Training of Trainers (ToT) program on “Generation of Own Source Revenue by Gram Panchayats” was inaugurated by Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi today. The inaugural session was attended by faculty members of IIM Ahmedabad, officials from IIPA, nominated Master Trainers from 16 States and Union Territories along with other senior officers of the Ministry. This three-day training program is being organised by the Ministry under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad, with the larger objective of equipping Panchayats to become financially self-sustaining and development-ready institutions.

In his keynote address, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj outlined the national vision of building Atmanirbhar Panchayats and highlighted Own Source Revenue (OSR) as a crucial pillar for achieving that goal. He emphasized that the ability of Panchayats to generate and manage their own revenue is not just a fiscal concern, but also a reflection of their leadership, public credibility, and institutional maturity. Describing the ToT as a platform for knowledge conversion into practice, he urged all participants to return to their respective States with implementable strategies that promote financial autonomy through local innovation and community participation. Shri Bharadwaj acknowledged the significant contribution of IIM Ahmedabad in preparing a robust, research-backed, and field-aligned training module, and called for stronger involvement of States and field-level functionaries to take this agenda forward in mission mode. He called upon all participating States/UTs to take forward the learnings from the Training of Trainers by institutionalizing revenue planning at the Panchayat level, adopting the model frameworks being developed by the Ministry, and ensuring systematic rollout of similar trainings at the State and district levels with the objective to create a robust network of well-trained resource persons and financially aware Panchayat functionaries across the country. This he said, will pave the way for building Panchayats that are financially resilient, administratively accountable, and development-ready

Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, MoPR elaborated on the Ministry’s ongoing initiatives to strengthen Panchayats through fiscal empowerment. He informed that Model OSR Rules framework is under formulation following a detailed review of relevant State-level legislation. Additionally, a Digital Tax Collection Portal, designed to be adapted to local contexts, is being developed to enhance ease of collection, accountability, and digital integration. Shri Lohani noted that the ToT will serve as a foundation for cascading OSR capacity across the Panchayati Raj system.

The training modules have been developed and are being delivered by faculty from IIM Ahmedabad. The curriculum is designed to foster practical application, behavioural insights, and collaborative learning. The program covers critical thematic areas, including: (i) Foundations of Own Source Revenue (OSR); (ii) Strategic Approaches to Enhance OSR; (iii) Behavioural Science for Better Tax Collection; (iv) Utilisation of OSR for Village Development; (v) Behavioural Science and Innovative Financing; (vi) Exploring Innovative Project Financing Options; (vii) Revenue Forecasting and Planning for Sustainability; (viii) SWOT Analysis for Revenue Growth; (ix) Project Management for Effective GPDP Implementation.

Addressing the participants, Prof. Ranjan Kumar Ghosh of IIM Ahmedabad appreciated the Ministry’s vision and leadership in mainstreaming OSR within Panchayat discourse. He described the program as an opportunity for participants to reimagine local governance not merely as administrative compliance, but as proactive planning based on local capacity, citizen engagement, and financial independence. Several case studies of Gram Panchayats from different parts of the country that have demonstrated commendable OSR performance that included innovative practices from Odisha, Gujarat, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and others were also highlighted during the discourse. The current training involves 65 Master Trainers from 16 States and UTs, and will be followed by the second ToT in early July 2025 for the remaining States and UTs. These trainings are intended to generate a multiplier effect, where trained participants will further support State-level implementation and contextual adaptation. This Training of Trainers on OSR marks a structured and forward-looking initiative to build robust, responsive, and financially capable Panchayats across the country.

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Aditi Agrawal

Trainers Press Release