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JKSSB Panchayat Secretary study materials
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JKSSB Panchayat Secretary: Indian Polity and Constitution, with emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir

JKSSB Panchayat Secretary · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Indian Polity and Constitution, with emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir

The constitutional frame

The paper tests the structure of the Constitution with a J&K application: the Preamble and its amended ideals, Fundamental Rights (Part III, Articles 12 to 35), Directive Principles (Part IV, Articles 36 to 51), and Fundamental Duties under Article 51A, eleven in number, including the education duty added by the 86th Amendment in 2002.

Federal and local design

  • The Seventh Schedule divides subjects into the Union, State and Concurrent Lists.
  • The 73rd Amendment Act, 1992, in force from 24 April 1993, created Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule; the 74th created Part IXA for municipalities.
  • Article 40 is the Directive Principle directing the State to organise village panchayats.

The J&K specific layer

  • Article 370 conferred special status; on 5 August 2019 Presidential Orders made it inoperative, and Article 35A, inserted by the 1954 Order, ceased to operate. This was done through orders under Article 370 itself, not through an amendment under Article 368, a point examiners test.
  • The J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 took effect on 31 October 2019. The Assembly strength was raised to 90 after the 2022 Delimitation Commission report, with nominated members besides.
  • As a Union Territory with a legislature, the Assembly can legislate on State List subjects except public order and police, which remain with the Centre.
  • The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is a common High Court.

Worked example

'Which Article directs the State to organise panchayats?' Reasoning: Part IV holds the Directive Principles; Article 40 is the village panchayat directive, while Articles 243 onwards are the operative panchayat provisions created in 1993. Answer: Article 40.

Traps

  • Saying the 73rd Amendment came into force in 1992; it was enacted then but took effect on 24 April 1993.
  • Confusing the Fifth Schedule (Scheduled Areas) with the Sixth Schedule (tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram).
  • Forgetting that nominated members exist alongside the 90 elected Assembly seats.