RAS question
What percentage of seats are reserved for women in Panchayati Raj institutions in Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (C) 50%.
Rajasthan reserves 50% of seats for women in all three tiers of Panchayati Raj institutions.
Explanation
Rajasthan's rule is 50% reservation for women across Panchayati Raj institutions, including the offices of Sarpanch, Pradhan and Zila Pramukh. The official Ministry of Panchayati Raj page on State Panchayati Raj Acts, Rules and Regulations lists Rajasthan with the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and records that 50% reservation for women in PRIs has been provided under the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Act, 2008, incorporated into the principal Act. That is why 50%, not one-third, is the operative figure for Rajasthan. The one-third norm is the constitutional minimum associated with the 73rd Amendment; Rajasthan has moved above that floor.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 60% is above Rajasthan's reservation figure for women in Panchayati Raj institutions, which is 50%.
- (B) 40% does not match Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj reservation position, which is 50% for women.
- (D) 33% reflects the original one-third constitutional minimum under the 73rd Amendment, whereas Rajasthan increased women's reservation in PRIs to 50%.
Concept
Local self-government and reservation policy are central parts of Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj framework. Women's political representation in PRIs is a standard link between constitutional decentralisation and Rajasthan-specific administration.