60-second revision
- Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) recommended three-tier Panchayati Raj; Rajasthan began it at Nagaur on 2 October 1959.
- 73rd Amendment (1992): Part IX, Articles 243 to 243-O, Eleventh Schedule with 29 subjects; in force 24 April 1993.
- 74th Amendment (1992): Part IXA, Articles 243-P to 243-ZG, Twelfth Schedule with 18 subjects.
- Intermediate tier optional in states with population up to 20 lakh (Article 243B).
- At least one-third seats and chairperson posts reserved for women; minimum age 21.
- State Election Commission (Article 243K) conducts local elections; State Finance Commission every five years (Article 243-I).
- Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram are exempt from Part IX; PESA (1996) extends it to Fifth Schedule areas.
- Ward committees for municipalities with 3 lakh+ population; Metropolitan Planning Committee for areas of 10 lakh+.
From committees to the Constitution
Article 40 (a Directive Principle) asked the State to organise village panchayats, but for four decades panchayats depended on state laws and were often superseded or left without elections. A series of committees shaped the system before the 1992 amendments gave it constitutional status.
| Committee | Year | Key recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Balwant Rai Mehta | 1957 | Three-tier system: gram panchayat (village), panchayat samiti (block), zila parishad (district); "democratic decentralisation" |
| Ashok Mehta | 1977 | Two-tier system: zila parishad and mandal panchayat |
| G. V. K. Rao | 1985 | District as the basic unit of planning |
| L. M. Singhvi | 1986 | Constitutional recognition for local self-government |
Rajasthan was the first state to introduce Panchayati Raj, inaugurated by Nehru at Nagaur on 2 October 1959; Andhra Pradesh followed the same year. A 64th Amendment Bill in 1989 failed in the Rajya Sabha. The 73rd and 74th Amendments were passed in 1992. The 73rd came into force on 24 April 1993, now marked as National Panchayati Raj Day.
The 73rd Amendment: Part IX
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 243A | Gram Sabha: all persons on the electoral rolls of a village |
| 243B | Three tiers — village, intermediate and district. States with population not above 20 lakh may skip the intermediate tier |
| 243C | Direct election to all seats at every level |
| 243D | Seats reserved for SCs and STs in proportion to population; at least one-third of seats and chairperson posts for women |
| 243E | Five-year term; fresh elections before the term ends or within six months of dissolution |
| 243F | Disqualifications; minimum age 21 |
| 243G | Powers and functions; Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects |
| 243-I | State Finance Commission every five years, constituted by the Governor |
| 243K | State Election Commission: superintends elections; removed like a High Court judge |
| 243M | Exempted areas |
Compulsory vs voluntary provisions
- Compulsory: Gram Sabha; three-tier system (subject to the 20 lakh exception); direct elections; minimum age 21; reservation for SCs, STs and one-third for women; five-year term; State Election Commission; State Finance Commission.
- Voluntary (left to the state): representation of MPs and MLAs in panchayats; reservation for backward classes; how much power and how many of the 29 subjects to devolve; financial powers such as levying taxes.
Exemptions and PESA
Under Article 243M, Part IX does not apply to Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram, to Fifth Schedule Scheduled Areas and Sixth Schedule tribal areas, to hill areas of Manipur with district councils, or to the Darjeeling district covered by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. Parliament extended Part IX to Fifth Schedule areas with modifications through the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, known as PESA, which gives the Gram Sabha strong powers over local resources.
The 74th Amendment: Part IXA
- Article 243Q: three types of municipality — Nagar Panchayat for an area in transition from rural to urban, Municipal Council for a smaller urban area, Municipal Corporation for a larger urban area.
- Article 243S: ward committees for municipalities with a population of three lakh or more.
- Article 243T: reservation for SCs, STs and at least one-third for women, as in panchayats.
- Article 243U: five-year term. Article 243Y: the State Finance Commission also reviews municipal finances. Article 243ZA: the State Election Commission conducts municipal elections.
- Article 243ZD: District Planning Committee to consolidate plans of panchayats and municipalities.
- Article 243ZE: Metropolitan Planning Committee for every metropolitan area (population of ten lakh or more).
- Twelfth Schedule: 18 subjects such as urban planning, water supply, public health and sanitation, fire services, slum improvement, urban poverty alleviation, burial grounds and vital statistics.
Other urban bodies
Besides municipalities, cities have cantonment boards (for civilians in military cantonment areas, under the Cantonments Act, 2006, run by the Defence Ministry), township bodies run by large public enterprises, port trusts and special purpose agencies such as development authorities.
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