Publications

  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was not only one of India’s greatest parliamentarians and constitutional experts but also a relentless crusader for Dalits. His views on the Panchayati Raj system were profoundly complex and shaped by his understanding of India's rural social dynamics. While he fiercely opposed the inclusion of Village Panchayats in the Constitution in 1948, he had previously spoken in favor of them in 1932—under one strict condition. Understanding Dr. Ambedkar's evolving stance provides crucial insight into the current state of local governance and Dalit participation in India. The 1948 Stance: The Village as a "Sink of Localism" On November 4, 1948, during the Constituent Assembly debates, Dr. Ambedkar made a blistering critique of the Indian village. Quoting Metcalfe on how village communities survived centuries of invasions merely on a "selfish level," Dr. Ambedkar questioned the pride placed in them. He famously argued against those championing villa...

  In 1948, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar famously questioned whether the Indian village was anything more than a "sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism" . More than half a century later—and a decade after the 73rd Amendment aimed to turn panchayats into inclusive institutions of self-government—how much has truly changed ? To understand the ground reality, the Haryana Institute of Rural Development (HIRD) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) organized a workshop with 188 Dalit women elected representatives (ERs) across Haryana . Their testimonies revealed the harsh realities of caste, patriarchy, and the immense hurdles they face in decentralized governance . The Ground Reality: Hurdles for Dalit Women Sarpanches 1. Illiteracy and Lack of Awareness Many women ERs lack critical awareness regarding their legal powers, functions, and the specific developmental schemes meant for their communities . Most were only familiar with basic housing or grain...

  It has been more than 30 years since the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1993 was enacted, designed to transform Panchayats into vibrant institutions of self-government. Ideally, these rural bodies should operate as autonomous entities with clearly defined functions, adequate funds, and sufficient functionaries. However, a closer assessment reveals a sobering reality: most Panchayats remain severely malnourished and lack the authority required to address grassroots issues. While states like Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu offer a silver lining, the overarching national picture of power devolution remains deeply flawed. Measuring the Health of Panchayats (2024 Study) To evaluate how well these institutions have been empowered, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (Government of India) commissioned the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in 2024 to study the Status of Devolution to Panchayats . The study measured the "health" of Panchayats using a Composite Devo...

  Recently, NK Singh, Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC), raised concerns about the growing political culture of freebies and its impact on the macroeconomic stability of both the Centre and the States. While this is a critical observation, transforming this culture requires more than just central and state-level reforms. True cooperative federalism (CF) must empower citizens from the Ward Sabha to the Lok Sabha. Currently, the discourse on fiscal federalism rarely travels beyond the State level, leaving a massive gap where our Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) should be. The Current State of Cooperative Federalism Under Article 243G of the Constitution, state legislatures are empowered to endow panchayats with the authority to function as institutions of self-government, particularly regarding the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule. However, in practice, the spirit of cooperative federalism fails to embrace India’s 2.55 lakh panchayats. At present, we hav...

  Former MLA Thakur Phool Singh once famously remarked, “Indian villages are salt mines, and whosoever comes to work here will be dissolved.” For anyone who has stepped out of the city to work in rural development, this statement holds a heavy, often harsh, truth. Yet, where there is deep-rooted negativity, there is also immense potential for hope and transformation if one is willing to build social capital. The Dream of Rural Reconstruction After retiring from the Government of India in 2015, I had two primary desires. The first was to write a book on rural development—a goal fulfilled with the publication of Rural Local Governance and Development. The second was to work on the ground in an action mode. This led to the creation of the Karpa Foundation Trust and Karpa Farm in a cluster of Gram Panchayats in Saharanpur. Using my own life savings, my wife and I embarked on a journey to facilitate the socio-economic development of these villages through organic farming, training, and ...