Redefining rural local decentralisation: an analysis of india’s asymmetrical federal units

Policies without a definite structure often plant hope in the eyes of the poor but fail to bear fruit in the long run. The actual working of Panchayats in India has been criticised for failing to meet the standards of the effectiveness of policy implementation, inclusiveness, and transparency. With PRIs as decorative ornaments and decentralisation, not quite the reality as the vision was, the federal structure of India further makes the implementation of policy reforms significantly difficult. The author uses the deductive approach which is substantiated by historical analysis to understand decentralisation. Therefore, this paper seeks to connect the dots between ineffective rural local governments and asymmetries in the federal structure of India. Additionally, the paper aims to act as a significant piece of literature that analyzes the trends in political-economic decentralisation in rural India and serve as a standpoint for further research.