Ministry of Panchayati Raj conducts Training of Trainers Program

A three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on “Freedom from Violence: Capacity Building of Elected Women Representatives on Legal Provisions for the Safety and Security of Women” was organised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj from 25th to 27th May 2026 in New Delhi.

The programme was conducted under the Ministry’s Nirbhay Raho initiative being implemented through the Nirbhaya Fund in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development and National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.

The programme aimed to strengthen the capacities of Elected Women Representatives and Panchayat representatives on issues relating to women’s safety, legal awareness, gender sensitivity, institutional response mechanisms and community-level support systems.

Around 50 participants attended the programme, including representatives from State Institutes of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PRs), School of Excellence in Panchayati Raj (SoEPR) under the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), Piramal Foundation, and Transform Rural India Foundation (TRIF). The inaugural session was addressed by Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj along with Dr. Surendrakumar Bagde, Director General, IIPA.

Prof. (Dr.) Sairam Bhat, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru in his address highlighted the need to strengthen legal literacy, gender sensitivity, and survivor-centred approaches at the grassroots level.(UPDATED ON 28TH MAY 2026)