73rd Amendment Act: Panchayati Raj System

The nation's founding father, Mahatma Gandhi, emphasised the value of the villages' independence. As a result, the core notion behind the Panchayati System in the country stems from Mahatma Gandhi's principles and goals. The relevance of the Panchayati system in the country is addressed in Article 40 of the Indian Constitution, which is also a directive principle of Indian policy. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, saw the Panchayati system as a critical social, political, and economic institution.

The Panchayati Raj is a three-tier organisation for rural development in Indian administrative systems. The fundamental purpose of this system is to develop the local governments of the country's many villages, zones, and districts. Panchayati systems have been formed in numerous states and union territories around the country. However, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Darjeeling, Delhi, and other remote and mountainous terrains in the country are free from the Panchayati Raj system.

Panchayati Raj

Panchayati Raj is the Indian subcontinent's oldest form of local administration. Panchayati Raj Institutions have existed as units of local administration in India for a long time, in various forms and combinations. However, the 73rd Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution officially created it as the third level of India's federal democracy in 1992.

A panchayat is a group of "five people." A Panchayat is essentially a council of elders who represent a community. The Panchayat system includes villages (Gram Panchayat), groupings of villages (Block Panchayat), and districts (District Panchayat).

Evolution of Panchayat

The Panchayati Raj system in the country is not entirely based on post-independence Indian principles. The Panchayati system has been one of the most prevalent political systems in the country for decades. As a result, Panchayat Raj and rural development have served as the foundation for many Indian communities. Foreign dominance, as well as imposed social and economic conditions in the country, weakened the relevance of these systems. However, prior to independence, these panchayats were strongly dependent on the caste system and upper caste dominance.

Following independence and the passage of the Indian Constitution in 1950, the system of local governance evolved. The Government of India established a number of committees to investigate and implement governance at the municipal and rural levels. These panels also proposed methods and processes for achieving their goals. These committees are as follows:

• Balwant Mehta Committee

• G V Rao Committee

• Ashok Mehta Committee

• L M Singhvi Committee

With the passage of time and the phases of globalisation, privatisation, and liberalisation, the Panchayati system became available to the public via various technologies. E-Panchayat is an e-government effort for Panchayati Raj and rural development. The goal of E-Panchayat is to make the Panchayati System a more transparent and contemporary organisation.

Structure of Panchayat

Panchayati Raj is the local and rural governing system. It gives village residents the ability to participate in their own governing bodies. Article 243B provides a three-tier panchayati system −

• Gram Panchayat − The initial level of government in rural regions is the Gram Panchayat. The Gram Panchayat, like the Panchs, reports to the Gram Sabha.

• Panchayat Samiti − The Panchayati Samiti is in charge of financial distribution in the individual states' Gram Panchayats. Each state has its own set of laws governing panchayats

• Zila Parishad − The Zila Parishad is the highest level of local governance. This tier is higher than the Panchayati Samiti.

73^rd Amendment Act

The 73rd Amendment Act was passed by the Indian national government in 1992 to solve these problems and enhance local self-governance. The act was approved by both chambers and became law on April 24, 1993. The 73rd Amendment envisions the Gram Sabha as the cornerstone of the Panchayat Raj System, performing functions and exercising authorities delegated to it by state legislatures.

The amendment establishes a three-tiered Panchayat Raj System at the village, intermediate, and district levels. The Panchayati Raj system in India became more uniform as a result of this provision. There is a provision for the reservation of seats for SCs and STs at every level of the panchayat. The Act empowered state governments to take the required steps to formalize gram panchayats and enable them to function as self-governing bodies.

Conclusion

The Panchayati Raj is a three-tier organisation for rural development in Indian administrative systems. Gram Panchayat, Panchayati Samiti, and Zila Parishad make up the structure. The Panchayati System was inspired by the values and aspirations of Mahatma Gandhi. The relevance of the Panchayati system in the country is addressed in Article 40 of the Indian Constitution, which is also a directive principle of Indian policy. Part IX of the Indian Constitution now includes the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992.It gave Article 40 of the Indian Constitution form and structure. The Panchayati Raj system in the country is not entirely based on post-independence Indian principles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who is the father of Panchayati Raj?

Ans. Balwant Rai Mehta, also known as the "Father of Panchayati Raj," was a parliamentarian who is credited with popularizing the concept of Panchayati Raj in India.

Q2. What is the role of the Panchayat in rural society?

Ans. Providing rural infrastructure and possibilities for socioeconomic progress to rural poor people.

Q3. What role does Panchayati Raj play?

Ans. Panchayati Raj establishes village local government, which plays an important role in village development, particularly in areas such as primary education, health, agricultural development, women and child development, and women's involvement in local government, among others.

Q4. Which state in India has no Panchayati Raj institution?

Ans. Except for Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, all Indian states, union territories, and several other locations have Panchayati Raj systems.

Q5. Which is the first state in India to implement Panchayati Raj?

Ans. Rajasthan was the first state in India to introduce Panchayati Raj on October 2, 1959, in the Nagaur district. Rajasthan was followed by Andhra Pradesh, which went into effect in 1959.

Q6. Which article of Constitution is Panchayati Raj?

Ans. The 73rd Amendment of 1992 created a new Part IX to the constitution named "The Panchayats," which covered provisions from Article 243 to 243(O), as well as a new Eleventh Schedule encompassing 29 issues related to Panchayat activities.

Q7. Who enacted the Panchayat Raj Act?

Ans. In September 1991, under the Prime Ministership of P.V. Narasimha Rao, a comprehensive modification was submitted in the form of the Constitution Amendment Bill