ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಪಾತ್ರ...ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಸುಸೂತ್ರ | Shobha Rani | TEDxRVCE

Introduction and Background

• The topic of discussion is the role of the community in development, specifically how a government officer can work in harmony with the community to achieve development (15s).
• The speaker has been working as a Panchayat Development Officer in a Gram Panchayat for the past 14 years (42s).
• Before discussing the topic, the speaker wants to explain what a Gram Panchayat is, where it is located, and what services it provides to rural communities (48s).
• Mahatma Gandhi had said that the future of India lies in its villages, and if a village develops, the country will automatically develop (1m13s).
• Gandhi also believed that every citizen should have the right to participate in social and political transformation (1m30s).
• The Gram Panchayat system was established based on the idea that every citizen should have the opportunity to participate in transformation and have a say in public affairs (1m49s).
• India has a democratic system, and the Gram Panchayat is a part of this system, which allows citizens to participate in decision-making (1m56s).
• Prior to the current democratic system, India was ruled by kings, and the Gram Panchayat system is a significant improvement over the earlier system (2m0s).
• In the past, during the time of kings, every village had a panchayat system, where the panchayat members, who were the leaders of the village, held authority and made decisions on various matters, including justice, tax collection, and land distribution (2m6s).
• The villagers, however, did not have the right to participate in decision-making or politics, and the panchayat members held all the power (2m32s).
• As a result, the expected level of development was not achieved, and the situation remained the same even after the transition from a monarchical to a democratic system of government (2m44s).
• In the current system, there are state and central governments, but the villages do not have any representation, and villagers have to travel to Delhi to resolve any issues, making it difficult for villages to develop (3m2s).
• To address this issue, decentralization and transfer of power from Delhi to the villages are necessary, and the gram panchayats were established for this purpose (3m23s).
• The gram panchayats have the authority to make decisions on various matters, and their role is to ensure development in the villages, which is the level at which many tasks can be performed efficiently (3m34s).

Becoming a Panchayat Development Officer

• The gram panchayats have been in existence for some time now, and they have a office in every village, where the panchayat development officer works, and the author has been working as a panchayat development officer for the past 14 years (3m50s).
• The gram panchayats are responsible for the development of the villages within their jurisdiction, and their work includes various tasks such as infrastructure development, healthcare, and education (3m58s).
• A gram panchayat typically consists of 10 to 12 villages and is responsible for providing basic amenities to these villages, such as constructing roads, charandis, and houses for those in need, as well as building toilets (4m2s).
• The gram panchayat is also responsible for providing other essential services to the villages under its jurisdiction (4m5s).
• In 2010, a new position called the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) was created by the government with the aim of bringing more educated officials to the rural level to facilitate development (4m50s).
• The PDO position was a new creation in 2010, and prior to that, there was no such position as a Panchayat Development Officer (4m44s).
• The government's intention behind creating this position was to bring more educated officials to the rural level to facilitate development, with the belief that development can only occur when more educated officials are present at the rural level (4m52s).
• In 2010, a call was made for applications for the PDO position, and the salary offered was 17,000 rupees (5m15s).
• Despite the low salary, the PDO position was seen as a prestigious job, and many people, including the narrator, applied for it (5m18s).
• The narrator initially hesitated to take the job due to the low salary but eventually decided to join after completing the training and exam (5m51s).
• The training for PDOs was conducted from April to June, during which time the trainees were taught various aspects of rural development and administration (5m56s).
• Many people have reached a high level, for example, being a deputy commissioner in a rural area, which comes with a lot of power, including law and order, being in one's hands (6m11s).
• Having a PhD is a matter of pride, and with law and order in one's control, it's like having two horns that can be used to tackle challenges (6m20s).
• Many software engineers, Ayurvedic doctors, and others have left their jobs to take on this new challenge, but they soon realize that it's not an easy job (6m34s).
• Some people have even committed suicide, while others have quit their jobs or left halfway, which is why it's essential to be prepared for the challenges that come with this job (6m41s).
• After completing training, one is appointed to a position, for example, in June, and when they arrive at their new workplace, they may be shocked by the conditions they find (6m52s).
• For instance, the office may be flooded with rainwater, and people may be sitting in the office, wearing a lungi and a vest, which can be a culture shock for someone who has worked in a corporate office in a place like Church Street (7m6s).
• The office may not have basic amenities like a chair or a handle, and the window may be filled with empty drink bottles, which can be a surprise for someone who is not used to such conditions (7m38s).
• It's essential to be prepared for such challenges and to have realistic expectations when taking on a new job, especially in a rural area (7m42s).

