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As far as the Indian sub-continent is concerned local governance/panchayat has an elaborate history. The rural population have for long practiced this system of governing themselves through their representatives. The mode of working and the powers vested in the local bodies, have not been uniform throughout. The federation conferred constitutional status to the local governance bodies in 1993 and this system has progressed in an interesting way. Karnataka, a southern State in India has been ahead of time in enacting legislations dealing with local governance. Even before the amendment inserting provisions to the Constitution of India was passed, Karnataka had and was implementing extravagant laws pertaining to panchayats. Since democracy and decentralisation are closely associated with the panchayats, the idea of representation has a key role to play. The concerns with respect to involvement and influence of political parties in the local body elections are an important aspect as well. This paper ventures out to understand the panchayat system in Karnataka, pre and post the Constitutional amendment. The paper intends to throw light on the essence of the legislations relating to panchayats in Karnataka and understand the idea of democracy, representational factor and the concept of elections on a non-party basis. The researchers have keenly pondered upon the implementation of apolitical elections in Karnataka, the flaws in the proposed phenomenon. The paper also aims to look into hurdles in the way of these local bodies and propose suggestions to get over the same.   Purpose: To Analyze the panchayat system in Karnataka, both before and after the 1993 constitutional amendment. Examine the essence of Karnataka's panchayat-related legislation. Explore the concepts of democracy, representation, and non-party elections in the context of panchayats. Evaluate the implementation of non-partisan elections in Karnataka and identify potential flaws. Analyze the challenges faced by panchayats and propose solutions.   Theoretical Reference: Mainly Doctrinal research methodology. Relies on primary sources like the Indian Constitution, relevant statutes relating to panchayaths, and relevant data. Draws on secondary sources like articles and research papers.   Method: Analyzes relevant legal documents and scholarly works. Analytical Method of Study Comparative Studies in relation to various factors pertaining to the research between the three levels of Panchayat (Gram Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat)   Results and Conclusion: Non-partisan elections in Karnataka are largely theoretical; political parties influence local elections. Political interference hinders effective panchayat functioning. The paper likely proposes recommendations for strengthening panchayats and minimizing political influence.   Implications of Research: Provides insights into the challenges and potential of decentralized governance in India. Informs policymakers and stakeholders about improving panchayat effectiveness. May contribute to debates on non-partisan elections and local democracy.   Originality/Value: The study offers a focused analysis of Karnataka's panchayat system within a specific theoretical framework. Its findings on the limitations of non-partisan elections could be valuable for other regions considering similar approaches.

The literature on forest conservation lacks comparative analyses of decentralisation across different sectors to understand their relative advantages and limitations. This article adopts an ethnographic approach to compare the functioning of two decentralised village-level institutions in the state of West Bengal, India: the forest protection committees created under joint forest management and the gram panchayat, the lowest tier of the panchayati raj institution. The comparative analysis shows that despite their decentralised structure, the village forest protection committees have very little discretionary power relative to the powers exercised by gram panchayats. Gram panchayats have been effective in developing an inclusive and transparent decentralised governance system which retains the support of diverse interest groups within communities and other layers of the state. The study shows that style of decentralisation under joint forest management in West Bengal has been alienating forest-based communities from conservation because their voices remain symbolic in local, state, and national-level policy decisions. The study provides new theoretical and methodological insights for analysing decentralisation by underscoring the importance of criteria such as discretionary power for local decision-making and accountability; local bureaucratic and infrastructure support; and designated physical space in the everyday working of decentralised governance at the village level.

We study the operation of local governments (Panchayats) in rural Maharashtra, India, using a survey that we designed for this end. Elections are freely contested, fairly tallied, highly participatory, non-coerced, and lead to appointment of representative politicians. However, beneath this veneer of ideal democracy we find evidence of deeply ingrained clientelist vote-trading structures maintained through extra-political means. Elite minorities undermine policies that would redistribute income toward the majority poor. We explore the means by which elites use their dominance of land ownership and traditional social superiority to achieve political control in light of successful majoritarian institutional reforms.

