Under this partnership, panchayat members will be given five-day orientation courses in batches. They will learn about contemporary technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance grassroots-level governance.

In the presence of Director Amit Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary Anil Kumar, Uttar Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar and Prof. Madhumita Chakraborty who is the Chairperson of the Management Development Program at the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow the Memorandum of Understanding was signed.

Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar hailed the initiative as a big leap thanking the department for associating with a top institute like IIM Lucknow. He was confident that this training would usher in drastic improvements in panchayat working.

Principal Secretary Anil Kumar emphasised that the objective of this MoU is to enhance leadership, transparency and financial management at the panchayat level. He further added that efficient implementation of schemes will now become simple benefiting the whole state.

Director Amit Kumar Singh revealed that panchayats are the strength of democracy and this partnership will enable them to implement cutting edge management styles and tools. He stressed that the program will improve decision making capabilities, management of resources and AI usage eventually making Uttar Pradesh panchayats the country's role models.

IIM Lucknow's Professor Madhumita Chakraborty opined that the institute has been continuously working towards bringing positive change in society and governance. Under this training program they aim to create innovation and good governance at the grassroots level.

This program is likely to make panchayats ready for the coming challenges and administratively, financially and technologically robust.