Previous Year Question
Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The 73rd Amendment of the Constitution is considered to be a watershed in the history of local self government in India.
Reason (R): The 73rd Constitution Amendment conferred the much coveted Constitutional status on Panchayats.
Select the correct answer from the code given below.
Code:
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(A) is true, but (R) is false
Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(A) is false, but (R) is true
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Assertion (A) is correct. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment brought a fundamental change in rural local self-government in India. It inserted Part IX—“The Panchayats” into the Constitution, containing constitutional provisions from Article 243 to Article 243-O. This framework came into force on 24 April 1993.
Before this amendment, the structure and continuity of Panchayats depended largely on State laws. The 73rd Amendment constitutionalised institutional provisions relating to the Gram Sabha, Panchayats at different levels, reservation, five-year tenure, State Election Commission and State Finance Commission. This is why it is regarded as a major watershed in the history of local government.
Reason (R) is also correct. One of the most important achievements of the 73rd Amendment was to give constitutional status to Panchayats. The Constitution defines a Panchayat as an institution of self-government constituted for rural areas. Thus, Panchayats became constitutionally recognised institutions of local self-government rather than merely administrative arrangements.
The amendment also inserted the Eleventh Schedule, containing 29 subjects related to Panchayats. These include agriculture, land improvement, minor irrigation, rural housing, drinking water, roads, education, health, women and child development and poverty alleviation.