The India Land and Development Conference (ILDC) is a premier annual international platform focused on diverse land and development issues, bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society actors. ILDC 2025, scheduled for November in Ahmedabad, with the theme "Centrality of Land and Sustainable Development," highlighting land as a critical driver of justice, resilience, and transformation across sectors and geographies.​

Background and Rationale

Effective land governance depends not only on robust administrative systems and innovative practices but also on conceptual clarity and uniformity in terminologies used across regions. Revenue terms related to land administration, taxation, and fiscal policies play a vital role in shaping governance frameworks and development outcomes. However, the complexity and regional diversity of these terms often create barriers to effective communication, data integration, and policy implementation.

To address these challenges, ILDC 2025 proposes a dedicated session on Land Administration Good Practices and Innovations: State and International Examples

This integrated session will both highlight practical innovations in land administration and initiate a process to harmonize key terminologies across India and neighbouring contexts. YASHADA will focus on Revenue terms related to land administration, taxation, and fiscal policies play a vital role in land governance and development. However, the complexity and regional diversity of these terms often create barriers to effective communication and policy implementation. A dedicated glossary of revenue terms can serve as a crucial resource for harmonizing terminology, fostering better understanding among stakeholders, and enhancing the precision of land-related discourse. The proposed conference session on "Glossary of Revenue Terms" aims to: Discuss a comprehensive and standardized glossary of revenue terms of all states relevant to land and development. Facilitate dialogue among experts to clarify terminologies used in land revenue systems, audits, and accounts. Support capacity building for practitioners and policymakers by providing a clear reference guide. Promote equity and transparency in land governance by ensuring terminological coherence.

Objectives

The proposed session aims to:

• Showcase      state and international innovations in land governance and administration that have improved      transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity.

• Discuss      a comprehensive and standardized Glossary of Revenue Terms relevant to land and development      across states.

• Facilitate      dialogue among experts     to clarify terminologies used in land revenue systems, audits, and      accounts.

• Support      capacity building     for practitioners and policymakers through a clear reference guide on      land-related terminology.

• Promote      equity and transparency     in land governance by ensuring terminological coherence and cross-state      comparability.

Session Focus and Structure

1. Land Administration Good Practices and Innovations

This segment will present experiences and success stories from state and international contexts, focusing on innovative approaches that have strengthened land governance systems.

· YASHADA (Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration) – showcasing its initiatives on comprehensive and standardized Glossary of Revenue Terms relevant to land and development across states. Definitional clarity of key revenue terms (e.g., Record of rights, survey, land revenue, assessment, tenancy). Terminology used in land administration. Integration of local language equivalents and customary terms alongside standard legal terminologies. Implications of standardized terminology for policy coherence, dispute resolution, and sustainable development goals.

· State Government of Kerala – presenting its good practices in revenue administration, digital land records, and participatory land reforms.

· State Government of Gujarat- The Government of Gujarat has pioneered several innovative practices in the areas of revenue administration, digital land records management, and participatory governance to enhance transparency, efficiency, and citizen welfare.

· Nepal Land Resource Department– sharing international perspectives and innovative practices on land governance, resource mapping, and community land management.

This exchange aims to foster peer learning, replication of scalable models, and regional cooperation for better land administration outcomes.

Expected Outcomes

• A shared understanding and documentation of good practices in land governance from India and neighbouring countries.

• A draft framework for the Glossary of Revenue Terms to serve as a reference for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.

• Strengthened collaboration between state institutions and international partners for continuous knowledge exchange.

• Enhanced capacity among stakeholders to use standardized and transparent land administration terminology.

Conclusion

By combining practical case studies and conceptual standardization, the session on “Land Administration Good Practices and Innovations: State and International Examples” seeks to bridge the gap between policy, practice, and language. The collaboration of YASHADA, the State Government of Kerala and Gujarat, and the Nepal Land Resource Department will bring valuable insights into strengthening equitable and sustainable land governance systems.