The judiciary and the three tiers

The judiciary (the courts) makes sure everyone follows the law. It settles disputes, protects people's rights, and checks whether laws are fair. In India the judiciary is independent: it is not controlled by the government or politicians, which keeps justice fair and equal for all.

What the judiciary does:

• protects and defends the laws;
• interprets laws: explains what a law means when the wording is unclear or people disagree;
• protects citizens' rights and liberty: if your fundamental rights are violated, you can go to court;
• safeguards the Constitution through judicial review, acting as a referee when the government or anyone else breaks the law.

The judiciary upholds the rule of law: everyone must follow the law, even the government. It checks unfair actions, makes sure laws don't harm people's rights, and settles conflicts peacefully. Why must it be independent? A judge who feared a politician, or wanted a favour from one, could not decide fairly. Without a strong, fair judiciary, democracy cannot survive. (C.B. Muthamma's case is a good example.)

India is huge and diverse: over 1.4 billion people, thousands of towns and villages, and many languages and cultures. As a federal country it has 28 states and 8 union territories. One central government cannot meet everyone's needs, so government must be spread across several levels: it must be decentralised.

At first the Constitution set up only two levels: the Union (central) government and the state governments. Local bodies like panchayats and municipalities were not separate levels then. They came under the states, though a guiding principle said the state should organise village panchayats and give them real powers.

In the early 1990s the Constitution was amended to create the panchayati raj system and municipalities for towns and cities. These made local governments the 'third tier' of India's democracy, so people could take part directly in decisions near them. A goal written as guidance in 1950 became law forty years later.

Decentralisation means power and decision-making are spread out, not held in one place or by one small group. Local problems are solved locally; bigger issues go to higher levels. If a streetlamp on your road is broken, you don't contact the Central Government!

Why it helps: local leaders know the area and its people better; problems can be discussed locally; it is more democratic; leaders close by are easier to question; and local government grows stronger. Who handles what:

• Central: defence, foreign affairs, currency (and shared subjects like education and marriage).
• State: police, land, health, agriculture, education in the state.
• Local: water, drainage, streetlamps, parks.

See it in schools. Parliament and the state legislatures make laws such as the Right to Education Act and approve budgets. Ministers guide policy, and officers like District and Block Education Officers make sure schools follow the rules (for example, separate toilets for girls and boys). Courts and child-rights commissions step in if a child's rights are denied.

Gandhi described his idea of village swarāj as a complete republic, independent for its own vital needs, yet depending on others where that is necessary.

In more than 75 years as a republic, India has raised literacy and improved roads, trains, airports, phones and the internet. But there is still a long way to go, and all three levels of government have to work together to get there.