This study assesses the impact of NRLM on rural development in Uttarakhand, focusing on changes in livelihood outcomes and the convergence of institutional support. A Livelihood Index comprising five components-human, physical, financial, and social capital, along with food security-was developed using pre- and post-mission data from participant-beneficiaries. Results indicate a significant improvement across all components, with the overall index rising from 37.27 to 45.95. While the mission enhanced participants' income, asset base, decision-making, and financial literacy, institutional linkages varied. Banks showed strong engagement with beneficiaries, whereas other institutions, such as Gram Panchayats, Community Development Blocks, RSETIs, KVKs, and UIRD, had weaker and inconsistent connections. The findings underscore NRLM's positive impact on rural livelihoods but highlight the need for stronger institutional convergence to maximise developmental outcomes.

Floods and river-bank erosion are the most frequent natural hazards in India, specifically in the deltaic regions. In West Bengal, floods and river-bank erosion predominantly affect Malda district as it is located in the moribund part of the Bengal delta. This article studies the recent trend of shifting course of the River Ganga and the effects of floods and consequent river-bank erosion on livelihoods of the residents of chars [The chars (called Diara in the upper reaches of the Gangetic plains) are virgin, low-lying river islands and sand bars occurring in the plains, particularly the deltaic parts of rivers (Lahiri-Dutt and Samanta, South Asia: J South Asia Stud 30:327–350, 2007).] and river-bank areas of Manikchak block in the Malda district. Around 300 sample households were selected by random stratified sampling technique from four gram panchayats of Manikchak block. Both primary and secondary data have been used. After analysing satellite images from the year 1973 to 2018, it has been observed that the River Ganga continues to shift eastwards and is eroding villages one after another. Inhabitants face multidimensional obstacles to run their households. Large numbers of people are displaced every year due to loss of land. Failure in facilitating the required assistance in the form of alternative spaces for resettlement and other disaster-mitigating public support systems against these hazards would make it impossible for the deplorable condition of the vulnerable people to improve.

The Panchayat institution represents a resilient matrix of local self-governance and conflict resolution in rural India. Contemporary scholarship increasingly recognises Panchayat-driven mediation as a pragmatic pathway that channels customary authority into structured alternative dispute resolution (ADR) frameworks, alleviating court congestion and widening the reach of legal redress. Grounded in constitutional decentralisation and enriched by centuries of village-level jurisprudence, this article situates Panchayat mediation within modern access-to-justice debates, clarifies its research agenda, and maps the methodological scaffolding that underpins subsequent analysis. This article examines the ground reality of the existing Panchayat regime in the district of Sonipat, Haryana, to analyse the efficacy of the existing regime and the motivations that drive individuals to seek recourse to the court system. This article aims to provide suggestions that help the panchayat system and the Indian courts complement and supplement each other effectively.  

Socioeconomic backwardness represents the antithesis of development, characterized by the inability to meet essential needs and limited access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities within a society or region. This study delves into the multifaceted factors contributing to socioeconomic backwardness, employing a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach to address this complexity. Fourteen socio-economic, demographic, and educational indicators are analyzed to assess backwardness, with their relative importance determined using the Entropy Weight Method (EWM). The study focuses on 31 Gram Panchayats (GPs) within the Sali watershed, ranking them based on their degree of backwardness to enable targeted policy interventions. The Weighted Sum Method (WSM), Weighted Product Method (WPM), and Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) were applied to rank the GPs. Based on these analyses, Lachhmanpur, Patrasayer, Gobindadham, Mankanali, and Bhaktabundh were identified as the most backward GPs, with backwardness scores ranging from 0.70 to 0.85. Conversely, Hamirhati, Pearbera, Dhulai, Hat-asuria, and Dihipara emerged as the most developed, with scores ranging between 0.15 and 0.30. Key factors driving backwardness included the prevalence of scheduled tribe populations (over 40% in highly backward GPs), unirrigated land areas (exceeding 60% of total land), and the presence of disabled household members (greater than 15% of households in backward GPs). The results highlight pronounced spatial inequalities in the Sali watershed, driven by agricultural dependency, poor irrigation infrastructure, and limited socioeconomic opportunities. To mitigate backwardness, the study recommends poverty alleviation, employment generation, community development, infrastructure upgrades, land use planning, improved irrigation, and agricultural support initiatives.

