RAS question
The minimum age to contest Panchayat elections in Rajasthan is:
Correct answer: (B) 21 years.
In Rajasthan, the minimum age to contest Panchayat elections is 21 years.
Explanation
The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 sets the contesting threshold at 21 years for Panchayati Raj elections. Its qualification clause says a person registered as a voter in the voters' list of a Panchayati Raj Institution is qualified for election as a Panch or member unless disqualified, and specifically adds that a person is not disqualified merely for being below 25 if he has attained 21 years. This is why 21 years, not 25 years, is the relevant candidate age for Rajasthan Panchayat elections. The Act also keeps voting separate: the electoral-roll provision uses 18 years as the age for registration as a voter, so the voting age cannot be treated as the contesting age.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 18 years is the age linked to registration in the Panchayati Raj electoral roll, so it explains voting eligibility, not the minimum age to contest.
- (C) 25 years is not the Panchayat contesting threshold because the Act expressly protects a candidate from disqualification for being below 25 once he has attained 21 years.
- (D) 30 years relates to Rajya Sabha membership, not election as a Panch or member of a Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Institution.
Concept
This tests eligibility conditions under the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, especially the distinction between voter eligibility and candidate eligibility. RAS repeats this area because local self-government questions often compare Panchayat rules with Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha age thresholds.