Kerala plans People’s Planning 2.0 with student internships in panchayats

Kerala is set to launch People's Planning 2.0, a digital-age upgrade of its landmark democratic decentralisation initiative, as the original completes 30 years on August 17. The new phase, conceived by key architects including former finance minister T M Thomas Isaac, will allow students from across India and abroad to intern with panchayats. The programme aims to bring technical expertise into local bodies while offering students academic credits and real-time exposure to grassroots governance.

A central feature will be a portal that documents the history of People's Planning and serves as a platform for technical volunteers. Panchayats seeking support for project preparation, surveys, mapping, and data collection can request help free of cost. The initiative also plans to produce a three-volume people's history, priced at Rs 4,000, in memory of activist Manmohan. Isaac said about 25% of the original activists have died; many survivors are now writing their experiences.

A gathering of former activists and officials will be held in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday to finalise plans. The group intends to approach universities, IITs, and IIMs to partner for the internship programme. Isaac said the portal will host at least 5,000 volunteer write-ups and will be searchable by keyword.