Initial Challenges and Turning Point

• Initially, there was a sense of disappointment and disillusionment with the job, feeling that it wasn't the right fit, and the realization that being a PhD holder didn't necessarily translate to being effective in the role (7m52s).
• The inability to connect with rural people and understand their problems led to conflicts and daily arguments, ultimately resulting in the decision to resign (8m43s).
• A turning point came when an uneducated villager, Jayanna, pointed out that despite having a PhD, the individual was unable to do any meaningful work and that their education was not useful in the village (9m17s).
• Jayanna's words were a wake-up call, causing feelings of embarrassment and shame, but also prompting a decision to continue working in the village for a little while longer (9m27s).
• The experience taught the importance of humility and the need to listen to and understand the problems of rural people, rather than just relying on book knowledge (8m13s).
• The realization that being an effective officer requires more than just education, but also the ability to connect with people and understand their needs, was a valuable lesson learned (8m19s).
• The experience highlighted the importance of being able to work with people and understand their problems, rather than just following a set of rules or guidelines (8m36s).
• The decision to continue working in the village, despite initial reservations, ultimately led to a greater understanding of the importance of community and the need to work together to achieve development (9m31s).

Connecting with the Community

• In 2012, a realization dawned that the approach to work was incorrect, and the first step was to interact with people, which was not being done earlier (9m42s).
• To achieve this, daily efforts were made to connect with people, visiting their homes, having conversations, and understanding their problems and happiness (9m53s).
• Whenever a problem arose, immediate action was taken to resolve it, and this approach brought joy to the people, who began to appreciate the efforts (10m1s).
• As a result, people started supporting the initiatives, and the name became well-known in the area, with people praising the good work being done (10m30s).

A Holistic Approach to Development

• However, it was felt that development was not just about building roads, drains, or providing streetlights, but something more (10m36s).
• The realization came from observing the local schools and anganwadis, where children were not receiving proper education or nutrition, despite the efforts to provide infrastructure (10m52s).
• The first appointment was as the Gram Panchayat member of Malangi, a village on the border of Kodagu, where people would travel to Kodagu for daily wage labor, leaving their children behind without proper care or nutrition (11m3s).
• The children would often be seen playing on the streets, without access to proper food or education, highlighting the need for a more holistic approach to development (11m11s).
• Development should be measured by different standards, such as no child being left out of school, no woman facing harassment, and no child marriage, rather than just the construction of roads and bridges (11m14s).
• In the village, development is seen when there are no child marriages, all births take place in hospitals, and women are not harassed (11m34s).
• The community should work together to decide what is needed for development, rather than outsiders making decisions for them (12m0s).

Community Involvement and Transparency

• A five-year action plan is created, and the community is involved in deciding what needs to be done each year (12m10s).
• A magazine is published to provide transparency and accountability to the community, which helps build trust (12m19s).

Creating a Child-Friendly and Women-Friendly Environment

• The office should be child-friendly and women-friendly, and efforts are made to make the gram panchayat office more accessible to women and children (12m26s).
• The gram panchayat office was initially seen as a male-dominated space, but efforts were made to change this perception (12m36s).
• More opportunities are created for children and women to participate in the gram panchayat, and schools and anganwadis are upgraded and provided with playgrounds (12m49s).

Improving Education and Promoting Reading

• In the villages where work has been done, all schools have smart classes, playgrounds, and libraries, which were initially limited to urban areas, but now efforts are being made to increase awareness about reading in rural areas (13m1s).
• Libraries have been set up to encourage reading among children and adults, and efforts are being made to create an environment where every child and youth can read in their free time (13m27s).

Cleanliness and Waste Management

• Awareness about cleanliness has been created among children, and aerobic composters have been set up in the gram panchayat, making it the first in the state to do so (13m36s).
• The composters help in converting waste from mid-day meals in schools into manure, which is then used in nutrition gardens, allowing children to grow their own vegetables for their meals (13m49s).

