RAS question
The tenure of Panchayati Raj bodies in Rajasthan is:
Correct answer: (D) 5 years.
Panchayati Raj bodies in Rajasthan have a tenure of five years.
Explanation
The tenure is five years for all three tiers of Panchayati Raj bodies in Rajasthan: the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad. Article 243E of the Constitution of India provides that every Panchayat, unless dissolved earlier under the law in force, continues for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer. RAS treats this tenure as a constitutional rule rather than a casual local convention because Panchayati Raj bodies operate within the constitutional framework for Panchayats. Therefore, 5 years is the only tenure that fits both the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj setup and the constitutional rule for Panchayats.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Three years is too short because the constitutional duration for a Panchayat is five years unless it is dissolved earlier under the law in force.
- (B) Four years is not the prescribed tenure for Panchayati Raj bodies; the constitutional duration is five years from the first meeting.
- (C) Six years applies to the Rajya Sabha, while Panchayati Raj bodies have a five-year tenure.
Concept
The constitutional framework of local self-government fixes the duration of Panchayati Raj institutions. RAS frequently connects Rajasthan's state-level Panchayati Raj bodies with their constitutional basis.