RAS question
How many Panchayat Samitis exist in Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (A) 365.
Rajasthan has 365 Panchayat Samitis in its Panchayati Raj structure.
Explanation
Rajasthan has 365 Panchayat Samitis. The Government of Rajasthan's Economic Review 2024-25 places this count within the State's Panchayati Raj structure: 33 Zila Parishads, 365 Panchayat Samities and 11,194 Gram Panchayats are in existence. This matters because a Panchayat Samiti is the middle tier, serving as the link between Gram Panchayats and Zila Parishads. The count is therefore not the number of district-level Zila Parishads or village-level Gram Panchayats, but the block-level institution between them. Among the options, only 365 matches the official count.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 346 is wrong because the official count is 365 Panchayat Samitis, while 346 refers to Block Panchayat Development Plans uploaded on the e-Gram Swaraj portal, not the total number of Panchayat Samitis.
- (C) 400 overstates the official figure; the Economic Review gives the existing number of Panchayat Samitis as 365.
- (D) 300 understates the official figure; Rajasthan's existing Panchayat Samiti count is listed as 365.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's three-tier Panchayati Raj structure and the administrative count of its middle tier. Such factual institution-count questions recur in RAS because they check whether aspirants can distinguish Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and Gram Panchayats.