Jaipur: Rajasthan has trained only 38,551 women elected representatives under the Centre’s flagship Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) since 2022, trailing several large states despite having one of the country’s largest Panchayati Raj systems, according to data tabled in Parliament.Replying to a question by BJP MP Smita Uday Wagh in the Lok Sabha on July 27, Union Panchayati Raj minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said 34.14 lakh women elected representatives across the country received capacity-building and leadership training between 2022-23 and July 10, 2026.Among the major states, Maharashtra topped the list with 4.84 lakh women representatives trained, followed by Bihar (3.91 lakh), West Bengal (2.87 lakh), Uttarakhand (2.20 lakh), Chhattisgarh (2.01 lakh) and Madhya Pradesh (1.97 lakh). Rajasthan recorded 38,551 trainees during the period.The state’s training numbers fluctuated sharply over the years. While only 113 women representatives were trained in 2022-23, the figure rose to 26,009 in 2023-24 before dropping to 5,015 in 2024-25 and 7,414 in 2025-26. No training has been reported in the current financial year up to July 10.A senior official in the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj department attributed the decline to the postponement of panchayat elections. “Since the Panchayati Raj elections have been delayed because of the proposed One Nation, One Election exercise, training programmes have also been deferred. Once the elections are held, the pace of training will pick up,” the official said.RGSA supports orientation, refresher, and leadership training programmes for elected representatives to strengthen grassroots governance. The Centre also launched the Sashakta Panchayat Netri Abhiyan in March 2025 to improve the leadership, communication and decision-making skills of women representatives.The ministry also informed Parliament that it has accepted the recommendations of an advisory committee constituted following Supreme Court directions to examine proxy representation, the practice of male family members exercising authority on behalf of elected women representatives. The practice is common in Rajasthan.Commenting on the report, public policy expert Malvika Mudgal said, “Reservation gives women the opportunity to lead, but training gives them the confidence and skills to govern. Well-trained women representatives are more likely to make informed decisions, improve delivery of govt schemes, strengthen community participation and ensure greater accountability at the grassroots.”
