Panchayati raj in India

Panchayati raj has its origins in India since Vedic period (1700 BCE). Since Vedic times, the village (gram) in the country is considered as the basic unit for regional self-administration. Mahatma Gandhi advocated Panchayati Raj as the foundation of India's political system, as a decentralized form of government in which each village would be responsible for its own affairs. The term for such a vision was Gram Swaraj ("village self-governance"). Instead, India developed a highly centralized form of government. However, this has been moderated by the delegation of several administrative functions to the local level, empowering elected gram panchayats. There are significant differences between the traditional Panchayati Raj system, that was envisioned by Gandhi, and the system formalized in India in 1992. Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated Panchayati at Nagaur on 2 October 1959. The day was selected on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Gandhi wanted Gram Swaraj through Panchayati Raj. The Act aims to provide a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj for all states having a population of over two million, to hold Panchayat elections regularly every five years, to provide seats reserved for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and women, to appoint a State Finance Commission to make recommendations regarding the financial powers of the Panchayats, and to constitute a District Planning Committee. ==3 - tier panchayat system==

The 3 tier panchayat system was inaugurated in June 1973 by the West Bengal Panchayat Act passed that year. This system was adopted into the Constitution of India by the 73rd Amendment in 1992. This system is in place in most states of India & the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It consists of • Gram panchayats • Panchayat samitis and • Zilla panchayats Nomenclature In different parts of India, the levels of panchayati raj institutions might have different names because of the various languages spoken and cultural differences. However, they usually represent the village, block, and district levels and similar in nature. District Council; Zilla Parishad, Zila Parishad, Zilla Panchayat, District Panchayat, etc. Block Panchayat; Panchayat Samiti, Panchayat union, Mandal Parishad, Mandal Praja Parishad, Anchalik Panchayat, Janpad Panchayat, Kshetra Panchayat, Taluka Panchayat, etc. Village Panchayat Gram Panchayat, Gaon Panchayat, etc. ==2-tier panchayat system==

The earliest panchayats in post-independence India that were created in 1948 were all 2-tier structures consisting of only Gram Panchayats & Zilla Parishads. Currently, this system exists only the union territories of Daman, Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep & Puduchery and also in the states of Goa, Sikkim & Manipur (all of which were formerly union territories). ==Alternatives of panchayat system==

Areas under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India are exempted from having panchayati raj structures. Instead they have other mechanisms of rural governance. Meghalaya In Meghalaya, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council & Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council act as the alternatives of zilla parishads for the Khasis, Garos & Jaintia people respectively. Khasis & Jaintia people from various villages elect a clan headman as Rangbah Shnong to head the local Dorbar Shnong (village council), while Garos elect a Nokma to administer the Akhing lands which is held in common proprietorship for jhum cultivation. These Rangbah Shnongs & Nokmas become the ex-officio members of their respective Autonomous District Councils. Nagaland Under Article 371A, the right of the Naga people in Nagaland to administer themselves through village-level tribal councils is protected. These tribal councils are responsible for implementation of tribal laws enacted by tribal chiefs. An attempt to introduce the 3-tier panchayati raj framework in Nagaland in 2002 was met with opposition. Mizoram The Lushai Hills district (Village Council) Act, 1953 replaced the traditional Mizo tribal chiefdom with elected village councils as the basic unit of rural governance. Other tribes like the Chakma, Lai & Mara people have alternative governments in the form of Chakma Autonomous District Council, Lai Autonomous District Council & Mara Autonomous District Council respectively. ==Election==

The members at all levels of Panchayati Raj are elected directly, and the chairpersons/presidents at the intermediate and district levels are elected indirectly from among the elected members. At the village level, the chairperson/president is elected as determined by the state government. Some states use direct elections, while others use indirect elections (elected from among the members) to choose the chairperson of the gram panchayat. For the purpose of representation, the village panchayat, block panchayat, and district panchayat are divided into constituencies/wards, each represented by an elected member. These members constitute the panchayat council. In some states, there are ex-officio members at the block or district level who are not elected members, such as MLAs, MPs, etc. Duration The term of Panchayati Raj Institutions at all levels is 5 years, and elections to these are conducted by the respective State Election Commission. Reservation of seats Reservation of seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions is a mechanism to ensure representation of marginalized and underprivileged sections of society. These reservations typically include seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and women. The percentage of reserved seats varies from state to state based on demographic factors and social considerations. ==Gram panchayat sabha==

