By: Manish Gupta

Fiscal decentralisation can be meaningful only when the panchayat has adequate untied funds to provide the public services assigned to them. Presently, the sources of revenues for the panchayat are inadequate. Reforms are needed to empower the panchayat by augmenting its revenues.

By: George Mathew

The financial year 2009-2010 was declared the ‘year of the gram sabha’ to help focus on this vital subject. But, the concept is yet to become meaningful. Attendance remains poor and quora are lacking. Marginalised communities are particularly handicapped as attending meetings involves covering long distances.

By: Mahi Pal

There is an urgent need for a shift from a risk mitigation cum relief-centric approach in disaster management. The panchayat is uniquely equipped to deal with disasters on a sustainable basis.

By: Tanu Shikha Arya

The National Literacy Mission has set itself a target to make 70 million adults literate for the 12th Five Year Plan. If full literacy is achieved PRIs can see improved performance through increased participation.

By: Nupur Tiwari

Panchayati Raj has attracted women to politics in large numbers, particularly from the scheduled castes and tribes, many of whom are first-timers. Success at the grassroots level has given women eloquence, and a voice. However, decision-making positions continue to elude most women.

By: N Sivanna

Women have had a long history of being discriminated against and exploited in Indian society. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment introduced measures to reverse these indignities. Yet, there remains strong resistance against their participation in the public sphere.

By: Avtar Singh Sahota

The E-panchayat project holds great promise for rural India as it aims to transform panchayati raj institutions into symbols of modernity, transparency and efficiency.

By: Nirmala Buch

The pace of adoption of e-applications varies across states due to inadequate infrastructure, manpower and capacity of the panchayat functionaries. Nevertheless, the ease in providing services to ordinary citizens through these needs to be appreciated.

By: Shruti Kapoor and Anjali Makhija

E-governance and digitisation in Panchayati Raj institutions have a lot of potential in India, and can be successfully used to check corruption at the rural level. However, in places with low literacy levels, and no physical infrastructure, a lot will need to be done to put matters into place.

By: Rina Mukherji

Facilities given for digitisation of the panchayat has made it possible for the Digital Empowerment Foundation to empower the residents of Chandauli village in Alwar district with computer skills, despite an abysmal 30-40 per cent literacy level.

By: Rina Mukherji

Notwithstanding the most comprehensive E-governance policy in India, Maharashtra faces several roadblocks to full digitisation. Power outages, cable thefts, and an ambiguous position as regards computer operators prevent villages getting the full benefit of E-panchayats.

By: Anita Brandon

The future of the PRIs looks bright, with sustained proactive initiatives by the state government and continuous capacity-building interventions by the State Institute of Rural Development-Rajasthan.

By: Joe Madiath

In a representative democracy, leadership holds the key to emancipation of the poor and marginalised. However, the challenge lies in making these communities assertive enough to work systematically in the democratic space available to them.

By: Karuna Vakati Aakella

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme even when moderately successful, has been the harbinger of a major change in the lives of the rural underprivileged. Distress migration has ceased, and marginal farmers have started earning substantially from their produce.

By: Sandeep Tambe

MGNREGA offers a historic opportunity with its scale, bottom-up planning and sectoral flexibility. The empowerment of panchayati raj through effective social audits is making this programme an agent of transformative change for Sikkim.

By: Saraswati Raju

With new emerging areas in the field of rural development, there is immense scope for employment for trained professionals, whether in the government, corporate sector, research organisations, or non-government organisations/voluntary sector.

By: Staff Reporter

India’s long history of grassroots governance gained credence when the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were set in place in by the 73rd Amendment. Since then the three-tiered system has undergone numerous changes. From a body that hardly held any sanctity in the Indian administrative set-up bar