WHY IN THE NEWS?
Recently, the Assam Cabinet announced that Gaon Buras, village-level functionaries of the district administration, will be called ‘Gaon Pradhans’.
- The government has reasoned that a number of young men (and women) become Gaon Buras, and thus, the word ‘Bura’ (meaning old in Assamese) is no longer appropriate.
About:
- Gaon Buras are the village headmen. They are the eyes, nose, and ear of the district administration at the village level.
- There are about 6,000 Gaon Buras in Assam. Women ‘Gaon Buras’ are not very common and they take over if their husbands die.