India Archives – Decentralization Net

Latest

[ January 19, 2026 ] How intergovernmental fiscal transfers shape local democracy Decentralization
[ January 16, 2026 ] Why people-centered smart cities matter for decentralization Cities and urban development
[ January 14, 2026 ] UCLG: Towards a new Local Social Covenant Community
[ January 12, 2026 ] Multi-Level Governance in the Western Balkans Administrative decentralization
[ December 19, 2025 ] Conditional grants and the hidden politics of fiscal decentralization Australia

What works better: elected leaders or appointed bureaucrats?

November 24, 2025 Limabenla Jamir

A long-running debate in decentralization circles asks whether local governments function better under elected leaders or appointed bureaucrats. Advocates of political decentralization emphasize accountability, community voice, and responsiveness, while supporters of technocratic administration highlight expertise, […]

Do local gender quotas improve the electability of women at higher tiers?

September 23, 2025 LPS Alliance

One of the central promises of decentralization is that it can create political space for those historically excluded from power. In theory, local governance is the arena where marginalized voices—whether of caste, ethnicity, or gender—can […]

Effective multilevel governance and citizen engagement: billions of (dollar) reasons to care

August 18, 2025 LPS Alliance

With global development institutions in retreat, it is becoming more and more obvious that the public sector is unambiguously the primary enabler of ‘global’ development—capable of propelling development forward by embracing inclusive and effective multilevel […]

The Status of Devolution to Panchayats in India

February 23, 2025 LPS Alliance

Panchayats, as rural local self-government institutions are called in India, constitute a fundamental component of India’s multi-order federal system. Their authority is derived from the State, the sub-national entity responsible for nurturing and developing them. […]

Decentralized Participatory Governance in Karnataka’s Cities

September 26, 2024 Limabenla Jamir

The competitiveness of cities—and ultimately, the economic competitiveness of countries—depends on cities being able to attract and retain highly productive industries and highly productive workers. In turn, ensuring the quality of life in cities and […]

Decentralization in School Management and Student Achievement: Evidence from India

November 24, 2023 LPS Alliance

A recent paper published in the Journal of Development Studies examines the link between decentralization in school management and student achievement levels in secondary schools in India. The study employs observational data from two school […]

Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) 2023 Report

November 16, 2023 Limabenla Jamir

The Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) is a comprehensive diagnostic of the state of India’s city-systems – the complex, mostly-invisible factors (such as laws, policies, institutions, institutional processes) that underpin urban governance and strongly […]

India