Back to the Village National Campaign (
Nepali: गाउँ फर्क राष्ट्रिय अभियान) was a campaign of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
's
Panchayat
The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical ment ...
regime from 1967 to 1975. It aimed to direct development efforts to rural areas where a majority of the Nepali people live.
As part of the program which was originally known as "Go to Village" National Campaign, civil servants and students from the cities were sent to live in rural communities and participate in development work and serve as teachers in village schools. Back to the Village was one of the major initiatives of king
Mahendra
Mahendra is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from Maha (Highest position) and Indra Deva (the King of Gods) from Hindu mythology.{{Citation needed, date=April 2022 It has been used in compound royal styles.
History and politics
Royalty
* M ...
who ruled the country from 1955 to 1972.
In 1975, an amendment to the constitution turned the Back to the Village institution into a system for holding indirect elections. Its purpose became to select and endorse candidates for political office. The system was scrapped and direct elections introduced by another amendment in 1980.
The Panchayat system itself collapsed in 1990 following popular protests, and parliamentary democracy was established in Nepal.
References
Social history of Nepal
Development in Asia
Rural community development
History of Nepal (1951–2008)
1967 in Nepal
1975 in Nepal
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