By Inspire India Now | Chief Strategist Series
In a nation as diverse and dynamic as India, policies crafted in capital cities often fail to capture the ground realities of its villages, small towns, and tribal belts. Rajesh Shukla, chief strategist of Inspire India Now, believes the solution lies in localizing the policy design process itself.
“Policy should not trickle down from Delhi. It should bubble up from Bharat.”
With that mission, Shukla initiated the Bharat Governance Labs (BGLs)—India’s first rural-rooted innovation and policy labs that transform everyday citizens, youth, and field workers into policy designers and problem solvers.
???? What Are Bharat Governance Labs?
BGLs are community-powered innovation hubs that bring together:
- Local leaders
- Government officers
- Youth strategy fellows
- Women entrepreneurs
- Tech volunteers and civil society experts
…to co-create policy prototypes, governance reforms, and hyper-local solutions for rural and semi-urban India.
It’s where ideas meet data and citizens meet governance—not as beneficiaries, but as co-creators.
???? The Structure of a Bharat Governance Lab
Each BGL is organized into four core zones:
1. Problem Discovery Zone
- Mapping pain points in health, education, livelihoods, infrastructure, or climate
- Using Voice of Bharat, Inspire India Index, and digital surveys for insights
2. Policy Hackathon Zone
- Facilitated sprints where citizens propose policy fixes, innovations, or service reforms
- Open to students, SHGs, frontline workers, and village officials
3. Prototype & Pilot Zone
- Quick development of working models (e.g., QR-code ration tracking, solar school kits)
- Implementation in 1–2 panchayats for live feedback
4. Feedback & Policy Publishing Zone
- Gathering real-time feedback
- Preparing papers, policy briefs, and videos for district/state submission
???? Achievements So Far (2023–2025)
Thanks to Shukla’s vision and Inspire India Now’s reach:
- ???? 420+ Bharat Governance Labs set up across 18 states
- ???????? 1.6 lakh rural citizens participated as co-designers
- ???? 7,800 local policy ideas submitted and discussed
- ???? 1,200 pilot projects launched with measurable outcomes
- ???? 75+ recommendations accepted by state departments and ministries
???? Case Studies of Impact
- ???? In Rajasthan, a BGL designed a solar-powered mobile medicine fridge for PHCs
- ???? In Odisha, youth created a bilingual chatbot to help students navigate scholarship portals
- ???? In Jharkhand, tribal women designed a smart water-sharing calendar to prevent summer shortages
- ????️ In Madhya Pradesh, students proposed “Digital Jan Sabhas,” now used in 14 blocks for e-governance
“We don’t need big policies for every small village. We need small policies that work big when scaled,” says Shukla.
???? Institutional Ecosystem
BGLs operate in partnership with
- District Collectorates and Panchayati Raj Departments
- State Innovation Missions and Academic Institutions
- Jagoo Nari Federation & Skill India partners
- Tata Trusts, Microsoft, UNDP, and Azim Premji Foundation
These labs are also supported by local colleges, offering students real-world exposure to governance innovation.
???? Bharat@2047 and the Policy of Participation
BGLs represent the future of policymaking in India:
- Evidence-based
- Inclusive by design
- Fast, flexible, and rooted in lived reality
- Focused on outcomes, not just outputs
They align with:
- SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions)
- NEP 2020 (Experiential civic learning)
- Atmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India goals
✅ Conclusion: Policy Is Not a Paper—It’s a People Process
With Bharat Governance Labs, Rajesh Shukla and Inspire India Now are turning every village into a policy lab, every citizen into a problem solver, and every challenge into an opportunity for reform.
Because real governance doesn’t happen to people.
It happens with them.