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Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy

Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy was founded in December 2001 by Swati and Ramesh Ramanathan in Bangalore. It works to strengthen the relationship between urban citizens and local government, with a focus on ward-level democratic participation and municipal transparency.

Key programs

  • I Change My City (ICMyC) — civic participation platform (launched 2012) for citizens to report local issues, collaborate on solutions, and track government responses; includes geo-mapping and complaint voting
  • Swachhata Technology Platform — built on ICMyC and deployed by India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs across 4,000+ cities for citizen-government communication
  • Ward Sabha strengthening — programs to improve the effectiveness of local democratic institutions
  • Civic learning — youth engagement in civic responsibility and democratic participation