Classroom To Council: Teen Gets Taste Of City Governance

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A student from Indore stepped into the shoes of the city’s mayor for a day as part of a civic engagement initiative launched by the Indore Municipal Corporation.

Ananya Baghwani, a class 12 student, was selected for the role after an interaction with mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav during a school programme. The initiative, A Forward Step with Mayor, aims to connect students with civic administration by offering them a firsthand view of governance.

Ananya began her day by joining the mayor for breakfast and later accompanied him to the municipal headquarters. She participated in official engagements including a tree plantation event and the reception of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at the airport for a development event.

During the day, she attended meetings, observed public interactions, and took part in discussions regarding civic planning, sanitation, and infrastructure development. She also visited different departments and spoke with officials to understand the scope of administrative duties.

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Speaking at the end of her tenure as ‘mayor for a day’, Ananya said that the experience taught her about the practical side of governance. She said leadership involves responsibility, follow-through, and attention to detail. She noted the volume of behind-the-scenes work required to run a city.

Mayor Bhargav stated that the programme was intended to build awareness and encourage civic responsibility among students. He said it was designed to develop leadership qualities by showing young people how decisions are made and implemented at the municipal level.

The initiative will now be extended to other city schools, targeting students from classes 9 to 12. Participants will be selected through school-based engagements and will have the opportunity to shadow civic officials and attend municipal sessions.

Officials confirmed that the programme has drawn national interest, with similar models under consideration in other cities. The Prime Minister and Chief Minister have both acknowledged the initiative.

Ananya said the experience has changed the way she views public administration. “Now when I hear about governance, I’ll know exactly what it means. It’s about real people and real work,” she said.