The study was undertaken within the Satna and Rewa districts of Madhya Pradesh. the planning one-shot-case study under the ex-post-facto approach was used for this research study. The districts and therefore the tahsils both were selected randomly. Two blocks from each district and 6 grama panchayat with 8 members from each block selected randomly. Thus, a complete of 192-gram panchayat members from 24 villages were selected for the study. Data was collected by personally interviewing the respondents with the assistance of a specially designed and pretested schedule. Statistical methods like mean, variance, coefficient of correlation, multiple regressions were used for the analysis of knowledge. it had been concluded that the bulk of gram panchayat members had a medium role perception of the functioning of Gram panchayat. it had been found that the majority of the gram panchayat members had a medium perception of their role within the administration, agricultural functions, health care functions, administrative functions, welfare functions, public work functions defense and vigilance functions, and other functions. While educational and cultural functions perceived is within the high category. it's observed that the independent variables viz., age, caste, landholding, annual income, socio-economic status, social participation, achievement motivation, mass media exposure, cosmopoliteness, linkage with development agencies, and knowledge were positively and significantly related with role perception. multiple correlation analysis the role perception of gram Panchayat members was found significantly related with age, annual income, and linkage with development agency

Grampanchayat plays an important role at the village level in the proper functioning of the ‘Panchayat Raj System’. It is the most potential school of social and political training for the rural masses. The village Panchayat is at the root of our concept of the new society and that of the root of our constitution. It is the keystone of the Panchayat Raj. It is the major organization for the overall progress of a village. The Grampanchayat is a decentralized form of administration and a medium through which Indian people from rural areas can express their administrative, social, and economic problems to the upper levels. The local government of the villages touches most nearly the lives of the rural people.

Grampanchayat is the last link within the three-tier system of Panchayat Raj. As coordinator, the gram panchayat and its members undertake all the developmental activities. Grampanchayat members play the role of advisors to the rural people. They provide information about various government schemes to the people within the village. Thus, the gram panchayat and its members have definitely and undoubtedly a key role to play in Panchayat Raj.

The elected members of the PRIs could play a significant role in overall development. However, their success and efficiency depend upon their knowledge of developmental activities and the performance of the expected role by Panchayat in agricultural and village developmental fields. This aspect has not been studied in much detail, especially in the tribal region. So, the present study on “leadership nature and role performance of Grampanchayat members in the tribal area of Satpura hills and Kymore Plateau Zone of Madhya Pradesh” was conducted with the following specific objectives.

This study was conducted to study the role perception of Grampanchayat members in the tribal area of Satpura hills and Kymore plateau zone of Madhya Pradesh

The present study was undertaken in the Satna and Rewa districts selected randomly of Madhya Pradesh. Majhgawan and sohwal tahsils from Satna district and Sirmour and Gangev tahsils from Rewa districts were selected randomly. Six-gram panchayats from each tahsil and eight members were selected randomly from each of the gram panchayats for the study as respondents. Thus, a total of 192-gram panchayat members from 24 villages were selected for the study. The design one-shot-case study under the ex-post-facto approach was used for this research study. Data was collected by personally interviewing the respondents with the assistance of a specially designed and pretested schedule. Statistical methods like mean, variance, coefficient of correlation, and multiple regressions were used for the analysis of knowledge. Perception is the process by which we receive information or stimuli from our environment and transform it into psychological awareness (Van Den Ban and Hawkins, 1988).

Gibson (1959) defined perception because the process by which a private maintains contact with the environment.

So, in this study perception is defined as the general awareness of the respondents regarding their role to be performed.

The Panchayat system is having some of the prescribed works to carry out from their Panchayat. These functions were broadly categorized as follows.

a. Administrative functions

b. Agriculture development functions

c. Educational and cultural functions

d. Health care functions

e. Welfare functions

f. Public work functions

g. Defense and vigilance functions

h. Other functions

The respondents were asked to mention their role perception in these functions on a three-point continuum viz., fully aware, partially aware, and unaware.

