Subject(s): Panchayat in India. -- Rural development in India. -- Federal principle in Indian polity, democracy at grassroots, Panchayati raj institutions, concept of village republics and spirit of article 40, panchayati raj, democratic decentralization of administration through panchayati raj, democratic decentralization and rural complex, village development, rural development through decentralized planning -- Panchayati raj institutions- its place in planning formulation, constraints of democratic decentralization, impediments in proper functioning of village panchayats, plea for village self government, information needs of rural community, party politics in village panchayat, federal principle in Indian polity- evaluation of four tier system, Indian polity and its federal principles, Indian federalism, problems in social audit, socialism in view of Mahatma Gandhi -- Future India- gandhism, Nehru's socialism or people's democracy, federal principles in future India, federal principles in Indian polity, four tier system, Ashok Mehta committee recommendation