ChandraJyoti Abhiyan
Knowledge Partners: University of Southampton India Centre and Centre for the Study of Law and Governance (CSLG), Jawaharlal Nehru University
Programme Lead and Implementing Institution: Dholpur Zila Parishad (District Council), Government of Rajasthan
Project Summary
The ChandraJyoti Abhiyan is an innovative civic transformation campaign that integrates constitutional values into everyday life, turning abstract ideas into guiding practices for citizens across Dholpur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Through this mission, constitutional values shine in everyday life, inspiring citizens to experience the Preamble of Indian Constitution as a living guide and fostering a more conscious, engaged society.
As its name suggests, the ChandraJyoti Mission spreads the light of constitutional values by enlightening minds, empowering knowledge, and inspiring action. The campaign was formally launched on 26 November 2024 in the Dholpur district, coinciding with the observance of National Constitution Day.
Rooted in the vision of India’s New Education Policy, 2020, and grounded in participatory governance principles of Viksit Bharat 2047, the campaign places young people at the heart of its vision, the campaign reimagines civic education as a co-created, experiential journey that empowers students to engage meaningfully with democratic processes.
By activating multiple public spaces as civic learning ecosystems and building systemic coherence across community and government institutions, ChandraJyoti positions Dholpur as a model district where the Constitution is not just taught, but practised and lived. It aims to deepen understanding of the constitution and promote democratic practices as part of daily life in schools and local communities in villages.
We all know the Preamble is on the very first page of every Indian textbook (Kitab Ka Pehla Panna), yet it often goes unnoticed. ChandraJyoti Abhiyan brings the Constitution closer to people by creating Samvidhan Ghars (Constitution House), transforming unused public spaces into learning centres, libraries and reading rooms, and uniting gram panchayats, schools, NGOs, and communities to strengthen civic values through collaboration.
Advancing civic values through a transformative vision
The ChandraJyoti Abhiyan is a pioneering government programme for the people, conceived and implemented by the visionary IAS officer and CEO of Zila Parishad, Mr. Avahad Nivrutti Somnath. It translates innovative ideas into a mission that sparks civic engagement, drives transformational change, and embeds constitutional understanding and democratic practices into daily life in schools and local communities across villages.
“I envision a future where every student becomes a conscious and informed citizen of our nation,“ says Avahad Nivrutti Somnath. I am deeply grateful to the University of Southampton India Centre for their invaluable intellectual guidance as an independent evaluator and knowledge partner in shaping this initiative on the ground. I am confident that this timely collaboration will help us broaden the aspirational goals of ChandraJyoti Abhiyan and realise the ideals of the Indian Constitution, while advancing the vision and mission of a Viksit Bharat.”
Widely lauded as a “quiet civic revolution,” the ChandraJyoti Abhiyan was featured in the SKOCH “Beacons of Hope” rural development exhibition, and has gained national attention for integrating constitutional learning into daily life and guiding young citizens.
In this context, it is worth noting the pioneering efforts of O.P. Jindal Global University, which, under the visionary leadership of its founding Vice-Chancellor Professor C. Raj Kumar, established India’s first Constitutional Museum, setting a benchmark in creating an immersive space that educates, engages and highlights the Constitution’s enduring relevance in shaping modern India.
The Chandrajyoti Abhiyan complements the transformational campaigns that embed constitutional values into daily life.
Objectives
The specific objectives of the ChandraJyoti Abhiyan programme are to:
- Promote a deeper understanding of the Indian constitution and cultivate strong civic values.
- Integrate constitutional literacy into daily life and guide the younger generation toward responsible citizenship.
- Empower girls and promote women’s leadership through a deeper understanding of individual rights.
- Develop a participatory and decentralised civic learning system, fostering community ownership and grassroots development.
- Establish a scalable, locally-driven model of civic education, integrating modern developmental approaches with existing institutional mechanisms.
- Create a replicable framework for governance-structured education reform through community-based initiatives that enhance civic engagement.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The ChandraJyoti Abhiyan Programme adopts a rigorous mixed-methods approach to evaluate its impact, combining quantitative metrics with qualitative insights from field observations, surveys, case studies and stakeholder feedback. The process engages multiple stakeholders including schools, colleges, community members, and local authority leaders to provide holistic feedback and ensure accountability for positive social change.
Guided by a theory of change, the evaluation links the programme objectives, such as Samvidhan Ghars and community engagement initiatives, to intended primary outcomes such as enhanced constitutional literacy, civic participation and community empowerment. A logical framework underpins the process, clearly defining the inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and sustained impact, enabling systematic monitoring, periodic reviews, and evidence-based course corrections. This integrated and structured approach ensures that the programme remains effective, scalable and responsive to civic needs.
Continuous monitoring is conducted through structured surveys, field reports, and digital tracking systems to collect real-time data on key indicators, including beneficiary reach and the effectiveness of programme activities. Periodic evaluation measures both short-term outputs and long-term outcomes through impact assessments, case studies, and stakeholder feedback.
Our research team completed a pilot study in November 2025 across multiple villages in Dholpur district to assess the implementation of the ChandraJyoti Abhiyan programme, focusing on libraries, schools, digital interventions and community engagement. The team assessed programme activities, implementation challenges and opportunities, and community response to evaluate the on-the-ground impact of ChandraJyoti Abhiyan .
Research Team
- Professor Prakash Chand Kandpal, ICCR Chair of Indian Studies, Professor of Political Sciences and Public Administration, University of Southampton and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
- Professor Sabu S. Padmadas, Executive Director, India Centre, Professor of Demography and Global Health, University of Southampton
Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Project Coordinator/ Research Fellow
- Ravi Prakash, PhD Research Scholar
Research Fellows
- Amit Kumar Singh, PhD Research Scholar
- Ashmita Sharma, PhD Research Scholar
- Oinam Priyalata Devi, PhD Research Scholar
- Prince Kumar Singh, PhD Research Scholar
- Ramkrishan Gaur, PhD Research Scholar
- Vivek Vaishnavi, Post-Graduate Student
Accelerating Impact through India-UK partnership
The ChandraJyoti Abhiyan fosters social reforms in India, promoting civic education of constitutional rights, gender justice and decentralised governance. It empowers communities, strengthens civic engagement and serves as a model of India-UK collaboration with lasting social impact.
By enabling knowledge exchange and mutual learning, the initiative generates insights equally relevant to the UK and globally, contributing to the common good and demonstrating how collaborative efforts can drive scalable, positive change in societies.
In a nutshell, ChandraJyoti Abhiyan cultivates civic awareness, reinforces constitutional values, and inspires responsible citizenship, promotes social change through gender equity, and empowers communities while fostering inclusive growth and sustainable development across generations.
The programme is ongoing, with outcomes, learnings and best practices to be regularly updated.
