RAS question
The 73rd Amendment provides for a three-tier Panchayati Raj system. The three tiers are:
Correct answer: (B) Gram Panchayat, Block Panchayat, Zila Panchayat.
Under the 73rd Amendment, the three-tier Panchayati Raj structure consists of Panchayats at the village, intermediate or block, and district levels, generally called the Gram Panchayat, Block Panchayat, and Zila Panchayat.
Explanation
The 73rd Amendment brought the provisions concerning Panchayats into Part IX of the Constitution. Article 243B requires every State to constitute Panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels. In exam language, this structure maps to the Gram Panchayat at the village level, the Panchayat Samiti or Block Panchayat at the intermediate level, and the Zila Parishad or Zila Panchayat at the district level. The intermediate tier is the only conditional part: under Article 243B(2), it need not be constituted in a State whose population does not exceed 20 lakh. This rural three-tier chain is distinct from any state-level body or urban municipal structure.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) This option includes a Tehsil Panchayat and a State Panchayat, but Article 243B provides only for village, intermediate and district levels; a State Panchayat is not a tier in this structure.
- (C) Town and city Panchayats use urban terminology, whereas the Panchayati Raj structure under the 73rd Amendment is based on village, intermediate and district levels.
- (D) Ward Committees, Municipal Committees and Municipal Corporations are urban local bodies, so they do not describe the rural three-tier Panchayati Raj structure under Part IX.
Concept
This question tests understanding of the institutional design of Panchayati Raj under Part IX of the Constitution, including its village-to-district tiers, terminology and intermediate-tier exception. These are core RAS governance facts for understanding Rajasthan's rural administrative structure.