Question

How does the People's Plan Campaign (PPC) contribute to creating a "New Development Culture" in Kerala?

1. The PPC aims to foster a positive attitude and greater social commitment among people regarding development.
2. It encourages a focus on development primarily based on political agendas.
3. The campaign promotes social sensitivity and optimism towards development initiatives.

• A. രണ്ടും മൂന്നും
• B. ഒന്നും മൂന്നും
• C. ഒന്നും രണ്ടും
• D. ഒന്ന്

Answer 1

Answer:

B. ഒന്നും മൂന്നും

The People's Plan Campaign (PPC) and Kerala's New Development Culture

Introduction to the People's Plan Campaign (PPC)

• The People's Plan Campaign (PPC), known in Malayalam as 'Janakeeya Soothranam', was launched in Kerala in 1996.

• It was a radical initiative aimed at decentralizing planning and governance, transferring power and resources from the state level to the Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs).

• The core objective was to make development planning a participatory process, involving citizens directly in identifying needs, formulating plans, and implementing projects at the grassroots level.

PPC's Contribution to a "New Development Culture"

• The PPC significantly contributes to a "New Development Culture" by fostering a positive attitude and greater social commitment among people towards development. It encourages citizens to view development as a collective responsibility, not just a government prerogative.

• It strongly promotes social sensitivity and optimism regarding development initiatives. By involving people directly, it builds a sense of ownership and belief in the effectiveness of local action, leading to more sustainable and equitable development outcomes.

• The campaign transformed development planning from a 'top-down' bureaucratic process to a 'bottom-up' approach, where local needs and priorities articulated by the people themselves formed the basis of development plans.

• It aimed to enhance transparency and accountability in local governance by bringing decision-making closer to the people and establishing mechanisms for public scrutiny of financial allocations and project implementation.

• By empowering LSGIs (Gram Panchayats, Block Panchayats, District Panchayats, Municipalities, and Corporations) with significant financial and administrative powers, the PPC strengthened local democracy and self-governance.

Key Facts and Impact for Competitive Exams

• The PPC was implemented in the backdrop of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992), which mandated the establishment of Panchayats and Municipalities as institutions of self-government. Kerala was one of the first states to fully operationalize the spirit of these amendments.

• During the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002), approximately 35-40% of the state's plan outlay was devolved directly to LSGIs under the PPC. This was a pioneering step in fiscal decentralization.

• The campaign involved various stages, including Gram Sabhas (Ward Sabhas) for identifying needs, development seminars for prioritizing projects, task forces for plan formulation, and people's committees for implementation and monitoring.

• PPC has been widely studied as a successful model of participatory democracy and decentralized planning, contributing significantly to Kerala's achievements in human development indicators (health, education, poverty reduction).

• It emphasized the importance of local resource mobilization and capacity building at the grassroots level, empowering local communities to address their unique challenges.