Panchayati Raj at a Glance: 73rd Amendment, 11th Schedule & PESA – Quick Answer

Panchayati Raj System: 73rd Amendment Act Explained for UPSC Polity

Quick Answer: The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 gave Panchayati Raj constitutional status by inserting Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) and the 11th Schedule, which lists 29 subjects. It came into force on 24 April 1993, now celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Day. It mandates a three-tier system (village, intermediate, district), direct elections every five years, reservations for SCs, STs and women, and the PESA Act, 1996 extends these provisions to Scheduled Areas.

Evolution of Local Self-Government in India: Pre-Constitution Background

Local self-government in India has deep colonial roots. In 1882, Lord Ripon — often called the “father of local self-government in India” — issued a resolution on local self-government, widely described as the “Magna Carta” of local self-government. It sought to develop local bodies as instruments of political and popular education.

After Independence, the Constituent Assembly debated Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj — village self-rule — but India’s leaders ultimately adopted a parliamentary system with a strong Centre. Local government found only a moral place in the Constitution:

• Article 40 (Directive Principle of State Policy): “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.”
• Gandhi’s vision of village republics remained an ideal, not a constitutional obligation, until 1992.

For authoritative reading, refer to the Ministry of External Affairs’ India Profile or PIB releases on Panchayati Raj, and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj portal.

Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): Birth of Panchayati Raj

In 1957, the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee — set up to examine Community Development Programme (1952) and National Extension Service (1953) — became the first committee on democratic decentralisation. Its landmark recommendations:

• Establishment of a three-tier Panchayati Raj system: Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (block level), Zila Parishad (district level).
• Gram Panchayat as the base, with the Panchayat Samiti as the executive body at the block level.
• Direct elections for Gram Panchayat members; indirect elections for higher tiers.
• Transfer of adequate resources and power to these bodies.

Implementation: Rajasthan became the first state to adopt Panchayati Raj, inaugurated by Prime Minister Nehru at Nagaur district on 2 October 1959. Andhra Pradesh followed shortly afterwards.

Ashok Mehta Committee (1977–78) and Other Committees

The Ashok Mehta Committee (1977–78) was appointed to revive weakening Panchayati Raj institutions. Key recommendations:

• A two-tier system: Zila Parishad (district) and Mandal Panchayat (a group of villages replacing the block tier).
• Zila Parishad to be the executive body, with planning and implementation responsibility at the district level.
• Compulsory powers of taxation for Panchayats.

Later committees refined the framework:

• G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985): emphasised that development administration must be made “grassroots-level” oriented; the district as the basic unit of planning.
• L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986): first to recommend constitutional status for Panchayats and Gram Sabha as the foundational institution — the idea finally realised in 1992.

73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992: Key Provisions

The 73rd Amendment (passed by Parliament in December 1992, in force 24 April 1993) inserted Part IX and the 11th Schedule into the Constitution. Its compulsory provisions:

• Three-tier structure — Gram Panchayat (village), Panchayat Samiti (intermediate), Zila Parishad (district). States with population under 20 lakh may skip the intermediate tier.
• Gram Sabha (Article 243A) — the body of all registered voters of a village; states may define its powers.
• Direct elections to all seats in Panchayats at all levels (Article 243C); indirect election of chairpersons at intermediate and district levels.
• Five-year term (Article 243E); elections must be held before expiry, or within six months of dissolution.
• Reservations for SCs, STs and women (Article 243D).
• State Election Commission (Article 243K) to conduct Panchayat elections.
• State Finance Commission (Article 243I) every five years to recommend fiscal devolution.
• 11th Schedule: 29 subjects on which states may devolve powers.

Compulsory vs Voluntary Provisions of the 73rd Amendment

Reservation Provisions: SCs, STs, Women and OBCs

Under Article 243D:

• SCs and STs: reservation of seats in proportion to their population in the Panchayat area.
• Women: not less than one-third of seats reserved, including one-third within SC/ST reserved seats; one-third of chairperson offices (rotated) too. Many states — including Bihar, MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — have raised this to 50%.
• OBCs: the Amendment does not mandate OBC reservation; states may provide it under voluntary provisions.

