National Conference on Democratic Decentralisation & Inclusive Development: Issues and Challenges for the third decade of Panchanyati Raj Institutions, was concluded with resolutions and recommendations from more than 70 elected representatives, activists, academicians, research scholars and NGOs, from all over India, in Mumbai, on 21st March, 2014.
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Contemporary Studies (RGCCS), an autonomous Centre of Mumbai University, under the guidance of Dr. Chandrakant Puri, Chair Professor for RGCCS, had organised a National Conference on “Democratic Decentralisation & Inclusive Development: Issues and Challenges for the third decade of Panchanyati Raj Institutions”, on 20th and 21st March, 2014, at the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, Mumbai University, Kalina Campus.
The main aim of the conference was to critically review the achievements and deficiencies of the democratic decentralisation in India and also to highlight best practices of the same, suggesting resolutions and recommendations thereof.
Prof. Bhalchandra Mungekar, Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha, Ex-Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University and Ex,-Member of Planning Commission of GOI, inaugurated the conference. In his keynote address, he categorically stressed on the need for overcoming challenges relating to Caste system and gender discrimination in the PRI system. Prof. Mungekar also said that success of any country depends on proper decentralisation which promotes equality of its subjects. The plenary session was addressed by renowned activists and academicians like Mr. Bhim Raskar, Advocate Surekha Dalvi, Prof. R. Sivaprasad, Dr. Jagdish Jadhav and Mr. Jawed Alam Khan.
35 papers on thematic areas like Inclusion, Women’s issues, Evaluation, Impact and Governance of PRI were presented by elected representatives, Women Sarpanch, activists, academicians, research scholars and NGOs. The prominent research scholars include Dr. Th Bharat Singh from Manipur, Dr Ranjana Vaishnav from Rajasthan, Mr. Anil Yadavrao Gaikwad from Maharashtra, Dr Sanhita Joshi, Dr Ramesh Jare, etc.
This was the first of its kind of conference which was organised by Mumbai University under the banner of RGCCS. At the end of the conference, elected representatives (Women Sarpanch), activists, academicians, research scholars and NGOs drafted resolutions and recommendations to strengthen the decentralisation process in India and submitted to Dr. Chandrakant Puri, Chair Professor of RCGS, Mumbai University.
The conference was concluded on 21st March, 2014, with valedictory speech by Mr. Balkrishna Renke, Ex-Chairperson, National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi -Nomadic Tribes.
Published in Issue V, April 2014