Panchayats News - India Together

PATRIARCHY AND EMPOWERMENT
Unleashing Political Renaissance By Rejecting Patriarchy

Boregaon is a small village in Solapur district of Maharashtra where men have shunned the patriarchal mindset to support women’s political empowerment and gender equality, writes Suchismita Pai.

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OPINION

A rocky road for Gram Swaraj

The Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act Amendment Committee suggested reforms in the 1993 legislation to realise the ideal of decentralisation in letter and spirit. Nandana Reddy, a core member of the committee, holds the state accountable for the manner in which it has dealt with the report and proposed amendments.

OP-ED Laws KARNATAKA

GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE

GPOD: Bringing management principles to gram panchayats

As Gram Panchayats in Karnataka go to the polls this year, Madhavi Rajadhyaksha explores the untapped potential of these grassroots institutions and suggests ways in which their capabilities may be leveraged and capacity strengthened.

Government KARNATAKA

SAANSAD ADARSH GRAM YOJANA

Why good governance may need more than adoption of villages

A new scheme launched by PM Narendra Modi envisages development through a model in which every MP chooses a village to develop, with people’s participation. Vikas Jha looks at the numbers and realities to explore the real needs of rural development at the panchayat level.

E-Govt Government

WOMEN IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Empowering rural women: Moving beyond 50 percent

April 2015 elections to Karnataka’s gram panchayats will see a high representation of women, given 50 percent reservation at all tiers, but how can one ensure real authority for women in local governance? The recently proposed amendments to the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act may hold some answers.

Government Authority Women

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN KERALA

Are too many ‘gramasabhas’ posing a challenge to governance?

As the Kerala government takes steps to re-inspire citizens to engage in grassroots level governance, P Mohammad Nizar draws attention to certain critical issues that must be addressed for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state to be effectively revitalised.

Government Opinions Kerala

WOMEN SARPANCHS

Competing effectively in MP panchayats

Panchayats of Madhya Pradesh provide reservation of up to 50 per cent for women, but the participation of women in governance has gone beyond such new roles. Shirish Khare reports on how women leaders are transforming the very traditions and symbols of grassroots politics.

Government Authority M.P.

RURAL HEALTH

Health to the beat of drums

Simple interventions and sustained joint efforts by civil society groups and the local panchayat have resulted in significant improvements in communication and increase in health awareness in some of Rajasthan's most backward districts. Swapna Majumdar reports.

Women's Health Health Rajasthan

RAJASTHAN'S WOMEN SARPANCHES

Discarding veils, embracing change

Displaying extraordinary grit, courage and openness to change, women from some of the most feudal communities in Rajasthan's villages are changing the rules forever and leading development and local governance at the grassroots. Abha Sharma brings us their tales.

Authority Women Rajasthan

MIRACLE BY GOVERNANCE

A village with 60 millionaires!

Once impoverished and drought-prone, Hiware Bazar in Maharashtra is a shining example of how a visionary leader can use good governance to make degraded areas resource-rich and transform the future of its people through empowerment and inspiration. Ramesh Menon reports.

Water MAHARASHTRA Society

OPINION

Empowering communities the right way

Community engagement should be born out of respect for the participating community members and their capacities rather than as tokenism needed to fulfill a program requirement, writes R Balasubramaniam.

OP-ED R Balasubramaniam Voices from the Grassroots

PUSHBACK TIME IN BIHAR

They hit back, "and it felt good"

A public hearing on NREGA in a remote village in Bihar created a confrontation between a leader accused of corruption and the workers who exposed him. Rajesh Veeraraghavan was there and he recorded this story.

Labour Issues BIHAR Human Rights

OPINION: NIPPING KARNATAKA'S PANCHAYATS

Once bitten, twice not shy

This is a bill that the Governor of Karnataka sent back to the state government in 2007 saying that it "evidently seems to undermine the Constitutional mechanism for rural development governance.." The same bill may be back in the state assembly soon, warns Nandana Reddy.

Government KARNATAKA Guest Opinions

India Together offers an excellent forum for people from diverse fields of expertise to present their views, share their experiences and raise questions about where our country and society are headed in the future.

Amitabha Basu

Retired Scientist
India Together reader