Abstract: How can public participation be leveraged to improve service delivery? The state of Karnataka took up the redevelopment of its 5600+ rural public libraries during an unlikely time - the Covid pandemic. Overseeing the local government institutions in Karnataka as Additional Chief Secretary, Panchayat Raj, Uma Mahadevan (IAS) will showcase how rural local bodies - "gram panchayats" - used their autonomy and resources to reshape rural public library spaces, which thereby became much more than just functional spaces. Rural libraries provide a physical, digital, and social space for tens of thousands of children. Public libraries in rural Karnataka offer access to books; access to online resources; and also access to safe spaces, especially for girls and children from marginalized communities, to read, reflect, interact, and learn. This has fostered collaborative and informal learning processes and brought meaningful and sustainable change to thousands of children every day across the most remote parts of Karnataka. Public participation has played and continues to play a key role in reshaping and running public libraries. State policy can support bottom-up efforts for improved public service provision.
About the speaker: Ms. Uma Mahadevan is a civil servant currently working as Additional Chief Secretary, Panchayat Raj and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihoods in Karnataka. A member of the Indian Administrative Service, she has over thirty years of experience in important development sectors including rural development, women and child development, planning, agriculture, education, and health.
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All are cordially invited
For further information, please contact Dr. M B Rajani mbrajani@nias.res.in