Report: Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States—An Indicative Evidence-Based Ranking, 2024; Devolution Index up from 39.9% to 43.9% (2013-14 to 2021-22)
Union government cites a Ministry of Panchayati Raj assessment showing gradual improvement in Panchayat devolution, while State-level disparities in functions, finances, and staff remain.
- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj reviews the performance of Panchayats through studies, review meetings, field visits, video conferencing, and information technology applications.
- State governments retain primary responsibility for laws and implementation relating to Panchayats, including the devolution of funds, functions, and functionaries.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has cited a devolution assessment on Panchayati Raj institutions that places the issue at the centre of local self-government and constitutional decentralisation. The assessment matters because Panchayat empowerment depends not only on elected institutions, but also on the transfer of responsibilities, resources, and administrative capacity from State governments.
What the Constitution provides
Panchayats are a subject in the State List of the Seventh Schedule. They function through State Panchayati Raj Acts, subject to the Constitution. Article 243G empowers a State Legislature to make law for devolution of powers and responsibilities to Panchayats for economic development and social justice, including matters listed in the Eleventh Schedule.
UPSC can ask how Article 243G, the Eleventh Schedule, and State Panchayati Raj Acts shape decentralisation. A mains question can examine why devolution remains uneven across States despite constitutional empowerment of Panchayats.
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