Penn Calendar Penn A-Z School of Arts and Sciences University of Pennsylvania
India in Transition
Mark Schneider
September 30, 2024

In 1992, India conducted the world’s largest experiment in local democracy. The 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution, passed that year, devolved substantial authority over policy implementation to millions of elected local politicians across rural India. As a result, village politicians gained power over the targeting of benefits from government programs, such as the allocation of jobs in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme.