RAS question
Which Part of the Indian Constitution deals with Panchayats after the 73rd Amendment?
Correct answer: (A) Part IX.
After the Seventy-third Amendment, Panchayats are dealt with in Part IX of the Indian Constitution, which covers Articles 243 to 243-O.
Explanation
The question turns on the constitutional placement created by the Seventy-third Amendment. The official Constitution text places the heading "Part IX, The Panchayats" immediately before Article 243, and its footnote records that this Part was inserted by the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992. Article 243 defines Panchayat-related terms, while Article 243B says Panchayats shall be constituted at the village, intermediate and district levels according to this Part. That is why the answer is Part IX, not another local-government part. The same Constitution text separately lists Part IXA as "The Municipalities", matching the 74th Amendment explanation and keeping urban local bodies distinct from Panchayats.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Part IXA is for Municipalities, so it belongs to the urban local-body framework added by the 74th Amendment rather than to Panchayats.
- (C) Part VIII deals with Union Territories, not the Panchayat provisions introduced in Part IX.
- (D) Part X concerns Scheduled and Tribal Areas, whereas Panchayats are covered separately under Part IX.
Concept
This tests the Indian Polity concept of local self-government: matching constitutional Parts and Articles with Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies. It matters for RAS because Panchayats are a core part of Rajasthan's administrative structure.