Chair Professor, Panchayati Raj
The Chair Professor, Panchayati Raj at Chanakya National Law University has been established to promote academic inquiry and research in the field of local self-governance.
It seeks to foster intellectual engagement among scholars, academicians, and students to analyse, understand, and disseminate the principles underpinning the Panchayati Raj system.
The Chair is committed to strengthening democratic decentralisation by contributing to policy development, institutional research, and capacity-building initiatives.
- Promoting research and academic engagement
- Strengthening legal and institutional frameworks
- Supporting policy formulation and implementation
- Capacity building for local governance institutions
Strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions
Bridging Research, Policy, & Local Governance
The Chair seeks to facilitate research and academic engagement to analyse and advance the Panchayati Raj system. It focuses on developing effective methodologies and strategies to strengthen democratic decentralisation and ensure its practical and institutional implementation.
- Research & Academic Engagement: Advancing the study of Panchayati Raj through research, discourse, and practical methodologies for democratic decentralisation.
- Legal & Institutional Strengthening: Focusing on the legal framework of Panchayati Raj to enhance institutional capacity and governance effectiveness.
- Policy & Capacity Building: Generating actionable insights to support policy development and training for Gram Kachahari and Panchayat representatives.
Academic Focus:
The teaching and research activities under the Chair are centred on examining the legal status and institutional framework of the Panchayati Raj system. The objective is to contribute to the strengthening of these institutions, thereby empowering local governance structures to function more efficiently and in alignment with constitutional goals.
Policy Support and Capacity Building:
A key focus of the Chair is to generate practical, research-based outcomes that can inform and advise relevant government and non-governmental agencies. These recommendations aim to support:
- Policy formulation,
- Programme development, and
- Effective implementation of decentralised governance models.
In addition, the Chair actively engages in capacity-building initiatives, including the organisation of training programmes for the elected representatives of Gram Kachahari. These programmes are designed to equip local representatives with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their roles more effectively within the democratic framework.
Functions:
- To achieve the objectives, the functions of the Chair will include training, research and evaluative studies in the allocated thrust areas. It will organize Seminars, Workshops, Symposia, Conferences, Lectures and Panel Discussions. It will provide assistance to Academicians, Intellectuals and Students/Research Scholars for undertaking the theoretical and field studies by applying appropriate research methodologies;
- To undertake any other assigned studies and research projects by the PRD from time to time. For such additional studies/research, additional funds will be released by the PRD over and above the seed money. Such research studies can be entrusted by the Chair to other relevant research agencies/individuals or Institutions.
- To enter into National/International collaboration for undertaking such studies research on the subject(s) relevant to the objectives, functions of the Chair and its allocated thrust area.