Panchayati Raj and Community Development (Part-II)

Total Questions: 60

31. The nomenclature of rural local governments as 'Panchayati Raj' was the result of the suggestion of which Indian leader? [U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2017]

Correct Answer: (d) M. K. Gandhi
Solution:Mahatma Gandhi suggested the nomenclature of rural local governments as ‘Panchayati Raj’. He wanted to see each village a little republic, self-sufficient in its vital wants and enjoying the maximum freedom of deciding the affairs of the locality.

Mahatma Gandhi’s view on Local Self-Governments
• Decentralized Form: Mahatma Gandhi believed that Local Self-Governments were the backbone of India’s democracy. He believed that these decentralized local government bodies have the power to make decisions at the community level.
• Self Rule: Gandhi believed that Local Self-Governments were an essential part of village self-governance and that they should be given more authority and resources to carry out their duties.
• Participative Governance: He also believed that Local Self-Governments were an essential platform for people to participate in the democratic process and to have a say in the decisions that affected their lives.
• Gandhi believed that Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRIs) should be accountable to the people they served and that they should be transparent and responsive in their decision-making processes.

32. Name the Committee which was set up by the NDC in 1957 for the reorganization of CDP and NES, which suggested a three-tier system of rural local government: [53rd to 55th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2011]

Correct Answer: (a) Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
Solution:Some important committees, which recommended Local Self-Governments, are given below:

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee recommended the establishment of PRIs at the village, intermediate, and district levels. It also recommended that PRIs be given financial resources and powers to decide on local issues.
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): This committee recommended that PRIs be given more powers and resources and that they be made responsible for planning and implementing development projects at the local level.
• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): This committee recommended that PRIs be given greater autonomy and that they be made accountable to the people they serve. It also suggested that PRIs be given the power to levy taxes and fees.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): The L.M. Singhvi committee recommended the need for constitutional recognition and legal framework for Panchayat Raj Institution and urban local bodies to strengthen the local self-governance in India.
• P.K. Thungon Committee (1989): It recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007): The principle of Subsidiary should be upheld, and there should be a clear delineation of functions for each level of local government.

33. The Committee which recommended a three-tier Panchayati Raj System in India was – [I.A.S. (Pre) 2005, M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2014]

Correct Answer: (b) Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
Solution:Some important committees, which recommended Local Self-Governments, are given below:

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee recommended the establishment of PRIs at the village, intermediate, and district levels. It also recommended that PRIs be given financial resources and powers to decide on local issues.
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): This committee recommended that PRIs be given more powers and resources and that they be made responsible for planning and implementing development projects at the local level.
• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): This committee recommended that PRIs be given greater autonomy and that they be made accountable to the people they serve. It also suggested that PRIs be given the power to levy taxes and fees.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): The L.M. Singhvi committee recommended the need for constitutional recognition and legal framework for Panchayat Raj Institution and urban local bodies to strengthen the local self-governance in India.
• P.K. Thungon Committee (1989): It recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007): The principle of Subsidiary should be upheld, and there should be a clear delineation of functions for each level of local government.

34. Which kind of Panchayati Raj System was recommended by the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]

Correct Answer: (b) Three-tier
Solution:Some important committees, which recommended Local Self-Governments, are given below:

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee recommended the establishment of PRIs at the village, intermediate, and district levels. It also recommended that PRIs be given financial resources and powers to decide on local issues.
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): This committee recommended that PRIs be given more powers and resources and that they be made responsible for planning and implementing development projects at the local level.
• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): This committee recommended that PRIs be given greater autonomy and that they be made accountable to the people they serve. It also suggested that PRIs be given the power to levy taxes and fees.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): The L.M. Singhvi committee recommended the need for constitutional recognition and legal framework for Panchayat Raj Institution and urban local bodies to strengthen the local self-governance in India.
• P.K. Thungon Committee (1989): It recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007): The principle of Subsidiary should be upheld, and there should be a clear delineation of functions for each level of local government.

35. Which one of the following States was the first to set-up Panchayati Raj institutions in accordance with the recommendations of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]

Correct Answer: (c) Rajasthan
Solution:Some important committees, which recommended Local Self-Governments, are given below:

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee recommended the establishment of PRIs at the village, intermediate, and district levels. It also recommended that PRIs be given financial resources and powers to decide on local issues.
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): This committee recommended that PRIs be given more powers and resources and that they be made responsible for planning and implementing development projects at the local level.
• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): This committee recommended that PRIs be given greater autonomy and that they be made accountable to the people they serve. It also suggested that PRIs be given the power to levy taxes and fees.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): The L.M. Singhvi committee recommended the need for constitutional recognition and legal framework for Panchayat Raj Institution and urban local bodies to strengthen the local self-governance in India.
• P.K. Thungon Committee (1989): It recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007): The principle of Subsidiary should be upheld, and there should be a clear delineation of functions for each level of local government.

