- The Government of India (GoI) has launched a new initiative to tackle the controversial “Sarpanch Pati” system, where husbands or male relatives of elected women sarpanches unofficially exercise authority in village governance.
- The move is aimed at strengthening women’s leadership and ensuring that elected representatives themselves take decisions in local self-government institutions.
Campaign against proxy leadership:
Understanding the Sarpanch Pati system
- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has started a nationwide awareness campaign titled “Say No To Proxy Sarpanch.”
- The campaign encourages communities to support genuine women leaders and bring attention to cases where male relatives dominate decision-making in panchayats instead of the elected woman representative.
- The initiative was launched around International Women’s Day as part of efforts to promote gender equality and empower women in grassroots governance.
- Through awareness activities and outreach programmes, the ministry hopes to ensure that women leaders exercise their constitutional powers independently.
Digital series to highlight the issue:
- As part of the campaign, the ministry has collaborated with digital content company The Viral Fever (TVF) to produce a short series highlighting the issue.
- The first episode, titled “Asli Pradhan Kaun?”, was released on 4 March.
- The episode focuses on the challenges faced by women sarpanches and highlights how they can effectively use their authority to bring development in villages.
- The series draws inspiration from the popular web series “Panchayat,” which portrays rural governance and grassroots administration.
Why the issue matters
- India has more than 2.6 lakh panchayats, and women hold nearly 46% of elected positions due to reservation policies.
- However, in many areas, male relatives informally control administrative decisions, undermining the goal of women’s political empowerment.
- Through this campaign, the government aims to promote authentic leadership by women representatives and strengthen democracy at the grassroots level.
Q. The Government of India launched the “Say No To Proxy Sarpanch” campaign to address the issue of the ‘Sarpanch Pati’ system in Panchayati Raj institutions. Which ministry is responsible for launching this initiative? (SBI PO Level – Current Affairs)
A. Ministry of Rural Development
B. Ministry of Women and Child Development
C. Ministry of Panchayati Raj
D. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
E. None of these
Correct Answer: C. Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Explanation:
- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched the nationwide “Say No To Proxy Sarpanch” campaign to discourage the ‘Sarpanch Pati’ system, where husbands or male relatives exercise authority on behalf of elected women sarpanches.
- The initiative aims to promote genuine women leadership in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and strengthen grassroots democracy.