A “Decentralization and Local Self-Government in Uttar Pradesh: Legal Mechanisms for Participatory Governance at the Grassroots”

Abstract

This study examines decentralization and local self-government in Uttar Pradesh with a focus on the legal mechanisms designed to enable participatory governance at the grassroots. It traces the evolution of India’s decentralisation framework from early village institutions and the Directive Principles to the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which established Panchayats and urban local bodies as a constitutional third tier. In Uttar Pradesh, this framework is operationalised through a cluster of state laws, including the Panchayat Raj Act, 1947, the Kshettra Panchayats and Zila Panchayats Adhiniyam, 1961, and the Municipalities and Municipal Corporation Acts, supported by key institutions such as the State Election Commission, State Finance Commission and District Planning Committees. Doctrinal (legal) analysis is combined with secondary literature to assess how far these provisions translate into meaningful citizen participation. The findings indicate a strong formal architecture for local democracy—Gram Sabhas, ward committees, reservations, social audits, and transparency mechanisms such as the Right to Information—yet a persistent gap between constitutional design and practice. Irregular and elite-dominated meetings, partial devolution of functions, funds and functionaries, bureaucratic control and capacity constraints all limit the effective role of citizens in planning, budgeting and monitoring. The paper argues that deepening grassroots democracy in Uttar Pradesh requires not only further legal clarification and strengthening of Gram Sabha and ward committee powers, but also improved financial devolution, sustained capacity-building, and proactive measures to overcome socio-economic and gender-based barriers to participation.