Indian Polity: Part-9 Panchayati Raj System

Part 9 of Indian Constitution deals with Panchayati Raj System or local self-government in India. In this Part, we discuss, what is Panchayati Raj, committees, and formations of Panchayati Raj, then we give you multiple choice questions related to the topic.

Indian Government is divided into three forms:

• Central Government
• State Government
• Local Government(Panchayati Raj)

Panchayati Raj: Panchayati Raj is the system of local self-government for villages. The word ‘Panchayat’ means an assembly, five people. This is an age-old system in villages of the Indian subcontinent. Now in the new era, the government has decentralized several functions to the Panchayati Raj.

In the Indian Constitution, Panchayati Raj acts as a system of governance in which the Gram Panchayats are the basic units of local administration.

There are Three Levels of the Panchayati Raj system:

1. Village Level or Gram Panchayat
2. Block Level Panchayat or Janpad Panchayat
3. District Level or Zila Parishad

It was formally formulated by the 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution in 1992.

State which has not Panchayati Raj system:

At present, the Panchayati Raj system is present in all the state except Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram and all union territories except  Delhi.

Seats reserved for women in Panchayati Raj System:

Under Article 243 D of the Constitution, 1/3rd of the Seats of Panchayati Raj is reserved for women.

The following states have made legal provision for 50% reservation for women among members and Sarpanches: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttarakhand.

Mathma Gandhi emphasis on Panchayati Raj:

“The future of India lies in its villages”

Mahatma Gandhi emphasis on Panchayati Raj as the foundation of India’s political system, a decentralized form of government in which every village will be responsible for its affairs. The word for this kind of vision was Gram Swaraj (“village self-government”). Instead, India developed a highly centralized form of government.

Different committee recommends a different form of Panchayati Raj:

1. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee:

In 1957, the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee recommended for the introduction of a three-tier Panchayati Raj System in India. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was appointed by the Central Government of India in 1957.

The important recommendations by recommending by committee:

i. The Gram-Panchayats at the village level or at the bottom
ii. The Panchayat Samiti at the block level or in the middle
iii. The Zilla Parishad at the district level.

Rajasthan (1959) is the first which adopted this system, followed by Andhra Pradesh in the same year.

2. Ashok Mehta Committee(1977-1978):

The government appointed a committee on Panchayati Raj institutions under the chairmanship of Ashok Mehta. It submitted its report in August 1978.

recommendations by recommending by committee:

i. The two-tier system, that is, Zila Parishad at the district level, and below it, the Mandal Panchayat consisting of a group of villages covering a population of the 15000 to 20000.
ii. Zila Parishads should be the executive body and made responsible for planning at the district level.
iii. Seats for SC and ST should be reserved on the basis of their population.

3. G.V.K. Rao Committee:

G.V.K. Rao Committee was recommended by the Planning Commission in 1985. It recommended the revival of Panchayati Raj institutions and highlighted the need to transfer power to the democratic bodies locally. 
This committee gave two important suggestions:

i. Zila Parishad to be given prime importance and all developmental programs at that level to be handed to it.
ii. Post of District Development Commissioner to be created acting as the chief executive officer of the Zila Parishad.
iii. Reduction in the development role of the district collector.

4. L M Singhvi Committee:

In 1986 L.M. Singhvi Committee to prepare a concept paper on the revitalization of the Panchayati Raj system.
Its recommendations were:

i. Constitutional recognition for PRI institutions.
ii. Nyaya Panchayats to be established for clusters of villages

64th Constitutional Amendment bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1989 itself, Rajya Sabha opposed it. It was only during the Narasimha Rao government’s term that the idea finally became a reality in the form of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment acts, 1992.

5. Thungan Committee:

In 1988, a sub-committee of the Advisory Committee of the Parliament was constituted under the chairmanship of Thungan, this committee gave several suggestions for the purpose of strengthening the Panchayati Raj system –

i. Panchayati Raj institutions should get constitutional recognition.
ii. The formation of a three-tier Panchayati Raj system, which should have a fixed term of 5 years.
iii. The District Council should be the centre of the Panchayati Raj System and work as an institution of Construction and Development Planning in the district.
iv. Reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and reservation for women should also be made according to the population at three levels in Panchayats.

