Number theory: Three decades of India’s decentralisation venture

A complete understanding of decentralisation in India must engage with the question of who is getting elected to office and what hinders the capacity of the local bodies to carry out the tasks entrusted to them. To be sure, difference in population per representative unit is also observed at the level of Lok Sabha and state legislatures, with northern states showing a much higher number than southern and other smaller states. Asymmetry in representation per panchayat is different from the first and second tiers of legislatures PREMIUM Despite being the world’s largest democracy, India’s track record in providing equal representation to women continues to disappoint. {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} For example, in states like Kerala and West Bengal, the average population per panchayat is above 18,000, while this number is under 3,000 for a state like Uttar Pradesh. Panchayati Raj has been far more successful in giving women a fair share of representation {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} Despite being the world’s largest democracy, India’s track record in providing equal representation to women continues to disappoint.