PESA Gram Sabha Mobilisers Protest in Maharashtra: Implications for Tribal Governance and Decentralization

The decision to drastically reduce these grassroots positions raises serious concerns regarding the dilution of tribal self-governance. By weakening the administrative support structure of Gram Sabhas, the state risks undermining the spirit of democratic decentralization. Furthermore, because these mobilisers are mostly women, this downsizing directly impacts rural women's employment and their hard-won political agency in local decision-making. For effective tribal empowerment, state policies must align with the constitutional mandate of safeguarding tribal rights. Strengthening, rather than downsizing, grassroots institutional mechanisms is essential to bridge the developmental deficit in Scheduled Areas. UPSC Relevance: This issue is highly relevant for GS Paper II, specifically under democratic decentralization, local governance, and welfare schemes for vulnerable sections. Candidates can use this development as a case study to illustrate the challenges of implementing the PESA Act, 1996, and the critical role of grassroots human resources in empowering marginalized tribal communities.