Panchayat Raj Summary

Social Development Experiments during Independence Movement

During India's independence movement, several social development experiments were conducted to improve local conditions. These experiments involved educating people on how to develop their local resources.

Experiment	Year	Initiator	Key Details
Gurgaon Experiment	1920	F.I. Breyen	Initiated by F.I. Breyen, Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon, Punjab. Focused on educating people on improving local conditions like rural roads, irrigation, poultry, and handicrafts.
Marthandam Experiment	1921	Spencer Hatch	Led by engineer Spencer Hatch in Marthandam, Kerala (not Tamil Nadu), with the help of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). Covered 70 villages.
Sriniketan Experiment		Rabindranath Tagore	Rabindranath Tagore established this at Shantiniketan University in Bengal, focusing on self-sufficiency and self-respect, teaching youth to develop local elements.
Baroda Experiment		V.T. Krishnamachari	Conducted by V.T. Krishnamachari, the Diwan of Baroda, educating people on local development.
Sevagram	1933	Mahatma Gandhi	In Wardha, Maharashtra, Mahatma Gandhi focused on religious harmony, basic education, and handicrafts development.
Firka Development Scheme	1946	Tanguturi Prakasam	Initiated by Tanguturi Prakasam in Madras State. 'Firka' means a group of villages. Focused on local development.
Etawah Project	1948	Albert Mayer	In Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, Albert Mayer focused on educating local youth on development.
Nilokheri Experiment	1948	S.K. Dey	Conducted in Nilokheri, Haryana, by S.K. Dey, focusing on training 7,000 displaced persons in engineering works.

Post-Independence Social Development Programs

After independence, the Indian Constitution was formed and came into effect on January 26, 1950. Part 4 of the Constitution, the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), emphasized social development.

Article 40 of DPSP
Mandates	the establishment of Panchayat Raj institutions.
DPSP Implementation:
Responsibility:	Central and State Governments.
No legal enforcement

Community Development Program (CDP)

Aspect	Details
Objective	Overall development of society, encompassing all aspects.
Launch Date	October 2, 1952 (Mahatma Gandhi's birthday)
Duration	3 years
Financial Aid	Provided by the Ford Foundation, USA.
Implementation	Divided India into blocks. Each block comprised 100 villages. Covered a population of 70,000. Initially started in 55 blocks, then expanded to 5011. Block Development Officer (BDO) oversaw each block's development. Eight Extension Services Officers assisted the BDO.

National Extension Service Scheme (NESS)

Aspect	Details
Objective	Continuation of the CDP, focusing on the same goals.
Launch Date	October 2, 1953
Duration	No specific time limit, as development was recognized as a continuous process.
Coverage	initially convering 17 blocks ,expanded to 6766 blocks

Challenges that cdp and ness Faced:

Both CDP and NESS were largely unsuccessful in their implementation. Lack of financial resources. Over-reliance on bureaucracy. No specific focus on any one sector. Lack of public awareness and participation due to illiteracy. Low political awareness among the populace.

Balwantrai Mehta Committee

Aspect	Details
Formation	Formed in January 1957 by the National Development Council (NDC).
Purpose	To review the working of CDP and NESS. To recommend measures for the strengthening of Panchayat Raj institutions.
Report Submission	Submitted its report in November 1957.
Report Approval	Approved by the NDC in January 1958.

Key Recommendations of Balwantrai Mehta Committee

Establishment of a three-tier Panchayat Raj system (Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Zila Parishad). Direct elections for Gram Panchayat. Indirect elections for Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad. Political parties should not participate in Panchayat Raj elections. Five-year term for Panchayat Raj institutions. By-elections within six months for any vacant position. District Collector to be the Chairman of Zila Parishad. Financial resources should be provided to Panchayat Raj institutions.

Implementation

* **First State:** Rajasthan (in Nagaur district, Sikkar village) * **Second State:** Undivided Andhra Pradesh (in Rangareddy district, Shadnagar, in 1959) * Nehru's statement.