Government of India’s Initiative Against the ‘Sarpanch Pati’ System

Government of India’s Initiative Against the ‘Sarpanch Pati’ System

The Government of India has recently launched a nationwide social media campaign titled “Say No to Proxy Sarpanch” through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) to eliminate the practice popularly known as the ‘Sarpanch Pati’ system. This practice occurs when the husband or male relative of an elected female village head informally exercises authority and makes decisions on her behalf, while the woman remains only a nominal office holder. The campaign seeks to promote genuine participation of elected women representatives (EWRs) in grassroots governance.

The issue is closely linked to the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which introduced the Panchayati Raj system and mandated reservation of at least one-third of seats for women in local self-governments, later increased to 50% in several states. The objective was to enhance women’s political participation and empower them in rural governance. However, in many areas, particularly in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, entrenched patriarchal norms have led to the emergence of proxy leadership.