Panchayati Raj and Community Development (Part-III)

Total Questions: 40

11. Which of the following have been covered by 73rd Amendment of the Constitution? [U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2013, U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2010]

1. Zila Panchayat

2. Kshetra Panchayat

3. Gram Panchayat

4. Nagar Panchayat

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: (b) Only 1, 2 and 3
Solution:Gram Panchayat, Kshetra Panchayat and Zila Parishad have been covered in 73rd Amendment of the Constitution of India, whereas Nagar Panchayat, Nagar Palika Parishad and Nagar Nigam have been covered under 74th Amendment Act-1992.

The salient features of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 are as follows:

  • Gram Sabha-The Act provides for a Gram Sabha as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj system.
  • Three-tier System-The Act provides for a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj in every State.
  • Election of Chairperson and Members-The Act provides detailed provisions regarding the election of Chairperson and Members of Panchayats at every level.
  • Reservation of Seats-The Act makes provisions for the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Women, and OBCs in every Panchayat.
  • Duration of Panchayats-The Act provides for a five-year term of office to the Panchayat at every level from the date of its first meeting.
  • Disqualifications of Members of Panchayats-It details conditions regarding disqualifications of members of panchayats.
  • Powers and Functions-The State Legislature may endow the Panchayats with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government.
  • Finances of Panchayats-The State Legislature may authorize a Panchayat to levy, collect, and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls, and fees.
  • Audit of Accounts-The State Legislature may make provisions with respect to the maintenance of accounts by the Panchayats and the auditing of such accounts.
  • Application to Union Territories-The provisions of the Panchayats are applicable to the Union Territories. But, the President may direct that they would apply to a Union Territory subject to such exceptions and modifications as he/she may specify.

12. Territory of a Kshetra Panchayat (Panchayat at intermediate level) is determined by – [Uttarakhand U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2003]

Correct Answer: (b) State Government
Solution:Territory or an area of Kshetra Panchayat and all other Panchayats is determined by the State Government. According to Article 243-C (2), All the seat in Panchayat shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the Panchayat area and for this purpose, each Panchayat area shall be divided into territorial constituencies in such manner that the ratio between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allotted to it shall, so far as practicable, be the same throughout the Panchayat area.

13. Who notify the alteration in limits of Block and Zila Panchayat? [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]

Correct Answer: (a) Governor
Solution:According to the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, Section 127, the Governor may, by notification, change the headquarters of a Block or alter the limits of a Block by including or excluding any local area.
  • The term "Panchayat" refers to a form of local self-government in rural India.
  • The term is derived from the Sanskrit words "Pancha" (five) and "Ayat" (assembly).
  • Traditionally, it signifies a council of five elders chosen by the community to settle disputes and oversee local affairs.
  • In contemporary India, the Panchayat system has evolved into a structured and institutionalized framework aimed at promoting decentralization and participatory democracy at the grassroots level.

14. Match list-I and List-II and give correct answer using code given below: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2000]

List-I (Local Bodies)List-II (State, according to status of the year 1999)
A. Zila Parishad at Sub divisional level1. Andhra Pradesh
B. Mandal Praja Parishad2. Assam
C. Janajati Parishad3. Mizoram
D. The absence of Gram Panchayats4. Meghalaya

Code:

ABCD
(a)2143
(b)1243
(c)3214
(d)2134
Correct Answer: (a)
Solution:The matched order of List-I and List-II is as follows:
  • Zila Parishad at sub-division level: Assam
  • Mandal Praja Parishad: Andhra Pradesh
  • Janajati Parishad: Meghalaya
  • Absence of Gram Panchayat: Mizoram

15. Which of the following States does not have any Panchayati Raj Institution? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2005, U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2011]

Correct Answer: (c) Nagaland
Solution:At present, there is no Panchayati Raj Institution in the State of Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
  • The term "Panchayat" refers to a form of local self-government in rural India.
  • The term is derived from the Sanskrit words "Pancha" (five) and "Ayat" (assembly).
  • Traditionally, it signifies a council of five elders chosen by the community to settle disputes and oversee local affairs.
  • In contemporary India, the Panchayat system has evolved into a structured and institutionalized framework aimed at promoting decentralization and participatory democracy at the grassroots level.

