Raipur Session Recordings

The third edition of India Rural Colloquy brings together thought leaders, innovators, decision makers across People, Public, Private Sector inspiring, nudging, provoking action for Rural Transformation, supporting intergenerational mobility aspirations across human endeavours. Colloquy draws inspiration from and commemorates history’s largest mass movement, India’s “August Kranti”. The Colloquy will surface and discuss big bet ideas, mega trends, inflexions and opportunities in our shared quest of bettering our “today” and shaping our “future” on all that matters for good and happy lives.

Deep Dive into Billion Dreams

Rural communities in India are undergoing significant transformations, shaped by various factors like socio-economic changes, environmental challenges and technological advancements. As these communities evolve, it becomes crucial to gain a deeper understanding of their aspirations and develop strategies to support their development. The session brings together rural communities – from researchers and practitioners to donors and policy makers – to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration and develop actionable strategies to support the evolving aspirations of rural communities.

Regenerative Development: A Whole of Society Approach

The last couple of years have been historic in realising the long-term dream of Panchayat Raj Institutions becoming a unit of convergence. With community-based organisations (CBOs) and the local administration working together, many more development interventions have been implemented. This “whole of society” and “whole of government” approach, which aligned various development verticals, means guidelines have been revised, frameworks issued and grants allotted. Also, aggregating 17 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into 9 broad themes with joint resolutions from 26 departments working together has provided the country with new hope and belief that the rural communities can be healthy, educated, socially secure, gender sensitive, water sufficient, clean and green with people’s participation. This session delves into the historic approach of converging CBOs (SHG Systems, FPOs, Gram Gauthan Samitis and other collectives) with PRIs and local administrations. We will provide them a platform to discuss, deliberate and decide what is important at the local level and jointly prepare the development plans (VPRP-GPDP).

The Complementary Role of Samaj-Sarkar-Bazaar in the Future of Rural Society

The quest for a good society begins with positioning samaj as the foundational sector keeping the state and markets accountable to the wider public. This is where the rural renaissance is headed. But given the complex societal problems of contemporary India, we need all three sectors to work in tandem and with mutual respect. There is a need to develop alternative models of partnerships with markets and governments to bring about a lasting change aligned with the aspirations of communities. To break the interlock of low growth and development, low investments and endowment deficits, the samaj-sarkar-bazaar need to become the collective first responders to address these issues. Chhattisgarh has repeatedly seen citizen participation, especially during the pandemic, where the samaj was the first responder, with the support of government and markets. This conversation will dive deeper into the complementary role of samaj-sarkar-bazaar with examples from the state.

The Making of a New Village: Interrogating Caste and the Impact of Occupational Shifts on Inter-generational Mobility

Immediately after independence, the leadership in India emphasised community development with new modes of production and new institutions like cooperatives. Initiatives like Mazdoor Manzil in Niolkheri, with considerable involvement of SK Dey, Minister for Community Development in the first cabinet, focused on village and local industries. One of the underlying assumptions was drawn from the Gandhian Sarvodaya experience, which showed shifts in occupations leading to an increase in social mobility opportunities. The efforts by the Chhattisgarh Government of Rural Industrialisation are a significant departure from this and is an opportunity for tradition-bound occupational associations, like gudis, to break free and embrace new productivity drivers and vocations. This session seeks to learn from the experiences of the state and the impact on structural barriers. We want to embed the insights, best practices and learning in management and governance of the Chhattisgarh Government’s -RIPA programme, specifically informing the choice of enterprises and the support-structures that reduce caste-led barriers to economic growth and increase inter-generational mobility.

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