The responses of the members were recorded. The weightings 3, 2, and 1 for fully aware, partially aware, and unaware were assigned, respectively. By considering this an attempt was made to categorize the role perception of the respondents.

Based on the total scores obtained by all the members overall role perception index was calculated by using the following formula

Scores obtained

Role Perception Index = ------------- x100

Obtainable scores

The results of the study have been given in the conclusive form below.

Figures and tables

Table 1. Distribution of the respondents consistent with their role perception

Table 2: Distribution of the respondents according to function-wise role perception 

(Figures in parentheses indicate percentage)

Table 3: Relationship between the personal characteristics of the leaders and their role perception                                    N = 192

* Significant at 0.05 level of probability

** Significant at 0.01 level of probability

Table 4: Multiple regression analysis of role perception with independent variables

N = 192

B0=22.65 ‘F’ value = 14.14        R2 = 0.5639

** Significant at 0.01 level of probability

Role perception of gram panchayat members in the tribal area of Satpura Hills and Kymore Plateau Zone of Madhya Pradesh.

 It could be observed from Table 1 that, three fourth (74.48 percent) of members were having a medium level of role perception followed by a high level (14.06 percent) and low level (11.46 percent).

Function-wise role perception of gram panchayat Members

The data was collected regarding various areas of gram panchayat's activities and members' role perception in these areas.  Data in Table 2 showed that the majority of the leaders had medium role perception about all the identified areas viz., administrative functions (76.04 percent), agricultural functions (80.73 percent), health care functions (85.94 percent), welfare functions (80.73 percent), public work functions (69.27 percent), defense and vigilance functions (84.90 percent) and other functions (81.77 percent). Only satisfactory numbers of members in the high role perception category were in ‘educational and cultural functions’ (49.48 percent

Relationship between the personal characteristics of the gram panchayat members and role perception

It is observed from Table 3 that the independent variables viz., age (0.519), caste (0.246), land holding (0.506), annual income (0.512), socio-economic status (0.519), Social participation (0.466), achievement motivation (0.418), mass media exposure (0.350), cosmopoliteness (0.484), linkage with development agencies

(0.473) and knowledge (0.266) were positively and significantly related to role perception. Whereas education (0.172), occupation (0.046), training received (-0.010), leadership background (0.136), and leadership experience (-0.057) were not related to role perception of members of the gram panchayat.

Multiple regressions between the personal characteristics of the Grampanchayat members and their role perception

 A close perusal of Table 4 depicts that the ‘F’ value 14.14 was significant at a 0.01 level of probability.  The 56.39 percent of the variation in role perception has been explained by the 16 independent variables. The unexplained variation to the tune of 43.61 percent may be due to the factors not included in the study.

The “t” value indicates that in multiple regression analysis the role perception of gram panchayat members was found significantly related to age, annual income, and linkage with development agencies.  The regression coefficient of 0.389, 0.000 and 1.065, indicates that one unit change in age, annual income, and linkage with development agencies would effect 0.389, 0.000, and 1.065 units change in role perception.

The authors are thankful to the government Officers who helped me get secondary data of GP and GP to permit members to respond to this study.

It was concluded that the majority of gram panchayat members had a medium role perception of the functioning of Grampanchayat. 

It was found from the study that most of the gram panchayat members had a medium perception of the role of administration, agricultural functions, health care functions, administrative functions, welfare functions, public work functions defense and vigilance functions, and other functions. While educational and cultural functions perceived are in the high category, 

A similar trend of results was also noted in the studies of Mohrir and Nandapurkar (1977), Harichandran (1983), Ray and Mondal (1993), Bhosale (1997), Garje (1997), Khare et al. (1998), Muley (2000), Saiyad et al. (2004), Bhosle (2005), Suradkar (2005) and Khalge (2006). Khare (2017)

GP –Gram Panchayat

PRI – Panchayat Raj System

TTS: Three-Tier System