FAQ

What is Citizen Assembly?

A Citizen Assembly is a structured process where a randomly selected, demographically representative group of citizens comes together to learn about, deliberate on, and make recommendations regarding important public issues. Participants engage with experts and diverse viewpoints before collectively forming informed recommendations. It is designed to strengthen decision-making by ensuring inclusive, evidence-based public deliberation

What Makes a Good Assembly

A good Citizen Assembly is inclusive and demographically representative, ensuring that diverse voices from across society are meaningfully included. It provides participants with balanced, high-quality information from multiple perspectives, supported by skilled facilitation that enables respectful and informed deliberation. Transparency in process, clarity about its public mandate, and accountability regarding how recommendations will be used are essential to building legitimacy and public trust.

What do citizen assemblies or mini-publics mean in the Indian context?

In India, designing mini-publics must account for the country’s vast scale, deep social diversity, and regional variations. Challenges related to literacy levels, multiple languages, digital access, and varying degrees of trust in public institutions require careful and context-sensitive design. Rather than directly replicating global models, mini-publics in India need thoughtful adaptation to local governance structures, cultural norms, and inclusion realities to ensure meaningful and equitable participation.