Three Decades of Struggle for Tribal Self-Governance in India
Nearly 30 years after it was enacted to strengthen tribal self-governance, the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) remains unevenly implemented across India’s Fifth Schedule Areas, exposing a widening gap between constitutional promise and administrative practice. PESA was enacted to strengthen democracy in tribal areas by recognising the authority of Gram Sabhas, protecting…