Panchayat Raj

Context: The Supreme Court has requested a comprehensive report from States and High Courts on the establishment and functioning of Gram Nyayalayas Overview: Definition: Gram Nyayalayas are village courts deemed to be Courts of Judicial Magistrate of First Class, having civil and criminal jurisdiction to resolve minor disputes at the …

The PESA Act 1996 was enacted to empower Scheduled Tribes by recognizing them as key political stakeholders. Historical Background: Tribal communities in India have faced marginalization and exclusion from mainstream political and economic systems. They have encountered challenges such as displacement, loss of land and resources, and cultural erosion. The …

A few weeks ago, Balineni Tirupati, an up-sarpanch in Telangana’s Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, committed suicide due to indebtedness. He had taken out a loan to undertake development works in the village and was unable to bear the burden after the State government’s inordinate delay in releasing bill payments. A few …

Wonderla, a leading amusement park operator, has threatened to scrap its investment plans in Tamil Nadu if the government does not withdraw the 10% local body tax (LBT). Amusement parks in the State pay a 10% LBT levied by the Tamil Nadu government over and above the 18% Goods and …