A unitary form of government is a system in which all powers and authorities are centralized in the hands of the central government. In this type of government, the central government is responsible for making laws and decisions that affect the entire country or nation. The central government has the power to delegate responsibilities to regional or local governments, but ultimately, the central government retains the authority to make final decisions.

Option 1, local government, is not correct because in a unitary system, local governments are subordinate to the central government and do not possess independent powers.

Option 3, provincial government, is also not correct because although there may be regional governments in a unitary system, they derive their powers from the central government and are not independent.

Option 4, panchayats, is not correct as well because panchayats are typically found in decentralized or federal systems, where power is shared between the central and local governments.

Therefore, option 2, central government, is the correct answer.