Question

What is a key provision of the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 concerning rural governance?

• A. It established Municipal Corporations for urban areas.
• B. It introduced a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at village, block, and district levels.
• C. It granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
• D. It made English the sole official language of India.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. It introduced a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at village, block, and district levels.

Decentralization in India 

• When power is taken away from Central and State governments and given to local government, it is called decentralisation.
  

• Before 1992, the local bodies were directly under the state governments.

  
  → Regular elections were not held.

  
  → The local bodies did not have any resources or powers of their own.

• Decentralization in India was primarily institutionalized through the 73^rd and 74^th Constitutional Amendments of 1992, which came into force in 1993

• After 1992, the Constitution was amended to make the third-tier of democracy more powerful and effective. The steps taken are :
  

• → Mandatory to hold regular elections to local government bodies.
  

• → Seats are reserved for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

• At least one-third of all positions are reserved for women.
  

• An independent institution called the State Election Commission has been created in each State.

• The State governments are required to share some powers and revenue with local government bodies.

• 73^rd Amendment Act, 1992 : This amendment focuses on rural governance through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

• It introduced a three-tier system of local governance at the village (Gram Panchayat), block (Panchayat Samiti), and district (Zila Parishad) levels.

• It added Part IX to the Constitution of India, containing Articles 243 to 243O, and the 11^th Schedule

• 74^th Amendment Act, 1992 : This amendment addresses urban governance through Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), establishing a three-tier system: Nagar Panchayat (for transitional areas), Municipal Council (for smaller urban areas), and Municipal Corporation (for larger cities).

• It added Part IX-A to the Constitution, containing Articles 243P to 243ZG, and the 12^th Schedule