Introduction: Given that a sizable section of the population lives in villages, rural development has long been a top priority for India's national development strategy. By establishing the Panchayati Raj System as a three-tiered framework of self-government at the village, intermediate, and district levels, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 signaled a sea change in rural governance. This clause in the constitution sought to give local organizations the financial and administrative capacity to create and carry out development initiatives that are suited to the unique requirements of rural communities.