited their capacities
to articulate and act
upon their claims and
concerns. Educational
intervention with village
community, elected members
and the government functionaries
to strengthen PRI, therefore,
becomes very important.
PRIA's experience of 25
years in the area of Governance
indicates that strengthening
the PRIs and empowering
the PRI members is a responsible
task. Professionals, without
the in-depth understanding
of Panchayati Raj system
of governance, may actually
impede the functioning
of PRIs as institutions
of self-governance.
Responding
to the above educational
need, PRIA Continuing
Education is launching
a "Certificate in
Panchayati Raj Institutions
in India (Local Self-Governance)",
in a distance education
mode. The course aims
to build basic understanding
of PRIs, which is a necessary
prerequisite to promote
an effective institution
of self-government at
the local level. The course
intends to empower and
expand knowledge and skills
of the personnel concerned
and update their professional
expertise.
II.
Who can join?
This
course presents opportunities
to a wide and diverse
spectrum of development
professionals from within
India as well as parts
of South Asia. The eligible
learners include current
and future practitioners
from Voluntary Development
Organisations, Administrative
Training Institutions,
Sectoral Departments as
forestry, water, irrigation,
International NGOs and
grass roots organisations
such as Community Based
Organisations, Nehru Yuva
Kendra at the village
level, Line Department
officials/Government officials
at the block level responsible
for village development
and students & researchers.
III.
Special features
•
This innovative course
is one of its kinds, at
the national, regional
and international level,
in a distance education
mode.
•
A range of conceptual
and practical issues on
Panchayati Raj governance
raised in the course are,
on the one hand, tested
in the field set up and,
on the other hand, enriched
by PRIA's networking with
experts and practitioners.
•
It has leading national
and international academics
and practitioners as part
of guest faculty and its
advisory committee.
•
The course material is
specially designed and
developed to meet special
requirements of distance
mode of education. It
includes inbuilt exercises,
in text questions to stimulate
critical thinking and
analysis.
•
To encourage maximum interaction
between the instructor
and the learners a PRIA
web board has been developed
wherein the students can
post their queries, comments,
suggestions, and experiences
and participate in the
online but asynchronous
discussions. The students
can also access the tutor
through emails and phone.
IV.
Course structure
Course
goal :
To
strengthen understanding
on the concepts and principles
of decentralisation and
the fundamentals underlying
PRIs
To
meet the above goal, the
course is divided into
six units:
Unit
1 : Panchayati raj governance
•
History of the evolution
of the panchayati raj
• Democratic
decentralisation
• 73 rd Constitutional
Amendment Act & Post
Amendment scenario
Unit
2 : Democratic mandate
•
Panchayat elections
• Gram sabha
Unit
3 : Strengthening financial
capacities of PRIs
•
Fiscal decentralisation
in practice
• Transfers
to local government: finance
commissions & local
government finance
• Citizen engagement
in fiscal process of panchayat
Unit
4 : Local Development
Planning: Process, Priorities,
and Outcomes
•
Decentralised planning
in India
• The planning
process in PRIs
• Development
priorities and PRIs
• Participatory
local planning
Unit
5 : Panchayati raj institutions:
Equity, entitlement
& social justice
•
Participation of women,
dalit, tribals
• Enabling
& disabling factors
• Assessment
of positive experiments
Unit
6 : Citizen participation:
Process & outcomes
•
Right to information
• Capacity
building of elected representatives
• Information
dissemination: Panchayat
resource centers
• Emerging
citizen leadership
• Community
based organisation linkages
V
. Learning objectives
On
completion of the course
the learners would:
•
Understand the concepts
and principles of decentralisation
and the fundamentals underlying
PRIs.
• Be familiar
with the issues related
to PRIs.
• Build understanding
on strategies for strengthening
PRIs.
VI
. Team involved
in course development
and delivery
Advisory
committee
•
Farrell, Martha, Director,
PRIA Continuing Education,
New Delhi.
• Jain, S.P.
(Dr.), Retd. Director,
National Institute of
Rural Development, Hyderabad.
• Koul, B.N.(Prof.),
Former Director, IGNOU,
New Delhi.
• Rai, Manoj,
National Coordinator (PRI)
PRIA, New Delhi.
• Sarin, Rita,
Country Director, The
Hunger Project, New Delhi.
• Singh, R.R.(Prof.),
Retd.,Tata Institute of
Social Sciences, Mumbai.
• Sinha, B.
K.(Dr.), Executive Director,
CENCORD, Patna.
• Tandon, Rajesh(Dr.),President,
PRIA, New Delhi.
Faculty
Course
instructor:
•
Dwivedi Shailendra(Dr.),
Fellow, PRIA Continuing
Education, New Delhi.
Authors
•
Jain , S.P.(Dr.), Retd.
Director, National Institute
of Rural Development,
Hyderabad.
• Pant, Mandakini
(Dr.), Fellow, PRIA Continuing
Education, New Delhi.
• Sinha, B.
K.(Dr.), Executive Director,
CENCORD, Patna.
Editor
•
Rai, Manoj, National Coordinator
(PRI) PRIA, New Delhi
Secretarial
support
• Bhaskaran,K.V.,
Programme Assistant, PRIA
Continuing Education,
New Delhi.
VII.
Admission procedure
Eligibility
: The
minimum required qualification
is Bachelor's degree
in any subject for
English Course and 10+2
for Hindi Course.
Mode
of delivery :The
course is offered in a
distance mode, making
learning accessible through
part time study, outside
working hours. Distance
delivery includes print
materials, audio-visual
CDs, guest faculty and
immediate and engaged
communication through
web board.
Duration
: The
course is of 4 months
duration .
Medium
of instruction :The
course will be delivered
in English & Hindi.
Credits
and evaluation :
It is a 8-credit course
and involves 240 study
- hours. Evaluation will
be based on written assignments
in the form of reflection
papers, case study analysis
and project work.
Course
fee :The
course fee is Rs.5000/-
or 250 US$ for applicants
outside India payable
in one instalment.
Payment
of fee :The
fee is to be paid in Demand
Draft drawn in favour
of "Society for Participatory
Research in Asia",
payable at New Delhi.
The fee can also be paid
through Bank
Transfer.
Registration
Deadline : The
last date for receiving
filled in application
form is 1st of September,
2008
