Panchayat
पंचायत
puhn-CHAH-yut
A village council in India for local governance.
Meaning & usage
Panchayat refers to a traditional system of local self-governance in Indian villages. It is composed of elected representatives who make decisions on local issues and disputes, functioning as a grassroots level of democracy. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word 'panch' meaning five, originally referring to a council of five elders. Panchayati Raj is the system that formalizes this governance structure in rural India.
In a sentence
The village Panchayat held a meeting to discuss the new development projects.
As seen in crosswords
Panchayat is a 9-letter answer. A typical clue:
“A village council in India for local governance” (9)
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