RAS question
Which state first implemented the Panchayati Raj system in 1959?
Correct answer: (D) Rajasthan.
Rajasthan first implemented the Panchayati Raj system on 2 October 1959 at Nagaur, where Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the scheme of democratic decentralisation.
Explanation
Rajasthan is the answer because the Report of the Third State Finance Commission, Government of Rajasthan explicitly calls the state the pioneer in introducing the Panchayati Raj system. It records that Rajasthan adopted a three-tier structure of representative bodies at the village, block and district levels. On 2 October 1959, the scheme of democratic decentralisation was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru at Nagaur, after which Rajasthan became the first state associated with the launch of Panchayati Raj. The three-tier scheme also began functioning on that date, with existing village panchayats joined by Panchayat Samities at block level and Zila Parishads at district level.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharashtra is wrong because Rajasthan, not Maharashtra, was the first state to implement Panchayati Raj in 1959.
- (B) Kerala is wrong because it was not among the first states to implement Panchayati Raj.
- (C) Andhra Pradesh is wrong because it implemented Panchayati Raj second, on 1 November 1959, after Rajasthan's 2 October 1959 launch.
Concept
This tests democratic decentralisation and the evolution of Panchayati Raj institutions in Indian polity. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan's Nagaur launch is a state-specific milestone within the wider constitutional-governance syllabus.