36. The Chairman of the Committee set up for the recommendation of Panchayati Raj in India was – [38th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1992]

Correct Answer: (a) Balwant Rai Mehta
Solution:Some important committees, which recommended Local Self-Governments, are given below:

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee recommended the establishment of PRIs at the village, intermediate, and district levels. It also recommended that PRIs be given financial resources and powers to decide on local issues.
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): This committee recommended that PRIs be given more powers and resources and that they be made responsible for planning and implementing development projects at the local level.
• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): This committee recommended that PRIs be given greater autonomy and that they be made accountable to the people they serve. It also suggested that PRIs be given the power to levy taxes and fees.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): The L.M. Singhvi committee recommended the need for constitutional recognition and legal framework for Panchayat Raj Institution and urban local bodies to strengthen the local self-governance in India.
• P.K. Thungon Committee (1989): It recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007): The principle of Subsidiary should be upheld, and there should be a clear delineation of functions for each level of local government.

37. The committee on whose recommendation, the ‘Panchayati Raj System’ was introduced in the Country, was headed by – [Uttarakhand U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2007, Uttarakhand U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2006, 47th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2005, M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1996]

Correct Answer: (b) Balwant Rai Mehta
Solution:Some important committees, which recommended Local Self-Governments, are given below:

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee recommended the establishment of PRIs at the village, intermediate, and district levels. It also recommended that PRIs be given financial resources and powers to decide on local issues.
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): This committee recommended that PRIs be given more powers and resources and that they be made responsible for planning and implementing development projects at the local level.
• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): This committee recommended that PRIs be given greater autonomy and that they be made accountable to the people they serve. It also suggested that PRIs be given the power to levy taxes and fees.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): The L.M. Singhvi committee recommended the need for constitutional recognition and legal framework for Panchayat Raj Institution and urban local bodies to strengthen the local self-governance in India.
• P.K. Thungon Committee (1989): It recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007): The principle of Subsidiary should be upheld, and there should be a clear delineation of functions for each level of local government.

38. Which of the following committees recommended ‘Three-Tier Panchayati Raj System’? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2017]

Correct Answer: (a) Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
Solution:In January 1957, the Government of India appointed a Committee to examine the working of the Community Development Program (1952) and the National Extension Service (1953) and for suggest measures of their better working. The Chairman of this committee was Balwant Rai G Mehta. The committee submitted its report in November 1957 and recommended the establishment of the scheme of ‘Democratic decentralisation’ which came to be known as Panchayati Raj. It recommended a three-tier system i.e Gram Panchayat at village level, panchayat samiti at the block Level and Zila Parishad at the district level.

39. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the code given below the lists : [U.P. Lower Sub. (Mains) 2013]

 

List-I (Committees)List-II (Suggestion)
A. Balwant Rai Mehta1. Two-tier system
B. Ashok Mehta2. Three-tier System
C. L.M. Singhvi3. Improvement in representative character
D. G. V. K. Rao4. Local Self-government System

 

Code:
ABCD
(a)1234
(b)4321
(c)2143
(d)3412
Correct Answer: (c)
Solution:Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was constituted in 1957 and recommended a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj. Ashok Mehta Committee was constituted in 1977 and submitted its report in 1978. Mehta committee recommended replacing three-tier system by two-tier system. In 1985 D. V. K. Rao Committee was constituted and it recommended for improvement in representative character of Panchayat. L. M. Singhvi Committee was constituted in 1986, which recommended local self-government and allocation of more financial resources to village Panchayats. In 1983 Hanumantha Rao Committee was constituted and it recommended for the decentralization of functions, powers and finance, setting up of district planning bodies and district planning cells.

40. Who is considered as the 'Architect of Panchayati Raj' in India? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2015]

Correct Answer: (a) B. R. Mehta
Solution:Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was constituted in 1957 and recommended a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj. Ashok Mehta Committee was constituted in 1977 and submitted its report in 1978. Mehta committee recommended replacing three-tier system by two-tier system. In 1985 D. V. K. Rao Committee was constituted and it recommended for improvement in representative character of Panchayat. L. M. Singhvi Committee was constituted in 1986, which recommended local self-government and allocation of more financial resources to village Panchayats. In 1983 Hanumantha Rao Committee was constituted and it recommended for the decentralization of functions, powers and finance, setting up of district planning bodies and district planning cells.