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Difficulty: MediumLocal Self-Government: Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies (73rd & 74th Amendments)

With reference to the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which of the following is a compulsory (mandatory) provision that state governments are constitutionally bound to implement in their Panchayati Raj legislation?

  1. Providing mandatory reservation of not less than one-third of the total number of seats for women in Panchayats across all levels.Answer
  2. B
    Providing reservation of seats for Backward Classes (OBCs) in Panchayats at any level.
  3. C
    Granting voting rights to Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) in Panchayat bodies.
  4. D
    Authorizing Panchayats to levy, collect, and appropriate specified local taxes, duties, tolls, and fees.

Answer

Providing mandatory reservation of not less than one-third of the total number of seats for women in Panchayats across all levels.
Under Article 243D(3) of Part IX of the Indian Constitution, reserving not less than one-third of the total seats for women (including seats reserved for SC/ST women) in every Panchayat is a compulsory requirement that every state must adopt.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the framework of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.
The 73rd Amendment classifies its provisions into compulsory (mandatory for all states) and voluntary (at the discretion of state legislatures).
To identify which requirements states must legally enforce versus which ones are optional.
2
Evaluate the statutory nature of women's reservation under Article 243D.
Article 243D(3) mandates that not less than one-third of the total seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat shall be reserved for women.
This confirms that gender reservation is a binding constitutional mandate.
3
Distinguish voluntary provisions such as OBC reservations, MP/MLA representation, and taxation powers.
Articles 243D(6), 243C(3), and 243H empower state legislatures to make enabling laws, but do not make them constitutionally mandatory.
This rules out optional features that depend entirely on state-level legislation.

Key Concept

Compulsory vs Voluntary Provisions of 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Local Self-Government: Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies (73rd & 74th Amendments)

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