RAS question
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment is related to:
Correct answer: (B) Panchayati Raj Institutions.
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 is related to Panchayati Raj Institutions because it gave them constitutional status by inserting Part IX, titled "The Panchayats", into the Constitution of India.
Explanation
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions by inserting Part IX into the Constitution. The amendment added a new Part IX, titled "The Panchayats", after Part VIII. Within this Part, a Panchayat is described as an institution of self-government for rural areas and is constituted under Article 243B. This is why the amendment is identified with Panchayati Raj: it did not merely mention local bodies but created a dedicated constitutional part for rural local self-government. For RAS, remember the direct association: the 73rd Amendment concerns Panchayats and rural local government.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The judiciary is not the focus of the 73rd Amendment; it inserted Part IX on Panchayats rather than provisions reforming courts.
- (C) Fundamental Rights belong to Part III, whereas the 73rd Amendment added Part IX dealing with Panchayats.
- (D) Urban Local Bodies are linked to the 74th Amendment, while the 73rd Amendment concerns rural Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Concept
This tests your understanding of local self-government, constitutional amendments, and the constitutional status of Panchayati Raj Institutions within the Rajasthan polity syllabus. It recurs in RAS because Panchayati Raj is central to rural administration and state-level governance questions.