The Union Government has informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 1,75,168 Women Elected Representatives (WERs) in Jammu and Kashmir have received training under the Centre’s revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) since the 2022-23 financial year.
The Chenab Times has learned that the data, presented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, details the training imparted over the last three financial years. In 2022-23, 1,07,089 women representatives underwent training, followed by 68,072 in 2023-24. A further seven received training in 2024-25. No WER training was recorded for Jammu and Kashmir in the 2025-26 or 2026-27 financial years under the broader RGSA training component.
These figures were disclosed in response to a specific question raised in the Lok Sabha concerning measures to enhance women’s participation, leadership, and overall functioning within Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Nationally, over the last three financial years, from 2023-24 to 2025-26, a substantial 23,83,765 Women Elected Representatives across India have been trained. The training programmes are designed to cover induction, refresher courses, and theme-based Panchayat Development Plan initiatives, all aimed at strengthening leadership and governance capabilities at the local level.
Financial allocations for Jammu and Kashmir under the revamped RGSA show that the Centre released Rs 65 crore each in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years, and Rs 57 crore in 2025-26. The reported utilisation figures for these periods were Rs 98.61 crore, Rs 57.89 crore, and Rs 78.99 crore, respectively, indicating a significant investment in capacity building.
In addition to general training, the Ministry also reported that 399 women representatives from Jammu and Kashmir received digital governance and literacy training during the 2023-24 financial year. However, no representatives from the region were listed as having completed training under the Own Source Revenue module during the 2025-26 or up to July 10, 2026, periods. This module is crucial for enhancing the financial self-sufficiency and management skills of local governance bodies.
Further highlighting specialised training, only five women representatives from Jammu and Kashmir had undergone the ‘Championing of Change—Empowering Women Leaders in Local Governance and Beyond’ module as of July 10, 2026. This module, launched under the Sashakt Panchayat Netri Abhiyan, aims to specifically bolster leadership skills among women Panchayat leaders. At the national level, a much larger contingent of 1,53,616 WERs had completed this specialised module by the same date, underscoring a broader national push for empowered women in local governance.
The Ministry articulated that the overall campaign seeks to actively promote women-led governance structures. Initiatives focusing on digital platforms, financial capabilities, and own-source revenue are strategically intended to improve transparency, accountability, and the overall quality of decision-making at the grassroots level. The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) is employed to assess Gram Panchayats across nine themes related to the localisation of Sustainable Development Goals, including a specific focus on the Women-Friendly Panchayat theme, utilising approximately 150 thematic indicators to identify performance gaps and areas needing focused intervention.
An external evaluation of the revamped RGSA was conducted by the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). This evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the capacity-building programmes and put forth recommendations for corrective measures. However, the Ministry noted that no independent review specifically assessing programmes for strengthening the leadership and participation of women representatives has been undertaken, citing that Panchayats are a State subject, implying regional autonomy in such specific assessments.
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