🏛️Panchayat Raj System

In the previous lesson, we examined important agricultural projects and schemes that shaped India’s rural development landscape. Now we turn to the institutional framework that delivers governance at the grassroots — the Panchayat Raj System.

The Panchayat Raj system is India’s framework of local self-governance at the village, block, and district levels. It was introduced to decentralize administration and bring governance closer to the people — ensuring that development programmes are planned and implemented with direct community participation rather than top-down directives from Delhi or state capitals.

This lesson covers:

1. Origin and committees — Balwant Rai Mehta and Ashok Mehta recommendations
2. Three-tier structure — Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad
3. Key functionaries — Gram Sevak, BDO, and Collector roles
4. Exam one-liners — high-yield facts for IBPS AFO and NABARD

All sections are frequently tested in AFO and NABARD Grade A exams.

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Origin and Committees

The Panchayat Raj system emerged from India’s need to decentralize rural governance. Two landmark committees shaped its design — one proposing a three-tier model, the other suggesting a simplified two-tier alternative for smaller districts.

Balwant Rai Mehta Committee

• Recommended by the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1956-58), which evaluated the Community Development Programme (1952) and National Extension Service (1953) and found they lacked popular participation
• First started at Nagaur, Rajasthan on October 2, 1959 — the date was chosen to honour Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, symbolizing grassroots empowerment
• The basic unit of PRI (Panchayati Raj Institution) is the Gram Sabha — the assembly of all registered voters in a village, which legitimizes every decision the Gram Panchayat takes
• The basic operational unit for rural development is the Block — because most government schemes are administered and funded at the block level through the BDO’s office

Ashok Mehta Committee

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Three Tiers of Panchayat Raj

The standard Panchayat Raj structure operates at three levels — village, block, and district. Each tier has a distinct role: the village tier handles local governance, the block tier coordinates development programmes, and the district tier oversees planning and fund allocation.

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1. Gram Panchayat (Village Level)

• Primary unit of local self-government — handles sanitation, drinking water, local roads, and welfare schemes at the village level
• Panchayat is a cabinet of village elders, directly elected by adult citizens of the village through universal adult franchise
• Secretary of Gram Panchayat: Gram Sevak — a government-appointed official (not elected) who maintains records, implements schemes, and serves as the link between the village and higher administrative levels
• The Gram Sevak is the grassroots-level extension functionary who links the village to government programmes — this makes the role critical for agricultural extension delivery

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2. Panchayat Samiti (Block Level)

• Second tier of administration at the Block level — acts as the bridge between village panchayats and the district administration
• Consists of:
  • Panchayat Union Chairman
  • Presidents of all Panchayats in the area
  • Local MLAs, MLCs, MPs (with right to vote, but not to hold office — this restriction prevents state/national politicians from dominating local governance)
  • Nominated persons
• Block Development Officer (BDO) is appointed by the government and functions as the leader of the Block — the BDO is a career civil servant who ensures continuity of administration regardless of elected leadership changes
• BDO coordinates all development programmes at the block level, including agricultural extension, rural employment schemes, and infrastructure projects

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3. Zila Parishad (District Level)

• Third tier of Panchayat Raj functioning at the district level — the apex body in the three-tier structure
• Key functions:
  • Approves budget and plans of the blocks — ensuring resources are allocated based on local priorities
  • Allots funds to the blocks — channeling central and state government grants to block-level implementation
  • Coordinates and supervises block-level activities — reviews progress of schemes and resolves inter-block issues
• Head of Zila Parishad: Collector — the District Collector (also called District Magistrate) heads the Zila Parishad, combining elected local governance with the authority of the district administration

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Key One-Liners for Exam

• Panchayat Raj was first implemented in Nagaur, Rajasthan on 2nd October 1959
• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee recommended 3-tier PRI (1956-58)
• Ashok Mehta Committee recommended 2-tier PRI (1978) for districts with population below 2 lakh
• Basic unit of PRI = Gram Sabha
• Basic unit of rural development = Block
• Participatory development approach is also called Bottom-up approach
• The most preferred work in extension is Democratic

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Summary Cheat Sheet