| dc.description.abstract | DECENTRALISATION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN INDIA - A CASE STUDY FROM RAJASTHAN
(Desentralisering til lokalstyrer i India - et case study fra Rajasthan)
The research question
"What are the powers of panchayats in Rajasthan in relation to decentralisation?"
The background
This thesis is based on a fieldwork in Rajasthan, more specifically in Jaipur district. The purpose of the study was to explore the powers of local government in Rajasthan in relation to decentralisation. The three-tiered system of local government in India is known as "panchayati raj", the rule of village councils.
Rajasthan is a state which was one of India's princely states prior to Independence. It has feudal traditions, and has been the site of many wars through the centuries. Nowadays, it is among the lesser developed states in India. Average incomes are low and the rates of illiteracy and child mortality are high. Like many other states, Rajasthan has a tradition of village government in the form of a council of elders, but the present system of elected local government is very different in content from the traditional "panchayati raj", rule of the panchayats.
The method
The method used is a qualitative case study to describe the political process and decisionmaking in the panchayati raj institutions. In this case it means using unstandardized interviews with local politicians, officials and voters to illuminate how much influence these institutions have.
This is presented as a case study. The case study can not be used to generalize about the universe of local government units - as a single sample it can only be used for theoretical generalisation.
The theoretical perspective
Two concepts were central in the exploration of this subject - decentralisation and power. Power may be defined as an actor's (or a unit's) ability to impose his will in a given situation. Decentralisation entails the subdivision of a states territory into smaller areas and the creation of political and administrative institutions in those areas.
In this study, decentralisation refers to the territorial distribution of power. It is concerned with the extent to which power and authority are dispersed through the geographical hierarchy of the state, and the institutions and processes through which such dispersal occurs.
Centralisation and decentralisation can be seen as two unachievable ideal types that represent opposite ends of a spectrum. The real situation in a system is usually somewhere in between these two extremes.
Power relations are seen in the context of decentralisation. Here, the magnitude of panchayats' power in comparison to other organisations at local and other levels is emphasised. The scope of their activity is also regarded as an important factor in determining the power of panchayats in the context of decentralisation. Since power was viewed in the context of decentralisation, the dynamics of the power relationships within for example village panchayats, like which groups dominate the panchayats and who participate most actively is a secondary area of interest.
The analysis
At the core of my enquiry was an interest in what panchayats are all about, what they do, who participates in them and how much powers they actually have. The overall pattem of decentralisation is drawn by looking at the relationships between levels and between actors at local level. This is seen in terms of inter-level relations, i.e. the central-state-local axis, and intra level relations, i.e. power relations between the three-tiered system and between these political bodies and other actors at local level.
How much does the state government affect the decisions made in panchayats? What impact does the central government have on local autonomy? Another interesting issue is the effect that the highly centralised union government has on the state government's desire and ability to delegate powers to local institutions.
At local level, what are the comparative powers of the three-tiers of the panchayats? What other officials or organisations exercise power at local level? It is important to have a clear picture of alternative holders of power in the areas examined so as to be able to find a tentative answer to the main research question:
"What are the powers of panchayats in Rajasthan in relation to decentralisation?"
After a skeletal answer to this question is outlined, a more detailed "fleshed out" analysis of various indicators of central-state-local relations follows. This includes a section on decisionmaking on service delivery, problems in the relationship with the administration, the degree of financial autonomy, political party involvement in local politics and institutionalisation. | nor |