RAS question
Who conducts elections to Panchayati Raj institutions in Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (C) Rajasthan State Election Commission.
Elections to Panchayati Raj institutions in Rajasthan are conducted by the Rajasthan State Election Commission.
Explanation
The Rajasthan State Election Commission is the authority for elections to Panchayati Raj institutions in the state. Article 243K gives the State Election Commission the mandate to conduct elections to Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies, while the State Election Commissioner is appointed by the Governor. The Rajasthan SEC website identifies the official state election body and carries dedicated Panchayati Raj and urban local-body election material; its Commissioner’s Desk also describes the SEC as the independent machinery for local-body elections after the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. That is why the answer is the state-level constitutional election body, not a district officer, the Election Commission of India, or the Governor.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The District Collector may assist election administration on the ground, but the constitutional mandate for Panchayati Raj elections rests with the Rajasthan State Election Commission.
- (B) The Election Commission of India conducts Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, whereas Panchayat elections in Rajasthan fall under the State Election Commission.
- (D) The Governor appoints the State Election Commissioner, but that appointment power is different from conducting Panchayati Raj elections.
Concept
This tests constitutional decentralisation under the 73rd Amendment and Article 243K. It recurs in RAS because Panchayati Raj, urban local bodies, and the division between Union and state election authorities are core Rajasthan polity themes.