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However, reality is mixed. Many women sarpanches are proxy or sarpanch pati (husband-ruled). Studies from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh show that while reserved panchayats invest more in drinking water, sanitation, and public health, women leaders face intimidation, limited access to training, and bureaucratic obstruction. The constitution does not mandate reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) at panchayat level; individual states vary. Article 243I requires every state to constitute a State Finance Commission (SFC) every five years to recommend distribution of taxes and grants to panchayats. In practice, many states delay SFC reports, ignore recommendations, or transfer minimal funds. The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (2007) called SFCs the “forgotten vertebrae” of Panchayati Raj.