Rural Local Self-Government — Important Questions

33%

Step 1: The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act was passed in 1992 and gave major powers to Panchayati Raj institutions. Step 2: One of its most important provisions was the reservation of seats for women. Step 3: Exactly 33% (one-third) of total seats in Gram Panchayats were reserved for women. Step 4: 25% is too low and 50% would mean half — both are incorrect. Step 5: 33% is the correct figure as stated clearly in the chapter, ensuring women's participation in local governance.

Zila Parishad

Step 1: The Panchayati Raj has three tiers — village, block, and district. Step 2: The Zila Parishad functions at the district level, which is the highest level in the three-tier system. Step 3: Gram Sabha is the general body of villagers at the lowest level. Step 4: Panchayat Samiti works at the middle (block) level. Step 5: Nyaya Panchayat is a body for resolving minor disputes — it is not a tier in the Panchayati Raj hierarchy.

5 years

Step 1: The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 brought many important changes to the Panchayati Raj System. Step 2: One key change was fixing a uniform term for all Gram Panchayats. Step 3: The term was fixed at 5 years, meaning elections must be held every 5 years. Step 4: This is similar to the term of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies — also 5 years. Step 5: Options of 3, 4, or 6 years are all incorrect as the uniform term is clearly stated as 5 years.

Resolving minor disputes and providing speedy justice

Step 1: The Nyaya Panchayat is a special type of panchayat created for a specific purpose. Step 2: Its main function is to resolve minor disputes and provide speedy justice to villagers. Step 3: They can hear simple civil and criminal cases and impose fines. Step 4: However, they do NOT have the power to send a person to jail — that option is incorrect. Step 5: Collecting taxes is a function of Gram Panchayat, and supervising funds is a function of Zila Parishad, making those options wrong.