Adarsh Yuva Gram Sabha Initiative to Launch in 1,100 Schools

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Tribal Affairs, plans to launch an initiative called Adarsh Yuva Gram Sabha (MYGS), based on the United Nations educational simulation – Model UN – in schools across the country.

• The central government plans to launch an initiative called Adarsh Yuva Gram Sabha (MYGS), based on the United Nations educational simulation – Model UN – in schools across the country.
• According to officials, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Tribal Affairs, will launch this initiative in over 600 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) across the country in the first phase starting from October 2025.

Features of Adarsh Yuva Gram Sabha

• Under this initiative, a mock Gram Sabha will be held in designated schools, where students from classes 9 to 12 will play the roles of village-level officials, including Sarpanch, ward members, Gram Secretary, Anganwadi worker, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), and junior engineers.
• They will conduct mock Gram Sabha meetings, discuss various issues, and prepare the village’s budget and development plans. Gram Sabhas are local assemblies that include all adults of a rural area.
• This initiative will also be launched in selected Zilla Parishad schools in Maharashtra and Karnataka. In the second phase, the initiative will be launched in schools run by state governments.
• The official said, “The broader objective of the MYGS initiative is to create a new generation of aware, responsible, and actively engaged citizens who view local governance as a fundamental mechanism for development and social justice.”
• The official stated that overall, this initiative will cover around 1,100 schools in the first phase, and training sessions have already been conducted for two teachers from each of these schools.

Cash prize for the winners

• In both school categories, the winning schools will receive a cash prize of ₹1 crore, the runner-up schools will receive ₹75 lakh, and the third-place schools will receive ₹50 lakh. The official added that besides the cash prizes, participating schools will also be provided with certificates.
• The official further stated that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will also provide ₹20,000 in assistance to each school for organizing the mock Gram Sabha.