Panchayati Raj and the 73rd Amendment
NCERT Class 10 - Democratic Politics II • NCERT Class 11 - Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 7
Panchayati Raj and the 73rd Amendment
Local self-government was originally only a Directive Principle under Article 40. The 73rd Amendment of 1992, which came into force on 24 April 1993, gave panchayats constitutional status and made local democracy a permanent part of the federal structure.
Before the amendment
| Committee | Year | Main recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Balwant Rai Mehta Committee | 1957 | Democratic decentralisation through a three-tier panchayati raj |
| Ashok Mehta Committee | 1977 | A two-tier system with the mandal panchayat as the base |
| G. V. K. Rao Committee | 1985 | Panchayats to be central to rural development administration |
| L. M. Singhvi Committee | 1986 | Constitutional status and recognition for panchayats |
- Rajasthan was the first state to introduce panchayati raj, at Nagaur on 2 October 1959, followed soon by Andhra Pradesh.
- Before 1993 panchayats existed under state laws, so they could be superseded or left unelected at the state government's convenience - the central weakness the amendment fixed.
Structure under the 73rd Amendment
- Added Part IX, Articles 243 to 243-O, and the Eleventh Schedule with 29 subjects that may be devolved to panchayats.
- A three-tier structure is mandatory - Gram Panchayat at the village, Panchayat Samiti at the intermediate or block level, and Zila Parishad at the district. States with a population below twenty lakh need not have the intermediate tier.
- The Gram Sabha, consisting of all registered voters of the village, is the foundation and the only direct democratic body in the system.
- Members at all three levels are directly elected by the people; the minimum age to contest is 21 years.
- The term is five years, and if a panchayat is dissolved earlier, elections must be held within six months.
Reservation, elections and finance
- Seats are reserved for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in proportion to their population in the area.
- Not less than one-third of all seats and of chairperson posts are reserved for women, and many states have since raised this to one-half.
- Reservation also applies to the offices of chairperson at each level, by rotation.
- A State Election Commission conducts panchayat elections, which removed the state government's power to postpone them.
- A State Finance Commission is appointed every five years to review the financial position of panchayats and recommend the sharing of state revenue.
- PESA, the law extending the provisions to scheduled areas, gives special powers to the gram sabha in tribal regions, including consultation before land acquisition.
हिंदी संकेत: 73वें संशोधन की तीन अनिवार्य बातें याद रखिए - त्रिस्तरीय ढांचा, हर पांच वर्ष पर चुनाव, और स्त्रियों के लिए कम से कम एक-तिहाई आरक्षण। बाकी बहुत कुछ राज्यों पर छोड़ा गया है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
Factual questions ask which part and schedule were added, how many subjects the Eleventh Schedule has, and the minimum age to contest. Match-the-following links committee with recommendation. Statement-based questions test the reservation and election provisions.
UPSC / State PSC ke liye
Note the gap between constitutional status and real power - the Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects but devolution of funds, functions and functionaries is left to the states, so actual autonomy varies widely. The strongest evidence of success is the very large number of elected women representatives, which has changed the social composition of local leadership.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ The 73rd Amendment made panchayats a Directive Principle | ✓ Article 40 was the directive; the amendment gave constitutional status
✗ Panchayat elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India | ✓ They are conducted by the State Election Commission
✗ The Eleventh Schedule is compulsory for all states to devolve fully | ✓ It lists subjects that may be devolved; the extent is decided by the state
Ek nazar me
- Article 40 made local self-government a Directive Principle.
- Balwant Rai Mehta 1957 proposed three tiers; L. M. Singhvi 1986 proposed constitutional status.
- Rajasthan introduced panchayati raj first, at Nagaur on 2 October 1959.
- The 73rd Amendment of 1992 added Part IX, Articles 243 to 243-O, and the Eleventh Schedule.
- Three mandatory tiers - gram panchayat, panchayat samiti and zila parishad.
- Gram Sabha of all village voters is the base; minimum age to contest is 21.
- One-third of seats reserved for women; State Election Commission and State Finance Commission.