RAS question
Zila Parishad is headed by:
Correct answer: (A) Zila Pramukh (elected).
A Zila Parishad in Rajasthan is headed by the elected Zila Pramukh, who is chosen from among the elected members of the Zila Parishad.
Explanation
The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 makes the answer clear at two levels. First, it defines the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of a Zila Parishad as the Pramukh and Up-Pramukh. Second, Section 29 says the elected members of the Zila Parishad choose two members from among themselves to be the Pramukh and Up-Pramukh. Since a Zila Parishad is the district-level body of the Panchayati Raj system, its head is not an appointed district officer but the elected Zila Pramukh. The Act also gives the Pramukh practical leadership functions, including convening, presiding over and conducting Zila Parishad meetings.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) The Collector is defined separately in the Act as the Collector of a district, but the Act identifies the Zila Parishad chairperson as the Pramukh, not the Collector.
- (C) BDO is not the Zila Parishad head because the Act places the Zila Parishad's chairperson role with the Pramukh chosen by elected Zila Parishad members.
- (D) SDM is not the Zila Parishad head because the Act's definition of Chairperson for a Zila Parishad points to the Pramukh and Up-Pramukh, not to an SDM.
Concept
This tests the elected leadership structure of Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj institutions. It recurs in RAS because district administration questions often distinguish elected local-government offices from appointed executive posts.