In India, government run by the village council is called the Panchayat. When India gained its independence, it was stated that the government should take steps to organize village panchayats. The first village panchayat was inaugurated in 1959 in Rajasthan and in 1993 panchayats were incorporated into the Indian Constitution. Their members are elected, and one-third of them are required to be women. Scheduled castes and tribes are also guaranteed representation in proportion to their population. Today the role and success of the panchayats are still the topic of heated discussion.