India’s Approach to Tribal Self-Government PANCHAYATI RAJ (Local Governance) in Bhil Communities:: Case Study of Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas (Indigeneous Communities) of Rajasthan (INDIA) under the Panchayats Act, 1996

Rajendra Prasad Joshi

doi:10.63428/wt2hhc43

India’s Approach to Tribal Self-Government PANCHAYATI RAJ (Local Governance) in Bhil Communities:

Case Study of Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas (Indigeneous Communities) of Rajasthan (INDIA) under the Panchayats Act, 1996

Rajendra Prasad Joshi

Volume 16, Number 1 (2025) 16 (1): 47-106

PDF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63428/wt2hhc43

Keywords schedules areas, Panchayati Raj, tribal self-government, Rajasthan, indigenous peoples

Abstract

This article is a condensed version of a case study of Gram Sahas in Scheduled Areas of Rajasthan, India conducted under a University Grants Commission of India sponsorship considering the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). The study arose from the scholarly intent of the researcher to probe into the apparatus created in the wake of the 73rd constitutional amendment with regard to specific provisions for Scheduled Areas in general and Rajasthan in particular.

about
references
related

Authors

Rajendra Prasad Joshi

Published August 14, 2025

How to Cite

India’s Approach to Tribal Self-Government PANCHAYATI RAJ (Local Governance) in Bhil Communities:: Case Study of Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas (Indigeneous Communities) of Rajasthan (INDIA) under the Panchayats Act, 1996. (2025). Fourth World Journal, 16(1), 47-106. https://doi.org/10.63428/wt2hhc43

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

References

Aziz, Abdul, Charles C. Nelson and M. Devendra Babu (1996). Power to the people: The Karnataka experiment, In Abdul Aziz and David D. Arnold (Eds.), Decentralised governance in Asian countries, Sage Publications, New Delhi.

Amal Mandal (2010). Grama Sabha and grassroots governance: The Concept and contour, in Ghosh & Jana (Eds.), Development and disorder: The crisis in governance in the northeast and east of India, South Asian Publishers, New Delhi.

Annamalai, V. (2001). Decentralisation of power in schedule V areas: Interface between Panchayati Raj institutions and line departments. Research Report Series-22, NIRD: Hyderabad.

Purohit, B.R. (2002). Panchayat Raj system in scheduled areas of Madhya Pradesh, in G. Palanithurai (Ed.), Dynamics of new panchayati Raj System in India. Vol. I, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi.

Khanna, B.S. (1994). Panchayati Raj in India (rural local self-government), Deep & Deep Publication, New Delhi.

Burman Roy, B.K. (1995). Panchayati Raj and Tribals, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi.

Chandrasekhar, B.K. (2000). Panchayati Raj in India, Status Report 1999, Task Force on Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi.

Choudhary, R.C., & Jain, S.P. (1999). Strengthening village democracy. NIRD, Hyderabad.

Edward, J. Jay (1970). A Tribal village of India, Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Calcutta.

Fernandes, A. (1999). "Reconnecting the Sabha to Gram," Paper presented at the National Conference on Gramsabha, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, July 28-29.

Palanithurai, G. & Ragupathy, V. (2006). Functional efficiency of grama sabha in Tamil Nadu, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi.

Joshi, G.V. & Shenoy, Jyothi (1995). The Grama Sabha in Karnataka: Some reflections and realities, Quarterly Journal of All India Institute of Local Self Government, XXXVI: 3&4, July-Dec.

Joshi, G.V. (1995). Grama Sabha in Karnataka: A non-starter. Kurukshetra, Vol. XLIII, No. 7, April, p. 113.

Mathew, George (2000). Panchayati Raj in India - An Overview, in George Mathew (Ed.), Status of Panchayati Raj in the states and union territories of India, Institute of Social Science, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi, pp. 2-22.

Matthew, George (1999). Grama Sabha and social audit. Kurukshetra, Vol. 48, October, pp. 25-29.

Mander, Harsh (1999). Towards direct democracy: The legal empowerment of grama sabha, Kurukshetra, Vol. 48, No. 1, October.

Institute of Social Sciences (1994). Status of Panchayati Raj in the states of India, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi.

Manor, James (2001). Madhya Pradesh experiments with direct democracy, Economic and Political Weekly, 36(9).

Joshi, Ramasharan (1984). Tribal islands at deprivation, National Book Shop, Delhi.

Joshi, Satyakam (2003). Study on inclusion of excluded communities for social cohesion through Panchayati Raj in Gujarat, Unpublished Paper.

Kujur, J.M. (2002). Tribal self-rule: Prospects and challenges: A case study of a tribal village in Jharkhand, Social Action, Vol. 52, No. 2, April-June.