Empowering Women and Addressing Gender Inequality

• An environment has been created where children can confidently come to the office and express their needs, and efforts are being made to encourage women's participation in gram panchayat meetings (13m59s).
• Separate meetings are being held for women, and efforts are being made to increase their participation, addressing the issue of gender inequality (14m18s).
• Steps are being taken to address the issue of discrimination in wages, where men were paid more than women for the same work, and now equal wages are being provided to both men and women (14m32s).
• Skill training and certification programs are being provided to women, enabling them to take up various jobs such as plumbing, electrical repairs, wall painting, and catering (14m49s).
• Women who were once hesitant to approach the gram panchayat are now confidently marketing the products they have created, such as terracotta jewelry, and this is a matter of pride (14m58s).
• The administration is women-friendly and has implemented various poverty eradication programs, including pension schemes, old-age pensions, and financial assistance for unmarried women (15m13s).
• However, many people lack the ability to access these benefits, so the administration has implemented various poverty eradication programs (15m27s).

Solid Waste Management and Sustainability

• Apart from these initiatives, a significant achievement is the implementation of solid waste management in rural areas, similar to what is done in urban areas (15m40s).
• Plastic has been banned in villages, and steel utensils are used instead, with a "steel bank" system in place where steel utensils are rented out for events (16m1s).
• This initiative was started by women in the village, who have also implemented a system of renting out steel utensils for events, promoting the use of steel over plastic (16m8s).
• The implementation of "Trashonomics" in schools, which involves teaching children about the economic benefits of converting trash into a valuable resource, is also a notable achievement (16m14s).
• Changing the mindset of older people can be challenging, but children are more adaptable to change, which is why they are being targeted to promote cleanliness and the concept of Trashonomics (16m25s).
• Today, children are teaching their parents how to use plastic, how to use dustbins in front of their homes, and they are also telling their parents how to make compost and liquid manure from cow dung, which is used for cleaning floors and is also a source of income (16m42s).
• Sweepers in the community are involved in daily activities such as making compost and liquid manure, which is used for cleaning floors and is also a source of income (16m47s).

Promoting Menstrual Health and Hygiene

• The community has declared the gram panchayat as a sanitary pad-free zone, where 2900 women have stopped using sanitary pads and are now using menstrual cups (17m12s).
• Menstrual cups are being used by women in the community, which has helped to reduce the problem of sanitary pads not decomposing in the soil, as it takes around 500 years for a sanitary pad to decompose (17m49s).
• The community has provided training to 2900 women on the use of menstrual cups, which has helped to reduce the problem of sanitary pads and has also helped to create awareness about menstrual health (17m43s).
• Earlier, sanitary pads were visible in open spaces and dustbins, but now they are not visible anywhere, and every woman is using menstrual cups (18m11s).
• The use of menstrual cups has helped to reduce the problem of sanitary pads and has also helped to create awareness about menstrual health, and women are no longer hesitant to talk about their menstrual health (17m37s).
• The Gram Panchayat staff were initially hesitant to use menstrual cups, but after seeing the benefits, they started using them and even provided free menstrual cups to many people, which gained significant attention nationwide and even from the Philippines government (18m28s).
• The government has now started implementing the use of menstrual cups in various districts, including Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, and Bellary, inspired by the Gram Panchayat's initiative (18m52s).
• The development of the village has led to the empowerment of women, who can now confidently talk about menstrual cups and educate others without any hesitation (19m7s).

Water Resource Development

• The village has also developed its water resources by renovating old lakes and ponds that were closed for 400-450 years, such as the Kalyani lakes (19m28s).

Call to Action for the Younger Generation

• The development of rural areas is crucial for the overall development of the country, and it is the responsibility of the younger generation to contribute to this development using their technical skills (19m40s).
• The younger generation can use their technical expertise to improve rural libraries, schools, and other facilities, and make a positive impact on the community (19m54s).
• One can create awareness about various subjects and teach children in villages, which can bring about a small change, and this talk might seem successful in doing so (20m7s).

Recognition and Awards

• A new award called the Grama Vikas Puraskar was created and given to the village panchayat for the first time, which is a matter of pride (20m46s).
• The village panchayat has done work worth crores without any government aid or CSR funds, as the government does not provide sufficient grants (20m38s).
• The panchayat has done low-cost or no-cost activities, which surprised the visitors from Delhi who came to see the work done by the panchayat (20m26s).
• The Grama Vikas Puraskar award is a newly created award, and it is a matter of pride that an award was created for the village's work (20m52s).
• The speaker received the Sarvothama award, which is given to a government official once in their lifetime, and is grateful for it (21m9s).

Conclusion and Invitation

• The speaker requests the audience to visit nearby villages, see the children, and experience the life there, which can bring about a change in their professional and future life (21m23s).
• The audience can also do some work in these villages according to their capacity, which can bring about a change (21m36s).