Three districts of Uttar Pradesh distinguished themselves by implementing grassroots initiatives earning national recognition for demonstrating how community participation, technological innovation and women’s leadership can transform rural livelihoods. The models from Bahraich, Mirzapur and Gorakhpur have been included among the 27 best administrative practices selected by the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretariat from across the country.The three initiatives, implemented with the support of the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (UPSRLM), represent different but complementary approaches to rural development. Bahraich has demonstrated the potential of community-managed solar energy for agricultural irrigation and allied services, Mirzapur has established a women-led Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) that combines agricultural marketing with enterprise development, while Gorakhpur has introduced modern biofloc technology to enable women’s self-help groups to take up scientific fish farming.The national recognition reflects the potential of these models to offer practical lessons to other states seeking to expand livelihood opportunities, strengthen rural institutions and improve household incomes. To assess their functioning and verify their achievements, a central government team visited the three districts under the national exercise conducted by the Cabinet Secretariat in collaboration with the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG).
Bahraich: Solar power brings irrigation and new livelihood opportunities
In Bahraich, the community solar-powered livelihood model demonstrates how renewable energy can support agricultural productivity while opening up additional income-generating activities in rural areas. The central team visited Ghumna Bharu Gram Panchayat in the Mihipurwa development block. With the support of Transform Rural India (TRI), a 43-kilowatt-peak community solar microgrid has been established in the village.The project provides irrigation facilities to approximately 100 acres of agricultural land belonging to around 200 families through 10 solar pumps. By making solar-powered irrigation available at the community level, the initiative creates an alternative to conventional energy-dependent arrangements and strengthens access to an essential agricultural input.Timely and accessible irrigation can help farmers manage crop requirements more effectively, reduce their dependence on conventional power sources and improve the utilisation of agricultural land. The community-based approach also brings local residents together around the management and use of shared infrastructure.The initiative extends beyond agriculture. The village electricity committee also operates services such as electric rickshaw charging, e-scooter charging and mobile phone charging. These activities create additional avenues for local enterprise while making clean-energy services available to residents.The Bahraich model is significant because it connects renewable energy with everyday economic needs. Rather than treating solar power merely as an electricity-generation facility, the project uses it as a foundation for agricultural and community-based livelihoods. During the visit, the possibilities of replicating the community solar microgrid approach in other parts of Uttar Pradesh were also discussed.
Mirzapur: 1,221 women build a collective agricultural enterprise
Mirzapur’s achievement highlights the growing role of rural women in agricultural value chains and enterprise management. The central team visited Chhanwar Agro Farmer Producer Company Limited in the Chhanvey development block. Established in 2022–23, the organisation is managed by women and has 1,221 women shareholders.The FPO enables women farmers to move beyond individual agricultural activities and participate collectively in business operations. Its activities include the procurement and marketing of agricultural produce, production of biofertilisers, access to agricultural equipment and the marketing of farm products.Collective organisation can improve farmers’ ability to coordinate supplies, reach buyers and undertake commercial activities that may be difficult for individual producers to manage independently. It also provides women with an institutional platform to participate in decisions relating to production, marketing and enterprise development.During the visit, members informed the central team that the organisation had successfully completed the supply of 25 metric tonnes of wheat through collective efforts. The FPO is currently generating a business margin of approximately Rs 10.50 lakh, exceeding its annual operating expenses, according to the information shared during the inspection.This financial performance is an important indicator of the organisation’s progress towards commercial sustainability. Its stated objective is to increase the incomes of all women members and help them become *Lakhpati Didis*—women earning at least Rs 1 lakh annually.The team also visited Vindhya Mart, where it reviewed the marketing of locally produced goods made by self-help groups and the employment opportunities created for rural women. Such platforms can help women’s collectives connect their products with wider markets and convert local skills and resources into commercially viable activities.Discussions also covered the Van Priya initiative, solar-powered irrigation and opportunities for climate-resilient rural development. Together, these activities illustrate how women’s collective institutions can become vehicles for agricultural growth, local enterprise and economic empowerment.
Gorakhpur: Biofloc technology opens new possibilities in fish farming
Gorakhpur’s model demonstrates how modern aquaculture techniques can create livelihood opportunities for women’s self-help groups, including in locations where space and water management may otherwise constrain conventional fish farming. The central team visited Chhatahai Gram Panchayat in the Khajni development block, where the Jal Pari Prerna Women’s Fisheries Producer Group is engaged in fish farming using biofloc technology.Five biofloc units have been established in the village. Women associated with the self-help group operate these units and practise fish farming through a controlled and scientific approach.Biofloc technology supports fish cultivation in relatively limited spaces through managed water conditions and the use of microbial processes that help maintain water quality and recycle nutrients. Its suitability depends on proper technical management, water quality monitoring, feed management, electricity supply and disease prevention.For rural women, the approach offers an alternative to livelihood activities that require large areas of land or access to conventional fish ponds. It can also help build technical skills and encourage women’s participation in an organised fisheries enterprise.During the visit, the women explained their operational practices and shared their plans to increase the number of biofloc units in the future. Expansion, supported by appropriate technical guidance and market access, could help the group strengthen its production capacity and create additional livelihood opportunities.The initiative shows how rural development programmes can connect women’s collectives with newer production technologies, helping them explore economic activities beyond traditional occupations.
A common vision: Sustainable livelihoods through community participation
The three initiatives differ in their activities, but share a common development approach: local resources and collective institutions are being used to create opportunities for rural households.Bahraich connects solar energy with irrigation and community services. Mirzapur places women at the centre of agricultural enterprise and marketing. Gorakhpur introduces technology-based fish farming through a women’s producer group. Each model links infrastructure or technical innovation with community ownership and income generation.Their selection among the country’s 27 best administrative practices followed a process initiated by the Cabinet Secretariat, which invited states to share effective governance initiatives. Selected practices were then examined through field visits undertaken with the support of the National Centre for Good Governance. Uttar Pradesh came in for appreciation for its efforts in rural development and women’s empowerment, identifying community solar-powered livelihoods and the women-led FPO as examples from which other states could learn.The initiatives have been supported by the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission, district administrations, Transform Rural India, partner organisations and women’s self-help groups. Their recognition underscores the importance of designing rural development interventions around practical local needs, strengthening community institutions and enabling women to participate as entrepreneurs and decision-makers.For Uttar Pradesh, the national recognition offers an opportunity to extend successful practices to other districts, subject to local conditions and institutional capacity. With suitable training, technical support, market linkages and financial sustainability, such initiatives can contribute to more resilient rural economies.Ultimately, the significance of these three models lies in their shared message: rural development becomes more sustainable when communities are active participants, women have a central role in economic decision-making and technology is applied to solve everyday livelihood challenges. The recognition of Bahraich, Mirzapur and Gorakhpur places these local efforts on the national stage and highlights their potential to inspire similar initiatives across India.
