Growth of Local Government in India
The growth of local government in India traces back to ancient times when self-governing village communities, known as ‘sabhas’, existed. These evolved into Panchayats, which addressed local issues. In modern times, elected local bodies emerged after 1882, initiated by Lord Rippon. However, progress was slow until the Indian National Congress pushed for more effective local governance. Village Panchayats were established in provinces following the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935.
During India’s freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi advocated for decentralization, emphasizing the importance of empowering village Panchayats for effective governance and participatory democracy. The national movement aimed to decentralize power from the centralized authority in Delhi.
When drafting the Constitution, local government was assigned to the States and mentioned in the Directive Principles as advisory. However, it didn’t receive significant emphasis in the Constitution, partly due to the turmoil of Partition leading to a unitary inclination and concerns about factionalism and caste divisions in rural society.
Despite these concerns, there was recognition of the importance of people’s participation in development planning, with many members of the Constituent Assembly advocating for Village Panchayats as the foundation of democracy while addressing issues such as factionalism.
Local Governments Chapter 8 Class 11 Notes
A Local Government is a body of governance that works at the village/ district level and is the closest to the people, (e.g. Gram Panchayats, Nagarpalikas in India). The local government is involved in the daily lives of individuals living in villages or districts and makes efficient decisions better suited to these people.
This article discusses the Local Government System in India in detail, covering topics from their evolution over time, elections, impact, and the policies that affect Local Governments aka everything important there is to know for Class 11th political science students. Please go through this article properly for a better understanding of the topic.
Table of Content
- Why Local Government?
- Growth of Local Government in India
- Local Governments in Independent India
- 73rd and 74th Amendments
- Implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments
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