Democratic Decentralisation and Social Inclusion in India: Exploring the Linkages

Abstract

Decentralisation has been at the centre stage of institutional reforms in both the developed and developing countries. The implementation of the reforms regarding decentralisation process is essentially changing the basic social relations and the place of the citizen in the governing of the community. The decentralisation aims to enable the citizens, either directly or indirectly, to be more involved in the decision making process. Democratic decentralisation as a form of governance thus expands the participation of historically excluded and subordinated groups in the business of decision-making processes. With the decentralisation of power, the institutions became more participatory and inclusive. The inclusion of disadvantaged sections through decentralised reforms ensured equality of political opportunities. It is in this background, this paper critically review the decentralised policy in India designed to include the historically excluded sections of society in the governing processes. The various modes of decentralization are highlighted and its linkages with social inclusion are discussed.