Panchayati Raj and the 73rd Constitutional Amendment
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 added Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) and the Eleventh Schedule, creating a three-tier rural local government: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad. The exam tests articles, tenure, reservations, finance and the division of functions.
Core rules
- Gram Sabha (Article 243A) consists of all registered voters of a village; it exercises powers given by state law.
- Three tiers are mandatory for states with population above 20 lakh; smaller states may have two.
- Term is five years from the date of the first meeting; if dissolved earlier, elections must be held within six months (Article 243E).
- Minimum age to contest is 21 (Article 243F).
- Reservation for SC/ST in proportion to population and not less than one-third seats for women (Article 243D); many states, including Bihar, provide 50%.
- State Election Commission (Article 243K) conducts panchayat elections; State Finance Commission (Article 243I) reviews finances every five years.
- The Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects, including agriculture, rural housing, drinking water, education and health.
Worked example
“A state dissolves a Gram Panchayat 18 months before its term ends. Within what period must elections be held?” Article 243E requires elections before the expiry of six months from dissolution. Here more than six months remain, so elections must be completed within six months; the new body serves only the unexpired remainder.
Traps
- 73rd = rural panchayats; 74th = urban local bodies.
- 29 subjects are in the Eleventh Schedule; 18 are in the Twelfth Schedule for municipalities.
- The five-year term starts from the first meeting, not the election date.