73rd Amendment Act - I

73RD AMENDMENT ACT OF 1992

• added a new Part-IX to the Constitution of India

• 11th Schedule

• entitled as ‘The Panchayats’

• Articles 243 to 243 O

• contains 29 functional items of the panchayats. It deals with Article 243-G.

• The act has given a practical shape to Article 40 of the Constitution  - part of DPSP

• The Gram Sabha is the foundation of the panchayati raj system and includes all registered voters in a village within a panchayat area.

• It serves as the village assembly and plays a crucial role in local governance.

• The panchayati raj system consists of a three-tier structure: village, intermediate, and district levels.

• This structure is uniform across the country, though states with a population of less than 20 lakh may choose not to have intermediate-level panchayats.

• Members of panchayats at all levels are elected directly by the people.

• Chairpersons of panchayats at intermediate and district levels are elected indirectly by and from the elected members.

• The method of electing the village-level panchayat chairperson is determined by state legislatures.

• There is reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in all panchayats proportional to their population.

• Reservation for women is also required, with at least one-third of seats and offices of chairpersons reserved for women.

• Reservation for SCs does not apply in Arunachal Pradesh, which is inhabited by indigenous tribal people with no SCs.

• Panchayats have a five-year term of office and can be dissolved before the term ends.

• Fresh elections must be held either before the term expires or within six months of dissolution.

• If the remainder of a dissolved panchayat's term is less than six months, elections may be unnecessary.

• Disqualification for membership in panchayats is determined by existing laws for elections to state legislatures or state-specific laws.

• A person can be a member if they are at least 21 years old, even if not yet 25.

• Disqualification questions are referred to an authority determined by the state legislature.