6. Gadgil committee:

In 1988, under the chairmanship of V.N. Gadgil committee was formed whose task was to consider how to make the Panchayati Raj institutions effective. Whose main recommendations were –

i. Panchayati Raj institutions should get constitutional recognition.
ii. The formation of a three-tier Panchayati Raj system, which should have a fixed term of 5 years.
iii. People should be directly elected on the three levels of three-tier panchayats.
iv. Reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and reservation for women should also be made according to the population at three levels in Panchayats.
v. Constitution of the Finance Commission for Panchayats.
vi. Panchayats should have the right to tax and recover.

73rd Amendment Act 1992:

In 1992 two new parts IX and IXA were added in Indian Constitution. It included two new schedules 11 and 12 which include the list of functional items of panchayats and municipalities. Three Tier System was finally approved in the constitution.

Articles come under Panchayati Raj:

1. Article 243: Definition of Panchayati Raj.
2. Article 243A: Gram Sabha
3. Article 243B: Constitution of Panchayats
4. Article 243C: Composition of Panchayats
5. Article 243D: Reservation of seats
6. Article 243E: Duration of Panchayats, etc.
7. Article 243F: Disqualifications for membership
8. Article 243G: Powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats
9. Article 243H: Powers to impose taxes by, and Funds of, the Panchayats
10.Article 243I: Constitution of Finance Commission to review the financial position
11.Article 243J: Audit of accounts of Panchayats
12.Article 243K: Elections to the Panchayats
13.Article 243L: Application to Union territories
14.Article 243M: Part not to apply to certain areas
15.Article 243N: Continuance of existing laws and Panchayats
16.Article 243O: Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters

Part-9 Panchayati Raj System-MCQ’s

1. Which among the following legislation gives constitutional status to three-tier Panchayati Raj System?
A. 72nd constitutional amendment, 1992
B. 73rd constitutional amendment, 1993
C. 74th constitutional amendment, 1993
D. 75th constitutional amendment, 1994

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2. Which of the following committee recommended three-tier Panchayati Raj System in India?
A. Punchhi Samiti
B. Balwantrai Mehta Committee
C. Singhvi Committee
D. None of the following

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3. Which of the following is/are true regarding Balwant Rai Mehta Committee?
1. Recommended establishment of a three-tier Panchayati Raj system.
2. There should be direct elections for Panchayat Samiti.
3. Establishment of the scheme of democratic decentralization.
4. District collector should be the chairman of the Zila Parishad.

A. 1, 2, 3
B. 1, 3, 4
C. 2, 3, 4
D. 1, 2, 4

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4. How many tiers are in the Panchayati Raj system of India?
A. One tier
B. Two tier
C. Three tier
D. Four tier

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5. Which of the following system is established on the basis of a direct election?
A. Gram Panchayat
B. Block Committee
C. Zila Parishad
D. Both B and C

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6. Which of the following statements is not correct?
A. Panchayati Raj was established in India by Jawahar Lal Nehru
B. Madhya Pradesh was the first state which implemented The Panchayati Raj system in India
C. 73rd Constitutional amendment was implemented in 1992
D. Tamil Nadu has adopted a bicameral method

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7. Which of the following Article is related to Panchayati Raj?
A. Article 243
B. Article 324
C. Article 124
D. Article 73

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8. Which of the following are the recommendation/recommendations of the L. M. Singhvi Committee?
1) Nyaya Panchayats should be created for a cluster of villages.
2) Constitutional recognition for Panchayati Raj institutions.
3) More financial resources for village Panchayats.
A. 2, 3
B. 1, 3
C. 1, 2
D. All of the above 

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9. The source of maximum income to Panchayati Raj institution is: 
A. local taxes
B. regional funds
C. government grants
D. share in Union Govt. revenue

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10. Which is at the top of the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj
A. Gram Sabha
B. Gram Panchayat
C. Zila Parishad
D. Panchayat Samiti

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