Chapter 11 — Grassroots Democracy Part 2: Local Government in Rural Areas

The Panchayati Raj system is India's form of rural self-government. It brings governance closer to the people by letting villagers actively participate in decision-making. It works at three levels — village, block, and district — and is also called the 'three-tier system'.

The three tiers are: the Gram Panchayat at the village level, the Block Panchayat (also called Panchayat Samiti or Mandal Parishad) at the block level, and the District Panchayat (also called Zila Parishad) at the district level. Together they cover almost all aspects of life in a district, from agriculture and roads to education and health care.

The Gram Sabha is a group of adults from a village (or a group of neighbouring villages) who are enrolled as voters. Women and men in the Gram Sabha discuss all matters related to their area and take decisions. The Gram Sabha also elects the members of the Gram Panchayat.

The Sarpanch (also called Pradhan in some areas) is the head or president of the Gram Panchayat. Each Gram Panchayat elects its Sarpanch from among its members who are chosen by the Gram Sabha. In recent years, more and more women have become Sarpanchs.

The Panchayat Secretary assists the Gram Panchayat by performing administrative tasks such as calling meetings and maintaining records. The Secretary is an important support officer who helps the Panchayat function smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

The Patwari is an officer who maintains the villagers' land records. Most Gram Panchayats are assisted by a Patwari, and in some cases the Patwari keeps maps that are generations old. These old maps can provide information about how land use and village boundaries have changed over time.

The Panchayat Samiti works at the block level and acts as a link between the Gram Panchayat and the Zila Parishad at the district level. It coordinates matters across Gram Panchayats by collecting their development plans and presenting them at higher levels, which helps secure funds for projects such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for building all-weather rural roads.

The Child-Friendly Panchayat Initiative creates opportunities for children to express their ideas and opinions on issues that affect their wellbeing. Steps are being taken across several States to encourage children to take part in Bal Sabhas and Bal Panchayats. For example, Bal Panchayats in Maharashtra have worked to eliminate child labour and child marriage and to bring children back to school.

The Children's Parliament, an offshoot of Bunker Roy's Barefoot College initiative, engaged underprivileged children aged 8 to 14 in rural Rajasthan in governance processes through night schools and parliament-like elections. Elected representatives formed a Cabinet overseeing school management and advocating for community needs. The initiative received the World's Children's Honorary Award in 2001.

Hiware Bazar in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra used to suffer from frequent droughts and poor agricultural yield. After Popatrao Baguji Pawar became Sarpanch, he applied Anna Hazare's model of rainwater harvesting, watershed conservation, and the planting of lakhs of trees, which recharged groundwater. With villagers' collaboration, the village became green and prosperous, and Pawar was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020.

Yes. All three tiers of the Panchayati Raj system have a provision for reserving one-third of the seats for women. Special rules have also been made so that disadvantaged sections of the population can make their needs and problems heard across all three tiers.

Yes, the structure and functions of Panchayati Raj institutions differ a little across States because the States have authority over these institutions. However, their objectives remain the same — to enable villagers to take an active part in the management and development of their villages and local areas.

The Arthashastra, written by Kautilya (also known as Chanakya) about 2,300 years ago, described a layered administrative structure running from the village to the regional capital — with headquarters for every 10, 100, 400, and 800 villages. This is remarkably similar to today's three-tier Panchayati Raj system, showing that the idea of local governance has deep historical roots in India.

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