Panchayati Raj and Local Governance
Panchayati Raj and Local Governance
Panchayati Raj is the most Bihar-friendly topic in the General Awareness block, because Bihar has a genuine first to its name here. Expect 1 to 2 questions, usually on the 73rd Amendment, the three-tier structure, or the women's reservation figure. The facts are few and fixed.
The 73rd and 74th Amendments
The 73rd Amendment Act, 1992, came into force on 24 April 1993 and gave Panchayati Raj constitutional status.
| Point | 73rd Amendment | 74th Amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Rural — Panchayats | Urban — Municipalities |
| Part added | Part IX | Part IXA |
| Articles | 243 to 243-O | 243-P to 243-ZG |
| Schedule added | Eleventh Schedule | Twelfth Schedule |
| Subjects listed | 29 | 18 |
National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April, marking the day the 73rd Amendment took effect.
The Three-Tier Structure
- Gram Panchayat at village level, headed by the Mukhiya in Bihar.
- Panchayat Samiti at block or intermediate level.
- Zila Parishad at district level.
The Gram Sabha is not a tier. It is the body of all registered voters of a village, and it is the only permanent body in the system — the others are elected for five years.
✗ Gram Sabha is the lowest tier of Panchayati Raj | ✓ Gram Sabha is the village electorate, not a tier; Gram Panchayat is the lowest tier
Reservation and Bihar's First
Article 243D requires seats to be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population, and not less than one-third of all seats for women, including one-third of the chairperson posts.
One-third is only the constitutional floor. States may go higher, and Bihar became the first state in the country to reserve 50 per cent of Panchayat seats for women, in 2006. Several states later followed. This single fact is the most repeated Bihar polity question in state exams.
Supporting Constitutional Machinery
- Article 243K — State Election Commission conducts panchayat elections.
- Article 243I — State Finance Commission is set up every five years to review panchayat finances.
- Minimum age to contest a panchayat election is 21 years.
- The term of every panchayat is five years from the date of its first meeting.
एक-तिहाई संवैधानिक न्यूनतम है; बिहार ने 2006 में इसे 50% करके सबसे पहले लागू किया।
TRE pointer: Examiners love pairing the two reservation figures — the constitutional minimum of one-third and Bihar's 50 per cent — in the same question, with one of them planted as the wrong option. Read whether the question asks about the Constitution or about Bihar. Also keep the two amendment numbers straight: 73rd is rural, 74th is urban, and a swapped pair is the second favourite trap.
60-Second Recap
- 73rd Amendment 1992, in force 24 April 1993; Part IX, Articles 243-243-O, Eleventh Schedule, 29 subjects.
- 74th Amendment covers urban bodies: Part IXA, Twelfth Schedule, 18 subjects.
- Three tiers: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Zila Parishad. Gram Sabha is not a tier.
- Article 243D: at least one-third seats for women; SC/ST in proportion to population.
- Bihar was the first state to reserve 50 per cent of panchayat seats for women, in 2006.
- State Election Commission under 243K; State Finance Commission under 243I; term five years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state first gave 50% reservation to women in Panchayati Raj?
Bihar, in 2006. The Constitution under Article 243D requires only one-third, but states are free to reserve more, and Bihar was the first to raise it to half. Many other states adopted the same figure afterwards, and the question now appears in almost every Bihar state examination.
What is the difference between Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat?
The Gram Sabha is the assembly of all registered voters in a village and is a permanent body with no fixed term. The Gram Panchayat is the elected executive body chosen by that Gram Sabha for five years. Only the Gram Panchayat counts as a tier of the system.
How many subjects are in the Eleventh Schedule?
Twenty-nine subjects, added by the 73rd Amendment for devolution to panchayats. The Twelfth Schedule, added by the 74th Amendment for urban local bodies, has eighteen. Candidates commonly reverse these two numbers, so link 29 with rural and 18 with urban firmly.
When is National Panchayati Raj Day observed?
On 24 April, the day the 73rd Amendment came into force in 1993. Note that the amendment was passed in 1992 but took effect in 1993, and questions deliberately offer both years as options. Pass year 1992, effect year 1993 is the safest way to store it.