Devolve further

Less populous and more homogenous, wards serve Panchayati Raj better

Tribal turmoil

Upbeat about the restoration of ownership rights, Gadchiroli tribals march towards self-governance

Bank on people

What a new minimum livelihood programme must do, at the least

Federalism or local self-rule?

It's a great shame for India's democracy that we have to choose between the two

Limited democracy

Panchayati raj institutions have not given much justice to Dalits

Divine protection

Kumaon villagers discover that gods are the best forest guards

The law holds no water

The state holds water resources in trust; it exercises proprietory rights over them

Large promises

Prime Minister Vajpayee is terribly interested in rural development these days. On his birthday he inaugurated Swajaldhara, a nation-wide water …

Participatory pangs

Local governments and the problem of development programmes

Good bye, people's planning

The programme had little place in the debates of the recent Kerala panchayat elections

The 'Right to recall'

Palavika Patel, the former president of Anuppur municipality in Madhya Pradesh, India and Gray Davis, former governor of California, usa are two …

Divisive move

Attempted panchayati raj reforms in Madhya Pradesh

Engulfed by the ravines

Once a throbbing rural business centre, Birahrua, in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, is now haunted by devilish gullies

Farmer who nearly became Jat-Mahatma

Tikait’s appeal had to do with earthiness and instinct

Devolution is bankrupt

Now even the World Bank says money should flow to local bodies directly

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

Deja vu

Coal based thermal power plants come back to haunt villages in Udupi district, Karnataka

Scare tactics

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

Zero hour

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

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,…

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 …