The sarpanch (head of five) is its elected head. The members of the gram panchayat are elected directly by the voting-age village population for a period of five years. The Gram Panchayat President, also known as Sarpanch often presides over the Sabha meetings. Elected standing committees operate in the panchayat, focusing on specific areas like finance, development, education, health, and welfare. Each committee, headed by a chairperson, comprises three to five members, ensuring representation and expertise in their respective domains. ==Block level panchayat or Panchayat Samiti==

. Just as the tehsil goes by other names in various parts of India, notably mandal and taluka, there are a number of variations in nomenclature for the block panchayat. For example, it is known as Mandal Praja Parishad in Andhra Pradesh, Taluka Panchayat in Gujarat, Uratchi Onriyam in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and Panchayat Samiti in Maharashtra. In general, the block panchayat has the same form as the gram panchayat but at a higher level. Composition Membership in the block panchayat is mostly ex-official; it is composed of: all of the Sarpanchas (gram panchayat chairmen) in the Panchayat Samiti area, the MPs and MLAs of the area, the Sub-District Officer (SDO) of the sub-division, co-opt members (representatives of the SCs, STs and women), associate members (a farmer from the area, a representative of the cooperative societies and one from marketing services), and some elected members. However, in Kerala, block panchayat members are directly elected, just like gram panchayat and district panchayat members. The Panchayat Samiti is elected for a term of five years and is headed by a chairman and a deputy chairman. ==System in practice==

The Panchayats, throughout the years, have relied on federal and state grants to sustain themselves economically. The absence of mandatory elections for the Panchayat council and infrequent meetings of the Sarpanch have decreased the spread of information to villagers, leading to more state regulation. Many Panchayats have been successful in achieving their goals, through cooperation between different bodies and the political mobilization of previously underrepresented groups in India. There is an obstacle of literacy that many Panchayats face for engagement of villagers, with most development schemes being on paper. However, homes linked to the Panchayati Raj System have seen an increase in participation for local matters. The reservation policy for women on the Panchayat councils have also led to a substantial increase in female participation and have shaped the focus of development to include more domestic household issues. In 1992, the 73rd amendment was passed, transforming the role of women in Panchayati raj. The 73rd amendment established reservation of one-third of seats for women in basic village councils. This reservation had led to a significant increase in women's participation in local governance. Women are now serving as elected representatives in various positions, including as sarpanch (village head) and panchayat members. Women also demonstrated their positive and enlightened thinking in the panchayat to respond to the government's expectations of women. The supportive actions from their families are encouraging women to attend every PRI (Panchayati Raj in India) meeting. Even though the bureaucracy was all male dominated, Gandhi hoped that Panchayati raj could be the framework for a free Indian political order. As a promoter of liberalism, he proposed gram swaraj, or self-contained and autonomous villages, to give women the most rights. The 73rd amendment was also resisted because reservation of seats meant that high caste people had to accept marginal caste women into the political empowerment system. Indirectly, this leads to corruption when the government devotes funds to the grassroots panchayat where resources and funds are exploited by bureaucratic channels. ==Issues==

In Panchayati raj system there is a practice of male relatives assuming the roles of elected women, often referred to as pradhan pati (boss husband) which undermines the intent of reserving seats for women in local governance. Such incidents have been reported in multiple states of India. In March 2025 a controversy emerged in Paraswara village, Chhattisgarh, when six men took oaths of office on behalf of their wives, who had been elected as panchayat members. This incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, led to public outrage and the suspension of the village secretary responsible for administering the oaths. For instance, in Madhya Pradesh, there have been cases where husbands or male family members took oaths in place of elected women representatives, prompting the government to consider measures to prevent such occurrences. ==See also==

Sources • Nepal glossary, United States Library of Congress • Article 333357, zeenews.com • Article India994-07, hrw.org ==Further reading==