• Under Panchayat Raj system the lowest unit is Gram Sabha.
  
• A Gram Sabha consists of members that include every adult of the village. It is generally formed in villages with the population at least exceeding 1500 people.
  
• Gram panchayats are the active units of Panchayat Raj System because it helps in levying and collecting taxes.
  
• Gram panchayats have the power to collect irrigation tax from State Tube wells and to impose a surcharge on land revenue.
  

Zilla panchayat is also called as district council. It is the third tier of Panchayat Raj system which is functional at the district level. Head of the Zilla panchayat is chairperson.

In order to decentralize power and to make the policies available to the people of even remote areas government has introduced a three-tier system of local governing bodies in the rural areas.

Municipality which is also called as Nagar Palika, Municipal Council or Municipal Corporation is a local self-governing body. These are found in the towns. Head of a municipality is Mayor

Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar were not very comfortable with the idea of panchayat system because they felt that faction and caste-ridden nature of rural society would defeat the noble purpose of local government at the rural level.

• In India, seats are reserved for women in Panchayat Raj bodies which are local self-governing bodies.
  
• According to 73rd amendment, out of the total number of seats to be filled by the direct elections for local self-governing bodies, 1/3rd have to be reserved for women.
  

According to the census of India, an urban area should have following characteristics:

• A minimum population of 5,000.
  
• At least 75 percent of the working population engaged in non-agricultural occupations.
  
• A density of population of at least 400 persons per sq. km is required.
  

The Indian Administrative Service is the All India administrative civil service. Indian Administrative Services is the permanent bureaucracy in India. It forms an inseparable part of the executive branch of the Government of India. A person of the Indian Administrative Services is appointed to various posts in the State and Central Governments, and in Municipal Corporation, and Public Sector Undertakings. They are responsible for the law and order situation of the city along with general administration and development work of the areas under their charge.

In order to decentralise power and to make the policies available to the people of even remote areas government has introduced three tier system of local governing bodies in the rural areas.

Village panchayats are the basic units of panchayat Raj system. These village panchayats became central to the ideological framework of India's national movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

• This committee suggested for constitutional recognition of Panchayat Raj System.
  
• The 72^nd and 73^rd constitutional amendment belong to rural area local self-government. They came to force in the year 1991.
  
• Constitutional amendment by which rural self-government was constitutionally recognized is the 72nd amendment.
  
• According to 73rd amendment out of the total number of seats to be filled by the direct elections for local self-governing bodies, 1/3rd have to be reserved for women.
  

National Institute Of Rural Development is an Indian Institute for research in rural development, located In Rajendranagar near Hyderabad.

In order to decentralize power and to make the policies available to the people of even remote areas government has introduced a three-tier system of local governing bodies in the rural areas.

The advantages of decentralization of power include:

• Reduces the burden on top executives
  
• Executive Development
  
• Better control and supervision.
  

Though decentralisation of powers through local self-governing bodies have been proved to be helpful in many ways it has following disadvantages

• Uniform policies not followed
  
• Problem of Co-Ordination
  
• Conflict among different governing bodies and also within 
  

The Community Development Programme was started in India just after independence (1952). It was a multi-project programme, with the aim of an overall development of rural people. This programme consisted of agriculture, animal husbandry, irrigation, cooperation, public health, education, social education, communication, village industries etc.

Panchayati Raj institutions are intended to strengthen the indicative planning.

In order to decentralize power and to make the policies available to the people of even remote areas government has introduced a three-tier system of local governing bodies in the rural areas. These local governing bodies were initiated during the time of Lord Rippon.

• In order to decentralize power and to make the policies available to the people of even remote areas government has introduced a three-tier system of local governing bodies in the rural areas.
  
• Rural local government or Panchayat raj consists of Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, and Gram Panchayats.
  

• The 72^nd and 73^rd constitutional amendments belong to rural area local self-government.
  
• Constitutional amendment by which rural self-government were constitutionally recognized is 72nd amendment. This amendment received president’s assent in April 1993.
  
• According to 73rd amendment out of the total number of seats to be filled by the direct elections for local self-governing bodies, 1/3rd have to be reserved for women.
  

• P. K. Thungon Committee was appointed during the time of Rajiv Gandhi in the year 1988.
  
• This committee suggested for constitutional recognition of Panchayat Raj System.
  

The finances required by the local governing bodies for the development of respective areas are provided by state finance commission.

• An urban area is also called as a city which has, most of the population with non-agricultural occupations.
  
• According to the data provided by the census of 2011, the percentage of Indian population living in urban areas is 31%.
  

The amendment, related to Nagarpalikas or urban local governments is 74th amendment. This came into force from 1st June

1. It has given constitutional status to the municipalities and brought them under the justifiable part of the constitution.

Following are the objectives of providing financial aid to the Panchayats:

• Drinking water supply, cleaning and maintenance facilities.
  
• Maintenance of public lamp posts, roads, drainage system, cleanliness programmes, primary schools and maintenance of other public assets.
  
• Construction of Gramin Kisan Bazaar and Livestock Markets.
  

• Powers, responsibilities, and authority of panchayats are detailed in the article 243G of Indian constitution.
  
• This article endows powers on panchayat raj bodies to prepare and implement the plans for social and economic development.