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RAS question

Consider the following statements about Ward Sabhas and Ward Committees under the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992: 1. Ward Sabhas consist of all voters in a ward and are mandatory in all states. 2. Ward Committees are required only in municipalities with population of 3 lakh or more. 3. In Rajasthan, ward committees have been given significant financial powers. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Correct answer: (B) 2 only.

Under Article 243S of the 74th Constitutional Amendment framework, Wards Committees are constitutionally required only in municipalities with a population of three lakh or more.

  1. (A)

    1 and 2 only

  2. (B)

    2 only

  3. (C)

    1 and 3 only

  4. (D)

    None of the above

Explanation

The correct statement is Statement 2. Article 243S requires Wards Committees within the territorial area of a municipality having a population of three lakh or more. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs makes the threshold explicit and adds that, for such municipalities, state governments have no choice because it is a constitutional requirement. It also clarifies the federal design: states may decide whether to create additional committees and may shape their composition and powers through state law. That is why Statement 1 is wrong: Ward Sabhas made up of all voters in a ward are not mandated by the 74th Amendment across all states. Statement 3 is also wrong because Rajasthan's ward committees exist but have weak financial devolution, not significant financial powers.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Option A includes Statement 1, but the 74th Amendment does not make Ward Sabhas mandatory in every state; it also omits the problem with Statement 3.
  • (C) Option C rests on both incorrect claims: Ward Sabhas are not a universal constitutional mandate, and Rajasthan's ward committees are not described as having significant financial powers.
  • (D) Option D rejects every statement, but Statement 2 is supported because Article 243S constitutionally requires Wards Committees for municipalities with population of three lakh or more.

Concept

This tests urban local governance under the 74th Constitutional Amendment, especially the difference between constitutionally mandated Wards Committees and state-created ward-level bodies. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan polity questions often turn on the exact division between constitutional requirements and powers left to state municipal law.

Source

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