Local self-government in India: A critical analysis through the lens of democratic decentralization

Title

Local self-government in India: A critical analysis through the lens of democratic decentralization

Creator

Joseph, Jipson; Pandey, Ananya

Description

Local Self-Government (LSG) existed in a variety of forms throughout India. LSG was seen as an effective form of day-to-day management and administration in rural areas in India. This ensured a democratic form of administration even during the time of monarchs. Although it had a setback during the Muslim and British rulers period, it continued to exist. Gandhi raised his voice for increased decentralization and self-rule of the villages. Although the Constitution did not provide such an option, many committees opined that the local governance should be entrusted to the local people. Accordingly, LSG got constitutional recognition through the 73rd and 74th Amendments in 1992. It provided a three-tier system of governance at the regional level as well. Using analytical and critical lenses, this chapter examines the functioning of the constitutionally established LSG model through the lens of democratic decentralization to expose how far it has achieved its objective. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.

Source

Structure, Autonomy, and Policy Impacts of Local Public Administrations;pp.167-189

Date

01-01-2025

Publisher

IGI Global

Coverage

Joseph J., Christ University, Bengaluru, India; Pandey A., Christ University, Bengaluru, India

Rights

Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library

Relation

ISBN: 979-833735578-8; 979-833735576-4;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Book chapter

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-5576-4.ch007

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012917357?origin=resultslist