What happened: “People’s Plan 2.0” discussion in Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala’s People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) is being revived as “People’s Plan 2.0” through a proposal discussed at an event in Thiruvananthapuram. Participants at the discussion included elected representatives, former ministers, bureaucrats, and activists, focused on updating PPC for present-day conditions.
The “People’s Plan 2.0” proposal includes two prominent elements:
Student internships with local bodies to support preparation and field-level engagement.A tech-enabled campaign coordinated through an online portal.
Background and earlier position: how PPC began and why it mattered
Kerala’s PPC draws ideological roots from Gandhi’s “Gram Swaraj” (the idea of village self-rule through people’s participation and local initiative). The constitutional and legislative environment supported decentralised local planning through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which strengthen the legal basis for local governments in rural (panchayats) and urban (municipalities) areas. Kerala also created enabling legislation that allows panchayats and municipalities to function with local planning responsibilities.