Further Committees on Panchayati Raj and Constitutional Amendments 2

Further Committees on Panchayati Raj and Constitutional Amendments

Article 243: Definitions

Article 243 of the Indian Constitution defines certain terms used in Part IX of the Constitution, which deals with the Panchayats:

• (a) "District": means a district in a State as notified by the Governor.
• (b) "Gram Sabha": means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level.
• (c) "Intermediate level": means a level between the village and district levels specified by the Governor of a State by public notification to be the intermediate level.
• (d) "Panchayat": means an institution (by whatever name called) of self-government constituted under article 243B, for the rural areas.
• (e) "Panchayat area": means the territorial area of a Panchayat.
• (f) "Population": means the population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published.
• (g) "Village": means a village specified by the Governor by public notification to be a village for the purposes of this Part.

Article 243A: Gram Sabha

Article 243A of the Indian Constitution deals with the Gram Sabha. A Gram Sabha may exercise such powers and perform such functions at the village level as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide. The definition is the same as given in the Article 243(b).

Article 243B: Constitution of Panchayats

This Article speaks about the establishment of panchayat raj system.

1. Panchayats shall be constituted in every state at the village level, intermediate level and district level.
2. Panchayats at the intermediate level may not be constituted in a State having a population not exceeding twenty lakhs.

Article 243C: Composition of Panchayats

This Article speaks about the Composition of panchayat raj system.

1. All the seats in a Panchayat shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the Panchayat area
2. The Legislature of a State may, by law, provide for the representation
   1. of the Chairpersons of the Panchayats at the village level, in the Panchayats at the intermediate level or,
   2. of the Chairpersons of the Panchayats at the intermediate level, in the Panchayats at the district level;
3. The election of the sarpanch of Gram panchayat can be direct or indirect, as per the state laws.
4. The election of Mandal Parishad president and Zila Parishad chairperson will be indirect election.
5. The Legislature of a State may, by law, provide for the representation of,—
   1. the members of the House of the People and the members of the Legislative Assembly of the State representing constituencies which comprise wholly or partly a Panchayat area at a level other than the village level, in such Panchayat;
   2. the members of the Council of States and the members of the Legislative Council of the State, where they are registered as electors within—
      1. a Panchayat area at the intermediate level, in Panchayat at the intermediate level;
      2. a Panchayat area at the district level, in Panchayat at the district level.

Article 243 (D): Deals with Reservation

This article is regarding the Reservation of seats.