Subject(s): Decentralized governance and development in India, seeing PRLs in India and their history from a Gandhian perspective, evolution of devolution -- Dimensions of decentralization : Political decentralization- role of political parties from colonial times, rural local governance and administrative decentralization- institutional analysis, fiscal decentralization in India - status and raising issues, state-sub-state level fiscal decentralization in India, decentralized planning in India, implementation of PESA and status of panchayat raj institutions in fifth scheduled areas of Indian states- Issues, challenges and ways ahead -- Decentralized rural governance : Deliberative democracy through grama sabha- progress and Issues, decentralized governance in India- anticipated and unanticipated, interrogating local democracy- formal and informal local governance in Karnataka, good governance in Gram Panchayats of Kerala, capacity development for good governance in panchayats - status, effectiveness and issues, ICT for local governance- status, emerging issues and prospects -- Decentralized urban governance : Decentralised governance in urban areas- problems and prospects from a socio-historical perspective, urban local governance- revisiting fundamentals, intergovernmental transfers to urban local bodies in India- issues and directions for reforms -- Sectoral aspects of decentralization : Implementing wrokfare through decentralized government for poverty reduction, policy and practice of decentralized natural resource management in India, devolving rights to forest dwellers- politics of institutional choice and recognition in forest rights act implementation process in West Bengal India