The joke's on the panchayat

The recent panchayat elections in Madhya Pradesh was the latest edition of the mock ritual of decentralisation

A question of control

Karnataka's new panchayati raj law has sparked a debate, with the Congress government saying it gives the people more power and opposition …

Earnest endeavours

West Bengal's women panchayat members have become the torchbearers of rural development programmes in the state

Local politics

Book>>Inclusion and Exclusion in Local Self Governance edited by B S Baviskar and George Mathew Sage Publications, Delhi 2009 Rs 750

My village, their plan

CII to develop rural business hubs; villages clueless

Unlicensed Coke

Put off

People force resurvey of power project in Arunachal

Scare tactics

Violence mars Bihar’s efforts to empower women, promote self-governance

Zero hour

Power 'em

More power for villages and people will ensure better governance and less corruption

Empowered panchayats make for true liberalisation

A myth actively perpetuated by traditional politicians and a supportive bureauracy is that panchayat bodies are India's lowest ranked …

RIP Panchayati Raj ministry

The new-found `cooperative federalism' will kill the third tier of government in India

Sense of service

Caution should be exercised while liberalising the services sector

Curbs on bathing

Maoists may contest panchayat elections in Orissa

Reserved for no one

Many reserved seats remained uncontested in first-ever panchayat elections in Jharkhand

Panchayat civil servants, not yet

States want them, but not willing to spend on their salaries

Boss, the real beehive!

Rahul Gandhi’s idea of governance needs fresh focus. How about more autonomy to nearly 240,000 panchayats?

People power

Kerala launches a movement -- of the people, by the people, for the people. Whether the movement will stand the test of time is yet to be seen,…

Puppet power

Gyani Baba (wise saint, literarily), a seven feet-tall puppet with handle moustache, is up for a big task in Rajasthan's Ajmer district. He is …

Book review: Panchayats, democracy and development

In 1992 the Indian Parliament approved of the 73rd constitutional amendment, which made it mandatory for state governments to devolve powers to …

Women panchayat presidents are no rubber-stamp leaders

Of the 12,619 Gram Panchayats in Tamil Nadu, one-third or nearly 4,200 panchayats are headed by women -- following the 73rd amendment to the …

MALAR miracle

From literacy to economic independence

Devolution suffers setback

India's decentralisation process receives yet another blow

How to make Swajaldhara work

Intention and execution are not always related. That's the Swajaldhara lesson. Swajaldhara is a national-level rural water supply scheme that …