Upto 60% Off on UPSC Online Courses

Avail Now

NCERT NOTES

Elevate your UPSC preparation with NCERT Notes – because every word matters on your journey to success.

Local Governance in India: Empowering Democracy Through Decentralization

November 24, 2023 618 0

Decentralization in Indian Governance: India follows a three-tiered system of governance, with authority distributed among the central government, state governments, and local self-government bodies. Decentralization aims to promote grassroots democracy, enhance community participation, and address local issues effectively.

Empowering Local Governance: The Need for Decentralization in India

  • Power Sharing: India’s vastness and diversity require power sharing beyond Two Tiers. 
    • States like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are larger than European countries. 
    • Many of these States are internally very diverse
    • Thus, there is a need for power sharing within these States. 
  • Decentralization in India: Federal power sharing in India needs another tier of government, below that of the State governments facilitating Decentralization of Power
    • This resulted in a Third Tier of government, called Local Government.
  • Power Transfer: Decentralization involves transferring power from higher levels to local governments. 
  • Democratic Participation: As people better understand local problems and resource management, it promotes Democratic Participation and Self-Governance. 

Evolution of Local Governance: From Independence to Constitutional Reforms in 1992

  • After Independence: Panchayats in villages and municipalities in urban areas were set up in almost all the States. 
  • But these were crippled with some issues
    • Local bodies were directly under the control of State Governments
    • No regular elections to these local governments 
    • Lack of powers or resources of their own. 
  • Thus, there was very little decentralization in effective terms. 
  • But this situation changed with a constitutional amendment in 1992.

Panchayati Raj: Strengthening Local Government in 1992

  • The Constitutional amendment empowered the Third-Tier of Democracy
  • It provided constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions with certain specific provisions:
    • Regular local elections are mandated. 
    • Reserved seats for marginalized groups like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
    • At least one-third of positions reserved for women.
    • State Election Commission formed for conducting local elections. 
    • State Governments were mandated to share some powers and revenue with Local Governments. 

Structural Setup of Panchayats: District and Local Governance in India

  • Local Government at lower levels includes Village-level councils called Gram Panchayats
    • It consisted of directly elected members, including Ward Members and a President. 
    • It’s a decision-making body, supervised by the Gram Sabha (all voters).
    • Gram Sabha reviews performance and approves Budgets.
  • Higher Levels of Local Governance consist of Panchayat Samiti /Block/Mandal groups of multiple gram panchayats. 
    • Zilla (District) Parishad formed by all panchayat Samitis in a district. 
    • Zilla Parishad consists of Elected Representatives, officials, and local MLAs.
    • Municipalities and Municipal Corporations are set up for urban areas. These elected bodies oversee Urban Governance.

Local Government Directory

Importance and Challenges of Panchayati Raj in India:

  • Panchayati Raj: Indian Panchayati Raj Institutions is the largest democratic experiment globally. 
  • Democratic Experiment: Around 36 lakh elected representatives are there in panchayats and municipalities. 
  • Women Representation: It deepens democracy and enhances women’s representation. 
  • Challenges Remain: However, challenges still persist in the form of irregular Gram Sabha meetings and limited powers and resources transferred to Local Governments.

Conclusion:

  • Despite challenges, local government’s constitutional recognition fortifies India’s democratic foundation as it empowers communities, strengthening self-governance.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Need help preparing for UPSC or State PSCs?

Connect with our experts to get free counselling & start preparing

 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

THE MOST
LEARNING PLATFORM

Learn From India's Best Faculty

      

 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

<div class="new-fform">







    </div>

    Subscribe our Newsletter
    Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
    *Promise! We won't spam you.
    Yes! I want to Subscribe.