Kumar, N. & Thorat, S.K. (n.d.). Contesting views on Panchayat Raj - Ambedkar in the context of 73rd amendment of constitution act, JNU, New Delhi. Unpublished Paper.

Kumaran, K.P. (Ed.). (2000). Impact of Economic Reforms of SCs & STs, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad.

Kuppuswamy, B. (1972). Social change in India, Vikas House, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, U.P.

Kurukshetra. The Monthly Journal of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi: October 1999, March 2001, April 2001, November 2001.

Lal, R.B. A comparative study of traditional Panch and statutory panchayats, Tribal Research and Training Institute, Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad-380014.

Lal, R.B. Sons of the Aravallis: The Garasias, Tribal Research and Training Institute, Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad-380014.

Aslam, M. (1997). Revitalisation of Panchayati Raj in India: Problems & Prospects, Task Force on Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi, July.

Devendra Babu, M. (2006). Working of grama sabhas in Andhra Pradesh: Problems and prospects, Working Paper, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.

Gurusamy, M. (2007). A study of the traditional panchayat and village panchayat in Tamil Nadu, Unpublished, Department of Political Science, Gandhigram Rural University.

Oomen, M.A. (1996). Panchayati Raj Development Report, 1995, Institute of Social Science, New Delhi.

John, M.S. & Chatukulam, Jos (1999). The relationship between grama sabha and grama panchayat, Kurukshetra, Vol. 48, No. 1, October, pp. 4-45.

Mahi Pal (2000). Panchayats in fifth scheduled areas, Economic and Political Weekly, May 6.

Mahi Pal (n.d.). Decentralised governance and marginalised sections: Opportunities and Challenges - A case of India, Unpublished Paper.

Ghatak, Maitreesh & Ghatak, Maitreya (2002). Recent reforms in the panchayat system in West Bengal: Toward greater participatory governance? Economic and Political Weekly, pp. 45-58.

Nambiar, Malini (2001). Making the grama sabha work, Economic and Political Weekly, 36(33), Mumbai.

Mallik, R.M. (1999). Impact of IRDP on KBK districts of Orissa, Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi.

Mander, Harsh (1999). Towards Direct Democracy: The legal empowerment of gram sabha, Kurukshetra, Vol. 48, No. 1, October, New Delhi.

Maurya, R.D. (1996). Tribals and panchayats in Madhya Pradesh, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. Unpublished Report.

Ministry of Panchayat Raj (1998). An action programme for the 11th five-year plan, Government of India.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj (2006). The state of panchayats: A mid-term review and appraisal, Government of India, New Delhi, Vol. I, II & III.

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment - Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas of India.

Mittal, A.C. & Sharma, J.B. (1998 Ed.). Tribal administration and development, Vol. 2, Radha Publications, New Delhi.

Chaudhary, R.C. & Jain, S.P. (1999). Overview of the conference on strengthening village democracy, in Chaudhary & Jain (Eds.), Strengthening Village Democracy: Proceedings of National Conference on Grama Sabha, July 28-29, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, pp. 2-5.

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (1999-2000). Panchayati Raj in India - Status Report, March, New Delhi.

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (1997). Proceedings of national seminar on panchayats, December 22-23, New Delhi.

Rao, Jayaprakash P. Conspiracy of silence: Panchayati Raj in tribal and scheduled areas, Participation and Governance, Vol. 3, No. 6.

Report of the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Twenty-Ninth Report 1986-87.

Narayanasamy, S. (1996). Grama sabha in the new Panchayati Raj system, in G. Palanithurai (Ed.), Empowering People: Issues and Solutions, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, p. 148.

Narayanasamy, S. (1996). Role of grama sabha in the new Panchayati Raj system, Kurukshetra, April.

Singh, S.K. (2005). Self-governance for tribals: Empowerment, gram sabha and social audit, Vol. 4, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad.

Jain, S.P. (1997). The grama sabha: Gateway to grassroots democracy, Journal of Rural Development, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 557-573.

Saxena, N.C. (n.d.). Issues in Panchayats, Journal of Rural Development.

Shah, D.C. & Sisodia, Yatindra Singh (2004). Tribal issues in India, Rawat Publications, Jaipur.

Sharan, S.V. (1998). Panchayati Raj training in Madhya Pradesh: An evaluation, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi.

Sharma, B.D. (c. 2000). The fifth Schedule, Vol. 1, Sahayog Pustak Kuteer Trust, New Delhi.

Sharma, B.D. (n.d.). Tribal Administration & Development, Vol. 2, Radha Publication, New Delhi.