Local Self-Government & Panchayati Raj
Local self-government in India represents institutionalized democratic decentralization at rural and urban grassroots levels, formalized by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts of 1992. The 73rd Amendment inserted Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule (listing 29 functional subjects) into the Constitution, creating a mandatory three-tier Panchayati Raj system: Gram Panchayats (village level), Panchayat Samitis (intermediate block level), and Zilla Parishads (district level). The Gram Sabha serves as the core deliberative assembly of registered village voters. Similarly, the 74th Amendment inserted Part IXA and the Twelfth Schedule (18 municipal subjects), structuring Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations, and mandating reservation for women and disadvantaged communities.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) originally recommended a three-tier Panchayati Raj system of democratic decentralization.
- Rajasthan was the first state to establish Panchayati Raj, inaugurated in Nagaur district on October 2, 1959.
- The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments mandate at least one-third (33%) reservation of seats for women in all local bodies.
- State Finance Commissions are constituted every five years under Article 243-I to review the financial position of Panchayats.