Other countries see merit in India's rural governance models at World Bank meet

Washington, May 9 (IANS) India’s SVAMITVA scheme and Gram Manchitra platform stood out as scalable models for inclusive economic transformation at the World Bank Land Conference 2025, with nations keen to replicate the Rural Governance Models.

India marked a strong and impactful presence at the conference with the presentation of the SVAMITVA scheme, under which 68,000 sq. km of rural land was surveyed, out of which Rs 1.16 trillion worth has been monetised. In the four-day conference held from May 5 to 8, in Washington D.C., India assumed the role of a Country Champion under the leadership of Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

While the Plenary Session on ‘Good Practices and Challenges in Land Tenure and Governance Reform’, outlined how secure land ownership through SVAMITVA is improving livelihoods, empowering women, and enabling access to credit in rural India, the real-life success stories from across the country of farmers, women, and small entrepreneurs demonstrated the ground-level impact of property rights and formalised land records in India.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) led a high-level special session titled ‘Securing Land Rights for a Billion People’, during the conference which was attended by representatives of World Bank Divisions and several countries highlighting the end-to-end implementation and impact of the SVAMITVA Scheme, from drone surveys and legal frameworks to property card issuance and institutional convergence.

In the technical session on ‘Establishing the Land Foundation for Climate Action and Disaster Risk Management’ held on May 8, Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, MoPR, showcased Gram Manchitra, a geospatial planning platform that empowers Gram Panchayats to prepare data-driven, localised development plans. The tool’s role in promoting climate resilience, infrastructure planning, and convergence of schemes was demonstrated, drawing appreciation for its applicability in the global south context.

In his presentation, Nagar also emphasised the importance of capacity building, financial incentives, and community engagement, positioning Gram Manchitra as a forward-looking solution for disaster preparedness and inclusive development.

--IANS

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