TWO DECADES OF PANCHAYAT RAJ IN INDIA: Experiences, Issues, Challenges and Opportunities

Decentralisation is a much-debated issue in India and other countries with federal system of governance. The enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1993 and the subsequent state wise panchayat raj acts in India brought to frontline significance of grassroots democratic processes. After two decades, panchayat raj in India has been a matter of debate and speculation about its performance and impact. All the major states have completed at least four rounds of panchayat elections. Almost three million people including more than one million women and a sizeable number of SCs/STs took part in these elections. The experiences of the states are extremely rich and provide vital insights into the process of institutionalising panchayat raj. This volume strives to encompass all these issues related to panchayat raj in India. Besides a crisp introduction by the editors, the book is thematically divided in five parts, viz. 73rd Constitutional Amendment and Status of PRIs; Devolution of Funds, Functions and Functionaries in PRIs; Changing Power Structure and Empowerment of Marginalised Groups; Gender Issues and Empowerment of Women through PRIs; and State Specific Experiences in Structure and Functions in PRIs. The book promises to be a valuable reference for all concerned researchers, bureaucrats, policy makers, planners, practitioners and those concerned with the decentralised governance.