Panchayats and building of model villages

India's Panchayati Raj institutions are constitutional bodies that have been providing space for communities to identify their needs, resources, planning, implementation, and monitoring. These village councils also assist in the political empowerment of the lower castes, tribals, and women. Interestingly, after India's constitutional amendments for the decentralization of governance, some of the states, like Kerala, and many Gram Panchayats in different parts of the country, have excelled in terms of human and social development. When the experiences of these panchayats are examined, it is revealed that this has been happening because of: the participatory planning from the below, devolution of funds, functions and functionaries, self-generation and productive usage of the resources, and effective participation of the community. This book, which is a compilation of the model Gram Panchayats from different parts of the country, can be used as an excellent guide for spreading the message to build further model panchayats within India.