---
title: "PESA Act 1996: Tribal Self-Governance | Model Diplomat"
description: "Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 empowers tribal Gram Sabhas in India, ensuring self-governance and control over local resources."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/pesa-act-1996"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- PESA is an Indian law extending Panchayati Raj self-governance to Scheduled Areas while vesting tribal Gram Sabhas with control over local resources and customary practices.
- How does PESA differ from the 73rd Constitutional Amendment?
- Which states does PESA apply to?
- What powers does PESA give the Gram Sabha?
- Why is PESA implementation considered weak?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In April 2013, following the Supreme Court's Niyamgiri judgment, twelve PESA Gram Sabhas in Odisha's Rayagada and Kalahandi districts unanimously rejected Vedanta's proposed bauxite mining, halting the project.

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