There is no 'yes' or 'no' answer to this question. Our panel of experts, elected panchayat members from across the country and key government officials give their verdict:
George Mathew
Chairperson, Institute of Social Science, Delhi
Rajesh Tandon
President, Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), Delhi
SM Vijayanand
Additional secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
Vijay Kumar
State Village Heads Association, Bihar
Imtiyaz Afzal Beigh
Sarpanch, Duroo, Baramulla Kashmir
Popat Pawar
Sarpanch, Jore Bazar panchayat, Maharashtra
Shalini Gupta
Head, Domchach Block Panchayat, Jharkhand
Dayamani Barla
Tribal right activist, Jharkhand
Defining stories on Panchayats
Emboldened by SHG movement, reservation in panchayats, women emerge as key constituency
Violence mars Bihar’s efforts to empower women, promote self-governance
It was a vote for self-governance, not self-determination. No panchayat election in the country ever created as much hype as that of Jammu and Kashmir last year
Gramdoots, or village volunteers, mobilise people to get government machinery moving
As Kerala cities dump their waste in the countryside, people in the villages hit back.
Five years after it was implemented, the Forest Rights Act finally takes root. Communities across the country rush to claim rights over forests and their produce, particularly bamboo
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