Former Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar has lauded Kerala as a model for decentralisation in India, emphasising that the State’s approach is being studied and implemented by other States.He was speaking at the concluding session of a national seminar on ‘Decentralisation and Local Self-Government’ jointly organised by the AKG Centre for Research and Studies and the Pattiam Gopalan Study and Research Centre, as part of the fifth International Kerala Studies Congress at the E.K. Nayanar Academy in Kannur on Monday (February 24).Mr. Aiyar highlighted that four million women were actively participating in panchayat and Nagarpalika governance, making a revolutionary change since India’s independence. “This transformation is poetic in its impact. The Panchayati Raj and Urban Affairs Act introduced by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi paved the way for women’s leadership, which Kerala has implemented effectively,” he said.He credited economist and former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac for Kerala’s success in decentralisation.Speaking on the occasion, CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said that while Kerala continued to follow a decentralised governance model, the Centre had been increasingly centralising power. He expressed confidence that within 20 years, Kerala would match developed nations in terms of living standards.Published - February 25, 2025 12:24 am IST