The Ministry of Panchayati Raj showcased India's women-led Panchayati Raj system as a global model for inclusive grassroots governance during the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting held in Kochi, Kerala on July 8, 2026. Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj highlighted India's constitutional commitment to democratic decentralization and the transformative impact of women in local governance, noting that 25 of the 42 Gram Panchayats recognized for exemplary performance in the National Panchayat Awards last year were led by women.
The Ministry's Sashakt Panchayat Netri Abhiyan, launched in March 2025, has trained approximately 1.5 lakh elected women representatives to address specific leadership needs and combat proxy representation in Panchayats. Additionally, with support from UNFPA, 744 Gram Panchayats are being developed as model women-friendly units focusing on health, nutrition, education, skilling, safety, and inclusive public service delivery.
India has successfully localized Sustainable Development Goals into nine citizen-centric themes and implemented the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) with nearly 150 measurable indicators to enable evidence-based assessment and benchmarking of development progress. These innovations provide a practical framework for countries pursuing locally driven implementation of global development agendas.
The panel discussion featured perspectives from Kerala's Principal Secretary of Women & Child Development, Sharmila Mary Joseph, and sarpanches Neeru Yadav from Rajasthan and Bhakti Sharma from Madhya Pradesh, who shared experiences on advancing women's leadership through decentralized governance and community participation.