RAS question
Under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, what is the minimum fraction of seats filled by direct election in every Panchayat that must be reserved for women?
Correct answer: (C) One-third.
Article 243D(3), inserted through the 73rd Amendment framework for Panchayats, requires that not less than one-third of the total directly elected seats in every Panchayat be reserved for women.
Explanation
Article 243D deals with reservation of seats in Panchayats. Clause (3) says that not less than one-third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat shall be reserved for women. The same clause makes clear that this one-third count includes seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. That is why the constitutional minimum is one-third, not a higher or lower fraction. A common exam trap is the 50% reservation adopted by several states, including Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; that state-level expansion does not change the constitutional floor under Article 243D(3).
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Two-thirds overstates the constitutional requirement; Article 243D(3) fixes the minimum reservation for women at not less than one-third of directly elected Panchayat seats.
- (B) One-fourth is below the constitutional floor, because Article 243D(3) requires at least one-third of the relevant Panchayat seats to be reserved for women.
- (D) One-half reflects the higher reservation adopted by some states, but the Constitution’s minimum mandate under Article 243D(3) remains one-third.
Concept
This tests Part IX of the Constitution, especially Panchayati Raj reservation under Article 243D. It recurs in RAS because local self-government, social justice and women’s representation are core governance themes.