Previous Year Question

Article 40 directs the State to organise village panchayats. It is contained in Part IV—Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution.

Under Article 40, the State shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government.

An important distinction is that Article 40 is a Directive Principle contained in the original Constitution, whereas Panchayats later received an elaborate constitutional framework through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. The Amendment inserted Part IX—The Panchayats, containing detailed provisions relating to Panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels.

The other options can be distinguished clearly. Article 32 deals with constitutional remedies, Article 48 deals with organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry, while Article 51 concerns promotion of international peace and security.

Thus, the targeted mapping is—

Article 40 → Organisation of Village Panchayats → DPSP → Part IV