Democratic Decentralization and Social Inclusion: Evaluating Panchayati Raj Institutions in Empowering Scheduled Castes — Evidence from Field Studies of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Abstract

Abstract: The 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992) provided for a revolutionary framework for democratic decentralization in India by constitutionalizing the three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) system and providing reservations to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and women. More than three decades since this landmark amendment, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the quality of SC empowerment on the grassroots level. The present article provides the findings of the field-based mixed-method study, funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), that examines the degree to which PRIs serve as real vehicles of social inclusion for Scheduled Castes in Gaya and Rohtas Districts in Bihar, and in Sonbhadra and Ghazipur districts in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Structured surveys with 400 respondents of SC community (200 in Bihar, 200 in UP) along with the key-informant interviews with elected representatives, field observations and secondary analysis of government data and census data provide the answer to this question. It turns out that while reservation significantly boosts the presence of SC in PRIs, especially in UP, where the political mobilization of Dalits is relatively strong, substantive empowerment is still hindered by the existing caste hierarchy, intermediary role of dominant castes in governance, low attendance in Gram Sabha meetings (32/200 in Bihar, 19/200 in UP), and inadequate institutional capacity of PRIs. Bihar demonstrated relatively better performance in such welfare spheres as toilets and housing construction, whereas UP showed better political awareness and reservation awareness. This study concludes that while the constitutionalization is an important precondition for empowering Scheduled Castes, it is not enough by itself; urgent reforms in terms of administrative support, institutional capacity-building, accountability, and community awareness of their rights are required to ensure that formal representation would lead to actual social inclusion..