16. Which State does not have Panchayat system? [67th B.P.S.C. (Pre) (Re-Exam), 2022]

Correct Answer: (e) None of the above/More than one of the above
Solution:Part IX of the Indian Constitution has provisions related to Panchayats from Articles 243 to 243O. As per clause (2) of Article 243 M, the provisions relating to panchayats shall not apply to the hill areas of the states of Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram and the state of Manipur where district councils exist. Hence the correct answer to this question is (e) i.e. "More than one of the above."

17. Match the List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists: [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2019]

List-I (Names of the Panchayat Samities)List-II (Names of the related provinces of India)
A. Janpad Panchayat1. West Bengal
B. Kshetra Panchayat2. Gujarat
C. Taluka Parishad3. Madhya Pradesh
D. Anchalik Parishad4. Uttar Pradesh

Code:

ABCD
(a)2134
(b)4312
(c)3421
(d)1243
Correct Answer: (c)
Solution:The correct match of List-I with List-II is as follows:
  • Janpad Panchayat: Madhya Pradesh
  • Kshetra Panchayat: Uttar Pradesh
  • Taluka Parishad: Gujarat
  • Anchalik Parishad: West Bengal

18. The Members of Panchayat Samiti are: [Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2011]

Correct Answer: (a) Directly elected by the public
Solution:

The Panchayat Samiti in Jharkhand is constituted under Section 32 of the Jharkhand Panchayati Raj Act, 2001. Its members are elected directly by the public.

India has a federal system of government in which powers are divided between the central government and the states and union territories. The Constitution of India defines the structure of local self-government in the country through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which were passed in 1992. These amendments created two new governance structures: the Panchayats (for rural areas) and the Municipalities (for urban areas).
The Panchayati Raj system was first established in India in the 1950s, but it was only with the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 that it was given constitutional recognition and a formal structure. The Act defines the Panchayati Raj system as a "three-tier system" consisting of
Village Panchayats: The lowest level of local government, responsible for village-level administration and development.
Intermediate Panchayats: Intermediate level of local government, typically responsible for a group of villages.
District Panchayats: The highest level of rural local government, responsible for district-level administration and development.

19. The members of the Panchayat Samiti are - [U.P.P.C.S.(Pre) 2013]

Correct Answer: (c) Directly elected by the people.
Solution:Panchayat Samiti is an intermediary (Block) level of three-tier Panchayati Raj System. Its members are elected by the public directly. In Uttar Pradesh, the Panchayat Samiti is known as Kshetra Panchayat.

India has a federal system of government in which powers are divided between the central government and the states and union territories. The Constitution of India defines the structure of local self-government in the country through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which were passed in 1992. These amendments created two new governance structures: the Panchayats (for rural areas) and the Municipalities (for urban areas).
The Panchayati Raj system was first established in India in the 1950s, but it was only with the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 that it was given constitutional recognition and a formal structure. The Act defines the Panchayati Raj system as a "three-tier system" consisting of
Village Panchayats: The lowest level of local government, responsible for village-level administration and development.
Intermediate Panchayats: Intermediate level of local government, typically responsible for a group of villages.
District Panchayats: The highest level of rural local government, responsible for district-level administration and development.

20. In Panchayati Raj System, the Panchayat Samiti is constituted at the - [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]

Correct Answer: (a) Village level
Solution:The correct answer is option (a) Block-level body. It is important to mention here that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act 1992 provides for three-tier local self-government, at the village (gram panchayat), block (panchayat samiti) and district (zila parishad) level. Gram Panchayat at the village level. Block Panchayat or Panchayat Samiti at the intermediate level i.e. the block level. Zila Panchayat at the District level. Significantly, Panchayat Samiti is a rural local government (panchayat) body at the intermediate tehsil level in India.