Panchayati Raj, as a system of governance at the grass roots level in rural India, has been rightly conceived as the most viable and proper mechanism of realizing goals of democracy and decentralization. The current debate is not on its desirability but on strengthening it by identifying its weaknesses and taking care of the lacunae which are still there is spite of its constitutionalization through the historical 73 Constitution Amendment Act. It is now almost a decade since Panchayati Raj in India was not only constitutionalized in the true sense of the term but also given a status which instigated a debate on ‘district government’ and creation of the third tier of federal polity in India. Likewise, empowerment of women and weaker sections, through a well-devised system of reservation, has not only brought about a change in the socio-political culture of these sections of society but has also led to a virtual transformation of the rural scene where people have increasingly become aware of their rights and have started demanding their share in power. In fact, rural India today has become the embodiment of a new revolution which seeks to provide a much needed direction to the polity and thereby making democracy and decentralization vibrant and feasible for those who deserve it most.
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