Decentralisation is a much-debated issue in India and other countries with a federal system of governance. The enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1993 and the subsequent state-wise Panchayat Raj acts in India brought to the front the significance of the grassroots democratic processes. After two decades, Panchayat Raj has been a matter of debate and speculation about its performance and impact. All the major states have completed at least four rounds of Panchayat elections. Almost three million people, including more than one million women, took part in these elections. The experiences of the states provide vital insights into the process of institutionalising Panchayat Raj. This volume strives to encompass all these issues related to Panchayat Raj in India.

Contributed articles.

This volume represents a collection of life histories of women who live in rural Haryana. It looks at the impact of the 73rd Amendment to India’s constitution, which introduced reservations in the political arena for women. The Panchayati Raj Act of 1992 reserved one third of all Sarpanch positions for women, and granted constitutional status to the Panchayat system, outlining its specific functions and jurisdiction. This book enhances existing scholarship on the impact of these changes in that it provides the opportunity for women Sarpanches from Haryana to speak for themselves and reflect upon their journey. Ten elected women Sarpanches share their stories about their lives, from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Their life histories address the following questions: Who are these women who agreed to run for a reserved seat in the elections? What motivated them? Why were they asked to run? What barriers do they face? Do they feel they are making a difference? Indeed, these stories reflect the lived realities of the women impacted by the changes in legislation.

This collection of sixteen articles and reports, drawn from the action projects carried out by the Rajiv Gandhi Chair

"Panchayati Raj, as a system of governance at the grass roots level in rural India, has been rightly conceived as the most viable and proper mechanism of realizing the goals of democracy and decentralization. The current debate is not on its desirability but on strengthening it by identifying its weaknesses and taking care of the lacunae which are still there in spite of its constitutionalization through the historical 73rd Constitution Amendment Act. Likewise, empowerment of women and weaker sections, through a well-devised system of reservation, has not only brought about a change in the socio-political culture of these sections of society but has also led to a virtual transformation of the rural scene where people have increasingly become aware of their rights and have started demanding their share in power. In fact, rural India today has become the embodiment of a new revolution which seeks to provide direction to the polity thereby making democracy and decentralization vibrant and feasible for those who deserve it ."

Contributed articles on socio-economic profiles, historical evolution and functions of Panchayati Raj.