2. Introduction
Rural local self-government, also known as Panchayati Raj, is the third tier of Indian
federalism. It is made up of three bodies:
• Village or Gram Panchayat
• Panchayat Union or Block Samiti
• District Panchayat or the Zila Panchayat
• The main objective of the Panchayat Raj system is to decentralize the administration, give
more power to the people, and develop rural areas
The 73rd amendment of the Indian Constitution in 1992 established panchayats as local-
self government institutions. The government implemented the new panchayat raj system in
1933. The three-tier Panchayati Raj system is made up of: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat
Samiti, Zila Parishad. The gram panchayat is made up of directly elected representatives,
while the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad are made up of indirectly elected
representatives.