A gram panchayat is the cornerstone of a local self-government organization in India panchayati raj system in the village or small town level and has a sarpanch as its chosen head.
Failed attempts to address local issues at the national level in 1992 led to the reintroduction of panchayats for their purpose previously used as an organization for local self-government. There are about 250,000 grams of panchayats in India.
The gram panchayat is divided into wards and each chamber is represented by a room member, also referred to as Panch, who is directly elected by the villagers. The panchayat is chaired by the village president, known as Sarpanch. The term of office of the elected representatives is five years. The secretary of the panchayat is an unelected representative, appointed by the state government, to supervise the activities of the panchayat.