A Confluence of Education and Governance- 750 Gram Panchayats to Develop Model Development Centers in 2026-27 Under the RGSA.
Lucknow: A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed today between the Panchayati Raj Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh and six leading universities in the state for the development of model Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs). This historic initiative is part of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) for the upcoming financial year 2026-27 under which 750 Gram Panchayats from 75 districts of the state have been selected.
The program was chaired by Amit Kumar Singh IAS Director Panchayati Raj Department Uttar Pradesh.
Senior professors department heads and registrars from the state prestigious universities—
1. Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
2. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh
3. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra
4. Lucknow University, Lucknow
5. Bundelkhand University, Jhansi
6. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya—participated on this occasion.
The primary objective of this initiative is to integrate the academic, research and technical capabilities of universities with the planning process at the village panchayat level to develop integrated and participatory plans based on the Local Sustainable Development Goals (LSDG).
Through the Model GPDP, sustainable livelihoods, strengthening infrastructure and the holistic development of women and children will be promoted in village panchayats by prioritizing low-cost and no-cost activities.
All participating universities have assured their full support to this initiative, stating that this partnership will serve as an excellent example of integrating knowledge and policy towards rural development.
Speaking on the occasion, Amit Kumar Singh, Director, Panchayati Raj Department said, “The association of universities with Gram Panchayats will not only enhance the quality of schemes but will also prove to be an important step towards strengthening and making rural governance accountable.” Manish Kumar (Deputy Director Panchayat), Nodal Officer RGSA, RGSA team and NIRDPR team from Panchayati Raj were present in the program.
