19
three sets of village-level variables are examine that relate to current debates about policy related
to panchayats.
First, the effects of affirmative action are examined by comparing participation scores
across villages where the position of sarpanch (panchayat head) is reserved for some specific
category (ST, SC or Women) and where this position is open for all categories. Does the policy
of reserving elected positions for specific categories of individuals find effect in the form of
higher participation rates?
Second, we look at the effects of current policy which combines adjacent villages into
single-jurisdiction panchayats. On average, three adjoining villages have been combined
together in this region to constitute the jurisdiction of a single panchayat. One among these
villages, usually the largest in terms of population, has been designated the headquarters of the
panchayat concerned, and the other two villages are referred to simply as non-headquarter
villages. Meetings of the panchayat are held usually at the headquarter village, and residents of
non-headquarter villages have to travel, over quite significant distances sometimes, in order to
attend these panchayat meetings. The policy issue involved here concerns whether
decentralization should be carried further: should each individual village have its own particular
panchayat
? We consider the effects of the current policy by assessing the disincentive to
participation associated with distance to panchayat headquarters.
Third, we look at a group of other village-level variables, related to population size,
infrastructure availability, and distance to high school, in order to assess how these aspects might
affect different individuals’ participation in panchayat activities. Individual-level variables are
considered in conjunction with village-level variables in the analysis of Table 5, and it is
Convention