73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992

• Came into effect on 24 April 1993.
• Inserted Part IX (Articles 243 to 243-O) and 11th Schedule.

Applies to

All States and UTs with legislatures (except J&K until 2019).

Not applicable to:

• Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram
• 6th Schedule areas in Assam, Tripura
• Hill areas of Manipur
• Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (West Bengal)

Structure of Panchayati Raj System

Three Tiers:

• Gram Panchayat – Village level
• Panchayat Samiti – Block level
• Zila Parishad – District level

In states with population <20 lakh, only two-tier system is mandatory.

Composition

• Members elected directly by the people.
• Chairperson of:
  • Gram Panchayat – elected by people.
  • Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad – elected indirectly (by members).
• Reservation:
  • SC/ST in proportion to population.
  • Women – 1/3rd of seats (including SC/ST women).

Term and Elections

• Term: 5 years.
• Elections:
  • Held before term ends or within 6 months of dissolution.
  • Conducted by State Election Commission (SEC).

Powers and Functions

• Assigned by State Legislature.
• May include:
  • Preparation of plans for economic development.
  • Implementation of welfare schemes.
  • Responsibilities listed in 11th Schedule (29 subjects), e.g.:
    • Agriculture, irrigation
    • Rural housing
    • Rural housing
    • Education, health, etc.

State Finance Commission (SFC) – Article 243-I

• Set up every 5 years by Governor.
• Recommends distribution of:
  • Net proceeds between State and Panchayats.
  • Grants-in-aid to Panchayats.

State Election Commission (SEC) – Article 243K

• Conducts elections to Panchayats and Municipalities.
• Appointed by Governor.
• Has powers of superintendence, direction, and control over elections.

Gram Sabha – Article 243(b)

• Comprises all adult voters of a village.
• Approves:
  • Plans
  • Budgets
  • Social audits
• Acts as watchdog of Panchayats.

11th Schedule (added by 73rd Amendment)

Contains 29 functional items for Panchayats:

• Agriculture, land improvement
• Minor irrigation
• Animal husbandry
• Rural housing
• Rural electrification
• Non-conventional energy
• Roads, drinking water
• Education, health, sanitation, etc.

Significance of Panchayati Raj

• Realizes grassroots democracy.
• Ensures local self-governance.
• Empowers marginalized communities.
• Promotes participatory planning and development.

Challenges

• Lack of devolution of funds, functions, and functionaries (3Fs).
• Excessive bureaucratic control.
• Capacity constraints of elected members.
• Delays in State Finance Commission reports.
• Political interference and corruption.

Key Takeaways

• Based on 73rd Amendment Act, 1992.
• Introduced Part IX (Articles 243–243-O) and 11th Schedule (29 subjects).
• Three-tier system: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Zila Parishad.
• Mandatory reservation for SC/ST and 1/3rd women.
• Institutions: Gram Sabha, State Finance Commission, and State Election Commission.
• Critical for grassroots democracy but still faces functional, fiscal, and administrative constraints.

Quick Revision Table