Panchayat

Panchayat is a form of local government in the Indian subcontinent, typically a council of elected representatives at the village or small-town level. The name derives from Sanskrit panch, meaning five, and ayat, assembly or council; historically, a panchayat was a council of five elders serving as arbitrators or community decision-makers.

In modern India, the Panchayati Raj system was established by the 73rd Amendment Act of 1992, which provides constitutional status to Panchayats and creates a three-tier structure: gram panchayat at the village level, panchayat samiti at the block level, and zilla parishad at the district level. The gram sabha, consisting of all adult residents, acts as a deliberative body. Members are elected, with reservations for women and for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Elections are held every five years, and the bodies are funded through grants from higher levels of government as well as local revenues.

Functions and powers typically include local planning and development, construction and maintenance of infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, health and primary education, welfare programs, and maintenance of public records. Panchayats coordinate with state or provincial governments to implement schemes and programs at the village level and to manage local resources and services.

Variants and reach: The panchayat form exists in different countries with varying authority. In India it is a foundational component of rural governance under the federal framework; in other South Asian countries such as Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, local governance structures exist with different names and configurations. The term panchayat is also used for informal village councils or community organizations in some regions.