Tata India at 02:11, 25 March 2022

2022-03-25T02:11:57Z

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{{other uses|Panchayat (disambiguation)}}
{{short description|Local self-government organisation in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox political system
|name=Gram-panchayat
|government=* Local government
|type=Local government institute
|legislature=Gram-sabha<ref name="GoI 73rd Amdt">{{cite web |title=The Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992 |url=http://legislative.gov.in/constitution-seventy-third-amendment-act-1992 |date=21 March 2018 |website=Government of India – Ministry of Law and Justice – Legislative Department |access-date=4 December 2020}}</ref>
|native_name=
|part_of=Panchayat Raj system<ref>{{cite web |title=Gram Sabha and its Functions |url=https://www.manifestias.com/2020/05/14/gram-sabha-and-its-functions/#:~:text=Gram%20Sabha%20is%20the%20Sabha%20of%20the%20electorate.&text=Persons%2C%20those%20who%20are%20above,the%20members%20of%20Gram%20Sabha |date=14 May 2020 |website=www.manifestias.com |access-date=4 December 2020}}</ref><ref name="GoI 73rd Amdt" />
}}
{{Politics of India}}

'''Gram Panchayat''' (English: Village council) is a basic village governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general body of the Gram Panchayat. The members of the Gram Panchayat are elected by the Gram Sabha.<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj">{{Cite web |title=Panchayati Raj System in India {{!}} Definition, Examples, Diagrams |url=https://www.toppr.com/en-in/content/concept/panchayati-raj-system-in-india-204086 |website=www.toppr.com |language=en |access-date=4 December 2020}}</ref>

There are about 250,000 Gram Panchayats in India.<ref name=Chaturvedi>{{cite book|last1=Chaturvedi|first1=Mahesh Chandra|title=India's waters.|date=2012|publisher=CRC Press|location=Boca Raton, Florida|isbn=978-1439872833|page=74|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b39UVL6nO_0C&q=how+many+grampanchayats+in+india&pg=PA74|access-date=14 July 2015}}</ref><ref name=scroll>{{cite web |title=Ground Rules |url=http://scroll.in/article/706266/two-village-councils-have-governance-lessons-for-the-rest-of-india |website=[[Scroll.in]] |access-date=4 December 2020}}</ref>

== History ==
Established in various states of India, the Panchayat Raj system has three tiers: [[District council (India)|Zila Parishad]], at the district level; Nagar Palika, at the block level; and Gram Panchayat, at the village level. Rajasthan was the first state to establish Gram Panchayat, Nagur village being the first village where Gram Panchayat was established, on 2 October 1959.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Panchayati Raj - History|url=http://www.rajpanchayat.rajasthan.gov.in/en-us/aboutus/history.aspx#:~:text=Th%20e%20system%20later%20came,held%20in%20September|access-date=2020-12-01|website=www.rajpanchayat.rajasthan.gov.in}}</ref>

The failed attempts to deal with local matters at the national level caused, in 1992, the reintroduction of Panchayats for their previously used purpose as an organisation for local self-governance.<ref name=DC>{{cite web |last=Sapra |first=Ipsita |title=Living in the villages |url=http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/after-25-years-elected-village-councils-india-democracy-still-needs-be-deepened |website=[[D+C Development and Cooperation]]|department=Rural Democracy |date=February 2013 |access-date=24 April 2015}}</ref>

==Structure==
Gram Panchayats are at the lowest level of [[Panchayati raj|Panchayat Raj institutions]] (PRIs), whose legal authority is the [[Local self-government in India#The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act|73rd Constitutional Amendment]] of 1992, which is concerned with rural local governments.<ref>{{cite book |authors=Benoy Banerjee; Irfaan Khan; Rajeev Kumar |display-authors=etal |chapter=Chapter Eight: Local Governments |title=India Constitution at Work: Textbook in Political Science for Class XI |url=https://schools.aglasem.com/ncert/ncert-books-class-11-political-science-indian-constitution-at-work-chapter-8/ |date=2006 |website=Aglasem.com |publisher=[[National Council of Educational Research and Training]] |isbn=81-7450-550-4 |access-date=29 August 2020}}</ref>
* ''Panchayat at District (or apex) Level''
* ''Panchayat at Intermediate Level''
* ''Panchayat at Base Level''

The Gram Panchayat is divided into wards and each ward is represented by a Ward Member or Commissioner, also referred to as a Panch or Panchayat Member, who is directly elected by the villagers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aDoppmCmeqUC&q=sarpanch|title=Citizen Participation in Rural Development|last=Seetharam|first=Mukkavilli|date=1 January 1990|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=9788170992271|page=34|language=en}}</ref> The Panchayat is chaired by the president of the village, known as a [[Sarpanch]]. The term of the elected representatives is five years. The Secretary of the Panchayat is a non-elected representative, appointed by the state government, to oversee Panchayat activities.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xKEQxEtNR-AC&q=village%2520ward%2520member&pg=PA117|title=Social Science|publisher=Vk Publications|isbn=9788179732144|page=117|language=en}}</ref>

===Meetings===
According to Section. 6 (3) of the ''[[Panchayati Raj Act|Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act of 1994]]'', that state's gram sabha has to conduct a meeting at least twice a year.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 |url=http://www.lawsofindia.org/pdf/andhra_pradesh/1994/1994AP13.pdf |date=2002 |at=Section 6.(3) |website=Lawsofindia.org |access-date=30 September 2015}}</ref>

== Election ==
A Gram panchyat's term of office is five years. Every five years elections take place in the village. All people over the age of 18 who are residents of the territory of that village's Gram panchayat can vote.<ref>https://vikaspedia.in/social-welfare/community-power/role-of-gram-sabha/what-is-gram-sabha</ref><ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj" />

For [[women's empowerment]] and to encourage participation of women in the democratic process, the government of India has set some restrictions on Gram panchayat elections, reserving one-third of the seats for women, as well as reserving seats for [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|scheduled castes and tribes]].<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj" />

== Functions ==

* '''Administrative functions'''
** Public work and welfare functions, such as maintenance, repair and construction of roads, drains, bridges, and wells.
** Install and maintain street lamps.<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj" />
** Provide primary education.
* '''Social and Economic functions''' (not obligatory)
** Construct libraries, marriage halls, etc.
** Establish and run fair-price shops and cooperative credit societies.
** Establish of gardens, ponds, and orchards.<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj" />
* '''Judicial functions''' (Nyaya Panchayat; the state judicial service decides jurisdiction.)
** Ensure quick and inexpensive justice.
** Can impose fines up to Rs. 100.
** Not represented by lawyers.<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj" />

==See also==
* [[Binodpur Gram Panchayat]]
* [[Caste panchayat]]
* [[Khap]]
* [[Lambardar]]
* [[Zaildar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.panchayat.gov.in website of Ministry of Panchayati Raj] [[Government of India]]
*{{cite news|url=http://www.indiatogether.org/2003/apr/gov-kardcrefm.htm|title=Ugly duckling to swan|author=Subramaniam Vincent|publisher=India Together|date=28 February 2002}}
*[http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/rpande/papers/politics.pdf "Indian local governments" (Harvard University)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160609164208/http://www.nbkeduit.in/ "Indian local governments" (National Backward Krishi Vidyapeeth Solapur in India)]
{{Local government in India}}

{{Uttarakhand}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gram Panchayat}}
[[Category:Panchayati raj (India)]]
[[Category:Fifth-level administrative divisions by country]]
[[Category:Gram panchayats in India| ]]

Gram panchayat - Revision history

Tata India at 02:11, 25 March 2022