11th Schedule: 29 Functional Subjects Explained

Article 243G empowers state legislatures to devolve powers on Panchayats over 29 subjects. High-yield listing for prelims:

1. Agriculture, including agricultural extension
2. Land improvement, implementation of land reforms, land consolidation and soil conservation
3. Minor irrigation, water management and watershed development
4. Animal husbandry, dairying and poultry
5. Fisheries
6. Social forestry and farm forestry
7. Minor forest produce
8. Small-scale industries, including food processing
9. Khadi, village and cottage industries
10. Rural housing
11. Drinking water
12. Fuel and fodder
13. Roads, culverts, bridges, ferries, waterways and other means of communication
14. Rural electrification, including distribution of electricity
15. Non-conventional energy sources
16. Poverty alleviation programmes
17. Education, including primary and secondary schools
18. Technical training and vocational education
19. Adult and non-formal education
20. Libraries
21. Cultural activities
22. Markets and fairs
23. Health and sanitation, including hospitals, PHCs and dispensaries
24. Family welfare
25. Women and child development
26. Social welfare, including welfare of the handicapped and mentally retarded
27. Welfare of the weaker sections, particularly SCs and STs
28. Public distribution system
29. Maintenance of community assets

Exam pointer: the word “minor” appears three times — minor irrigation, minor forest produce, minor minerals-related use — and the devolution of these subjects remains the discretion of state legislatures, not an obligation.

PESA Act, 1996: Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas

The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) extends Part IX to the Fifth Schedule Scheduled Areas of ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan.

Salient features:

• Every village community’s Gram Sabha is supreme — it is competent to safeguard customs, community resources and customary dispute-resolution modes.
• Mandatory consultation with the Gram Sabha before land acquisition or resettlement of project-affected people.
• Gram Sabha or Panchayat control over natural resources: minor forest produce, minor minerals (including ownership), water bodies, and village markets (haats).
• Powers to prevent land alienation and regulate money-lending to STs.
• Every Panchayat seat in Scheduled Areas is reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

PESA is central to tribal self-governance, though implementation gaps persist because many states have not framed conforming state rules. Track updates via the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

74th Amendment vs 73rd Amendment: Quick Comparison

Issues and Challenges of Payanchati Raj — Correcting to Panchayati Raj

(Issues and Challenges of Panchayati Raj)

• 3Fs problem: inadequate devolution of Funds, Functions and Functionaries — Panchayats remain implementers, not decision-makers.
• Proxy representation (“Sarpanch Pati”): male relatives exercising de facto power behind elected women representatives.
• Parallel bodies: societies, missions and committees (e.g., parallel water-user bodies) dilute Panchayat authority.
• Irregular Gram Sabha meetings and low quorum, weakening the foundation of participatory democracy.
• Dependence on grants (Finance Commission and Central funds) rather than own revenue; capacity and training deficits among representatives.

Previous Year UPSC Questions and Answer-Writing Practice

GS-2 Mains practice: “Evaluate the working of Panchayati Raj after the 73rd Amendment. Has it deepened democracy in India?”

Model answer structure:

1. Introduction: 73rd Amendment as a landmark in democratic decentralisation; constitutional status to over 2.5 lakh Panchayats.
2. Positives: regular elections via SECs, ~14 lakh+ elected representatives with ~46% women, social empowerment of SC/ST and women leaders, Gram Sabha as accountability forum.
3. Shortcomings: 3Fs devolution gaps, proxy rule, parallel bodies, weak own-source revenue, PESA implementation lag.
4. Way forward: activity mapping for functions, predictable untied funds (15th Finance Commission grants), capacity building (RGUNTP), strengthening Gram Sabhas, e-Gram Swaraj digitisation.
5. Conclusion: real decentralisation needs political will beyond constitutional form — devolution in letter and spirit.

Cite the Press Information Bureau and Ministry of Panchayati Raj reports for current data in your answer.

Revision Table: Quick Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When did the 73rd Amendment Act come into force?

It was passed by Parliament in December 1992 and came into effect on 24 April 1993. This date is celebrated annually as National Panchayati Raj Day.

Q: Which state first established Panchayati Raj in India?

Rajasthan, launched at Nagaur district on 2 October 1959 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru; Andhra Pradesh followed soon after.

Q: How many subjects are in the 11th Schedule?

29 subjects are listed for devolution to Panchayats. Actual devolution of these subjects depends on state legislatures, as per Article 243G.

Q: Which states come under the PESA Act 1996?

Ten states with Fifth Schedule Scheduled Areas: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan.

Q: Is Panchayati Raj a central or state subject?

“Local government” is a State subject (State List). The 73rd Amendment provides only a constitutional framework; state legislatures enact the detailed Panchayati Raj laws.

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