Local Self-Government

The governing structure in India is made up of three tiers – the central government, the state government, and the local self-government. The local self-government is made up of democratically elected representatives of the local people.Two major forms of local self-government exist in India:In the urban areas, that is, in cities and towns, local self-governance is carried out by municipalities and corporations.In the rural areas, that is, in villages, Zila Parishad, block samitis, and panchayats carry out the functions of local self-governance.Local self-government is a form of democratic governance where the participation of even the grass root level of society is encouraged and included.History and Growth of Local Self-Government in IndiaSelf-governing village communities have always existed in India since the earliest of times. Slowly over a period of time, these village bodies were converted to form Panchayats. Panchayats or Panchayati Raj is one of India’s oldest local self-gover...