Lok Sabha passes Women’s Reservation Bill with two-thirds majority
Opposition leaders have flagged concerns about the timing of the bill’s passage as well as its eventual transition to the status of law
Bill must ensure power to the people
The political debate on the Panchayati Raj and Nagarpalika bills does not address the issue of giving power to the people so they can take …
For the people
Grassroot bodies should pressurise the state government to effectively implement the new Act on tribal self-rule passed by the Centre
Ground report: How is Chhattisgarh’s ‘dung deal’ working
plan to purchase cow dung to boost rural economy, ensure clean villages and solve stray cattle problem saw initial success, but things …
The rulers nouveaux
Madhya Pradesh took a head-start in implementing the 3-tier panchayati raj. But lack of finances might just undo the transfer of power to the people
Gram sabha empowered
Anna Hazare's relentless crusade leads to ordinance granting more powers to the gram sabha in Maharashtra
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 …
Engulfed by the ravines
Once a throbbing rural business centre, Birahrua, in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, is now haunted by devilish gullies
Presidential panchayat
India's third-tier of government has a few lessons for those seeking presidential form of government
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
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 …
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 …
Rainfed tanks lie neglected in parched Chhattisgarh
In theory, rainwater harvesting can drought-proof every village in India. In theory, drought-proofing requires strong and functioning village-…
Punjab’s panchayat flip-flop
State considers reverting to direct polls, court raps it for taking away right to recall sarpanch
Legacy of an empire
Encouraged by their ninth century benevolent rulers, Gond landlords and villagers had set up an intricate and immensely useful network of …
The North wants to exploit the biodiversity of the South
P Pushpangadan , director, National Botanical and Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow,speaks to Archana Srivastava on India's biodiversity
Changing lives
A development project, which has got patronage from the panchayat, is changing the face of many villages in North Bengal
Managing water locally - a good model
In the Water and Sanitation Project implemented by the Tamil Nadu government with assistance from the Danish International Development Assistance,…