Devolution Index for Panchayats: State Rankings and Gaps
Why in the news
A report from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Indian Institute of Public Administration offered a state-wise Devolution Index (DI) of how far power reaches local bodies.
Key facts
- Measures: institutional framework, financial strength, capacity building and accountability of PRIs.
- Scores: overall devolution 39.9% (2013-14) to 43.9% (2021-22).
- Best: Karnataka (72.23), with Kerala and Tamil Nadu also strong; weak: Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab.
- Biggest movers in a decade: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Concerns
- Money: own revenue of gram panchayats is tiny; even Kerala, the highest, had 2.84% share of state own revenue in 2021-22. An RBI study put PRI revenue spending under 0.6% of GSDP in every state.
- Capacity: staff shortages and poor physical and digital infrastructure, notably in the northeast and hill states.
- Representation: Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and J&K fall short of women’s reservation, while Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh exceed it; no accountability mechanism.
Way forward
- Rotate reserved seats once in two or three terms.
- Common electoral rolls for Lok Sabha, Assembly, municipal and GP polls.
- Constitute SFCs on time; give GPs power to tax properties.
- Recruit and train staff; set up a local government ombudsman.