Multi-Sectoral Action (MSA) for health involves the collaboration of various stakeholder groups within and beyond the health sector and is seen to be critical for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. In Kerala, India, decentralisation reforms have been in place for some time, and we sought to characterise the roles specifically played by locally elected representatives or Local Self-Government (LSG) members, in relation to MSA. Between July and October 2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with 80 participants from four districts in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Participants were community leaders, healthcare professionals, public health officials and elected members of LSG bodies. After obtaining written informed consent, participants were interviewed about the roles of various stakeholders in implementing primary care reforms with a particular focus on MSA at the grassroots level. The interviews were recorded, translated into English, and thematically analysed by the research team using ATLAS.ti 9.1 software. Participants ranged in age from 35 to 60 years. LSGs played a number of critical MSA roles, including being a gatekeeper for local action; coordinator of departments, sectors and actors (departments of health, revenue, labour, and education departments as well as volunteers); custodian of community, particularly those 'left behind,' crisis manager, team builder and advocate even for communities for which they did not have direct responsibility. LSGs were widely seen by implementers as central figures in coordinating MSA for health in Kerala, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in relation to 'left behind' groups. The multiplicity of roles played by LSGs suggests the need for flexibility on the one hand as well as the plurality of roles on the other hand, which may be necessary to enable convergence and MSA, particularly at local levels.

Public Libraries located in West Bengal are important institutions and tools of the society. Disseminating knowledge of the society is a great challenge for the Public Library and its duty is not limited to just issuing and reissuing books. The Government of West Bengal has appointed 184 retired Librarians considering their importance and efficiency of their work4. The present study conducted in South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal among 20 Librarians, 40 School teachers and 40 Gram Panchayat members has assimilated their opinion about women empowerment through public services scheme, Kanyashree Prakalpa (K.P). The main aim of the study is to evaluate the role of Public Libraries, School teachers and Gram Panchayats in womens empowerment through K.P. As a result, this Kanyashree project creates a great opportunity for the socio- economic empowerment of girls. The study also found that the role of Public Library is undoubtedly much deeper in empowering women.

Groundwater quality was evaluated with a special emphasis on fluoride (F − ) and iron (Fe) concentration, hydrogeochemical facies and suitability in terms of potability and irrigation (n = 32) was assessed in the mixed Ferricrete and Calcrete bearing region under 11 Gram-Panchayats in Gangarampur Block situated in South Dinajpur District of state of West Bengal in India in 2020. F − and Fe concentrations were beyond safe limits for drinking water (> 1.0 mg L −1 ) in 81.3% and 59.4% samples, respectively. Maximum recorded F − concentration was 4.6 mg L −1 while the lowest was 0.7 mg L −1 while Fe was 0.2–3.9 mg L −1 . Nitrate (NO 3 − ) concentration (13.4‒39.4 mg L −1 ) was found to be high vis a vis the reported levels of NO 3 in some other regions of West Bengal but was always lower than the prescribed safe limit (45 mg L −1 ) for drinking water. Non-carcinogenic risk posed by F − exposure breached the Hazard Quotent limit in almost all samples for children (< 20 years) and adults (20–70 years) in the study area. A newly modified vulnerability assessment method was introduced and found 3 GPs amongst 11 GPs in the study area were highly vulnerable while 3 and 1 GPs respectively came under low and very low vulnerable areas. In the domain irrigation water quality, 62.5, 34.4, 25, 18.75 and samples were not found suitable for irrigating crops in terms of Permeability Index, Soluble Sodium Percentage, Residual Sodium Carbonate and Kelly’s Index, respectively.