Published Paper Details:

After India gained Independence from the British, the name of Lushai Hills District was changed by a parliamentary act in 1954 to Mizo District. The Chieftainship system ended with the creation of the Mizo District. Village Councils were established in Mizo Lushai Hills District (Mizoram). The Village Councils in Mizoram are a crucial element of local governance and it evolved from the traditional chieftainship system to more structured, government-controlled entities. This transformation was marked by the Lushai Hills District (Village Council) Act of 1953, which formally established Village Councils, granting them administrative and judicial powers within their jurisdictions. The study provides comprehensively the administrative, judicial, and political roles of Village Councils based on the Village Council Amendment Act of 2014, it also highlights the influence of state government control and the implications of party politics on their functionality. It analyses the constraints faced by Village Councils, including financial dependencies and limited autonomy, and their impact on local governance and development initiatives.