Challenges and Opportunities for Effective Decentralization in India’s Panchayati Raj System: A Comparative Perspective

Abstract

India’s Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), established by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment of 1992, aim to decentralize governance and empower rural communities. This paper evaluates challenges and opportunities for effective decentralization, comparing experiences in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. Drawing on two key studies and additional literature, it identifies elite capture, bureaucratic resistance, and inadequate devolution as major barriers, while highlighting successes in participatory planning and empowerment. Recommendations focus on enhancing devolution, reforming bureaucracy, and promoting social inclusion to strengthen PRIs.