Women safety key to achieving Viksit Bharat: Panchayati Raj Secy Vivek Bharadwaj
New Delhi, June 20
Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj emphasised that the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 cannot be realised without ensuring the safety, dignity, and equal participation of women, an official said on Saturday.
Addressing participants at the Nirbhay Chetna initiative for sensitising men towards women-related issues, Bharadwaj highlighted the pivotal role of Panchayats as institutions of social and democratic transformation, capable of driving meaningful change in attitudes and behaviours at the grassroots level.
Emphasising the objective of Nirbhay Chetna, which was held from June 17 to 19, he noted on Friday that the initiative seeks to foster gender-sensitive leadership by positioning women's dignity, safety, and opportunities as essential pillars of development, said an official statement.
Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, emphasised that ensuring the safety and dignity of women is a collective societal responsibility.
He highlighted the critical role of Panchayats in fostering gender-responsive governance and creating a safer, more enabling environment for women and girls.
He noted that Nirbhay Chetna aims to build awareness, sensitivity, and accountability among male elected representatives, empowering them to champion women's safety, dignity, leadership and empowerment within their communities.
Nirbhay Chetna is a key intervention under the Nirbhay Raho initiative, launched on March 11, 2026, which comprises three complementary components, said the statement.
Nirbhay Netri focuses on capacity-building and legal awareness among elected women representatives, and Nirbhay Chetna seeks to sensitise elected male representatives on gender equality and women's safety, it said.
Nirbhay Drishti envisages the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic rural locations to strengthen technology-enabled safety infrastructure in Panchayats.
Under Nirbhay Chetna, a cadre of 28,500 Master Trainers is being developed at the State, district, and block levels to reach over 17.5 lakh male elected representatives across the country, said the statement.
The three-day programme also marked the launch of the Nirbhay Chetna training module, developed by Transform Rural India.
The initiative seeks to create a cadre of master trainers who will engage male elected representatives on gender equality, women's safety, rights, and leadership within Panchayati Raj Institutions.
The pilot batch comprised around 40 master trainers from Assam, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttarakhand. They will serve as the foundation for a cascading training model to be expanded across all States and Union Territories.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good intentions, but CCTV cameras alone won't solve deep-rooted patriarchy. We need stronger legal consequences and faster justice. Also, what about urban areas? This is very rural-focused. But I appreciate the effort to train men—change starts at home. Let's see the implementation. 🤞
This is excellent! As someone from a village in Uttarakhand, I can tell you panchayats often ignore women's issues. Training 28,500 master trainers is ambitious—hope they include local women too. 'Nirbhay Drishti' with CCTV is practical, but maintenance will be key. Viksit Bharat cannot happen without women feeling safe. 🙏
About time! But why only 40 master trainers in the pilot from just 6 states? Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab also need this. And please ensure these master trainers are actually accountable. We have seen too many training programs that just collect per diem and do nothing. Let's hope Transform Rural India delivers.
Not to be negative, but we have had so many schemes before. What will be different this time? The idea of sensitizing men is good—my own father changed after an SHG meeting. But unless panchayats are given real powers and funds, CCTV cameras will just be decorative. Still, I support any step towards women's safety. 💪
As someone who works with rural development in India, this is a solid framework. The cascading training model (master trainers training others) is cost-effective and scalable. But the key will be monitoring
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