Strengthening Democratic Processes through Enhancing People’s Participation in Gram Sabha

ABSTRACT Gram Sabha is the institutionalized foundation for a decentralized participatory democracy. However, Gram Sabhas are not yet functional enough to accomplish their role in the making of a vibrant Indian democracy. The main reasons seem to be the lack of people’s participation, lack of awareness amongst the elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, ritualistic conduct of the Gram Sabha meetings, poor information communication, sparse attendance in the Gram Sabha meetings, and a lack of clear understanding amongst the people about the importance and the functions of the Gram Sabha. Thus, there is a need to strengthen the Gram Sabha by increasing the participation of members in the meetings so that they can directly participate in governance. This paper highlights the present scenario of Gram Sabha and ways for increasing people’s participation in this Constitutional body.