By the end of this lesson, you'll solve:
"Over 3 million elected representatives in India — more than any other democracy in the world. Most of them are in Panchayats. How does this grassroots democracy work?"
73rd Amendment & Panchayati Raj
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992) gave constitutional status to local self-government in rural India. It created a three-tier Panchayat system to bring democracy to the grassroots level.
Key Points
- 173rd Amendment (1992): gave constitutional status to rural local bodies. Panchayati Raj became Part IX of the Constitution.
- 2Three tiers: (1) Gram Panchayat (village level), (2) Panchayat Samiti/Block Panchayat (block level), (3) Zila Parishad (district level)
- 3Gram Sabha: all voters of a village. Elects Gram Panchayat. Approves village development plans.
- 4Gram Panchayat: elected body at village level. Headed by Sarpanch/Pradhan. Manages village development.
- 5Zila Parishad: district level. Headed by Adhyaksha/President. Coordinates development across blocks.
- 633% reservation for women (many states have 50%). Also reservation for SC/ST.
Pro Tip
The 73rd Amendment is called "devolution of power" — giving power from the Centre/State to local level. Before 1992, Panchayats existed but had no constitutional backing. After 1992, they became constitutional bodies with defined powers, elections, and finances.
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