CMYIP: A youth driven scheme of MP govt to address the problems of the grassroot populace

Yashveer Prakash always wanted to do something for those at the grassroot level. For the last six months he has been carrying out door to door survey in Amanala, a block in Mandla district. He is now on a mission—to make electricity available in nearly 40 houses in the block. “These houses have never had electricity. How will the children in these houses study and what will be their future,” the 20-year-old says. He is hopeful that his efforts will fructify and these houses will one day be lit.

Shristi Jain wants to join civil services. For the last six months she has been helping the rural populace in a block in Bhopal avail the benefits of various government schemes. Her efforts could help a family get financial assistance for a physically challenged child. “I feel very happy to see that my efforts could help someone,” the 22-year-says. Her interactions with the people at the grassroots have also helped her understand the problems that plague the society.

Neelam Pastor has for the last few months been helping the women in Ganjbasoda block fill the form for the Ladli Behna Yojana. “Many of them did not have bank accounts. They did not even know of the scheme. Now whenever I go to the village all of them thank me,” the 21-year-old says. Pastor says her interactions have helped her hone her communication skills. Neelam may foray into politics at a later and this, she says, is a stepping stone for her aspirations.

Vipul Singh had always dreamt of working for the rural area. His dream became a reality when he got an opportunity to work as a CM intern in a block in Sidhi district. “There was an ailing octogenarian in the village who had an Ayushman card but was clueless on its use. I helped her get medical aid through the card. This was an accomplishment for me in true sense,” the 22-year-old says.

These are four of 4695 Jan Sewa Mitras who have been working in 313 blocks of Madhya Pradesh under the Chief Minister's Youth Internship Programme (CMYIP) and implemented by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good

Governance and Policy Analysis, a government run body for mapping ways for good governance, train officials and carry out policy research.

Buoyed by the success of the first phase, the state government has announced the second phase of the scheme in which 4695 more interns are to be appointed to overlook the various schemes run by the government at the grassroot level.

Besides honing their communication skills, the ‘rural interactions’ have bolstered the confidence of the young interns. They have become more skilled, more interactive and more engaging on the social problems. The scheme has given them an opportunity to attend courses from national and international bodies besides giving them a platform to disseminate the programmes of the government through various creative and innovative modes.

Some have interacted personally with the chief minister, others have interacted with the district magistrate and other government authorities—something that would not have been otherwise possible. What knits these more than 4000 youngsters to the scheme is the sense of fulfilment they assimilate by addressing the needs of the people at the lowest level of the society.

Young landscape

Empowering youth to identify the community needs can play a pivotal role towards social and economic growth of a region. Youth provide an excellent source of human and social capital. Programs that are woven around youth have a greater likelihood of adoption. Using the skills of the youth to get a better understanding of the local issues can help in social cohesion. Youth provide an excellent source of human and social capital within the communities.

Initiatives like this programme embody the vision that is a needed for a self-sustaining growth. Youth is invariably our country’s future leaders. They are the future innovators. Programs that are developed in partnership with youth are more likely to be effective at engaging the population and, therefore, to have a greater impact. In addition, empowering youth to identify and respond

to community needs helps them become empathetic, reflective individuals, setting them on a course to potentially continue this important work in their future. Meaningful youth engagement views youth as equal partners with adults in the decision-making process. Programs and activities are developed with youth, rather than for youth.

Percolating the schemes

The purpose of starting the Chief Minister Jan Seva Mitra was to provide an opportunity to the youth of the state to help the people at the grassroot level become aware of the various development scheme. The idea was to create a pool of skilled people which will work towards community engagement, strengthening the delivery of the scheme, supporting the elected members in carrying out the developmental related work and giving boost micro communication.

The Jan Sewa Mitras, as they are called, have been working as facilitator to collect the feedback of the government schemes besides catalysing their implementation. They have been able to take the various issues and challenges of the people to the authorities.

A major emphasis has been on strengthening the public services at the grass-roots. The fellows have been able to enrich their understanding of governance and administration by enabling community and stakeholder management. The scope of work includes—strengthening of public service delivery at the grassroots through wide ranging data collection, beneficiary and stakeholder interaction to identify the local issues, documenting the various schemes and how much they have been able to percolate among the masses.

Selection skills

The fellows are trained to filter a fresh vigour and energy to the policy making structure of the state. They have been acting as catalysts of changes by providing various policy inputs through an intensive stakeholder interaction. The selection procedure has been extremely comprehensive and rigorous to include a diverse group of talented youth. The process for the selection of the second batch has started on July 2 and will continue till July 10. A total of 4695 new interns will be selected across the state. There will be 15 interns in each development block. The interns will be paid a stipend of Rs 8,000 per month. Those in the age group of 18-29 and who have completed graduation/post graduation in the last 2 years can apply.