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The organisation of village panchayats is mentioned in which Article of the Constitution?
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Answer: Option D — Article 40
Detailed Solution
Article 40 is one of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), in Part IV of the Constitution. It says that the State shall take steps to organise village panchayats and give them such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government.
This Directive is considered a Gandhian principle, because Mahatma Gandhi believed in "Gram Swaraj", in which self-reliant villages would govern themselves. Other Gandhian principles in the DPSP include promoting cottage industries in rural areas (Article 43), prohibiting intoxicating drinks and drugs harmful to health (Article 47), prohibiting the slaughter of cows and calves and improving animal breeds (Article 48), and promoting the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections, especially the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Article 46).
Since the DPSPs are not enforceable by courts (Article 37), panchayats did not have constitutional status for many years, even though they were set up in many states following the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee's recommendations (1957). Rajasthan was the first state to establish panchayati raj, at Nagaur on 2 October 1959.
To fulfil the aim of Article 40, Parliament passed the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which came into force on 24 April 1993. It added Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) and the Eleventh Schedule, giving constitutional status to panchayati raj institutions. It provided for a three-tier system, regular elections every five years, reservation of seats for SCs, STs and women (at least one-third), State Election Commissions and State Finance Commissions. 24 April is observed as National Panchayati Raj Day.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Article 39 lists principles of policy, such as equal pay for equal work and adequate means of livelihood.
- ✗Article 44 provides for a Uniform Civil Code.
- ✗Article 48 deals with agriculture and animal husbandry, including the prohibition of cow slaughter.
Quick tip
Remember: Article 40 = village panchayats (Gandhian DPSP), fulfilled by the 73rd Amendment (1992, in force 24 April 1993); first panchayati raj at Nagaur, Rajasthan (1959).
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DPSP & Fundamental Duties — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of DPSP & Fundamental Duties, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV (Articles 36-51), borrowed from the Irish Constitution, and the Fundamental Duties in Part IV-A (Article 51A), added on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee by the 42nd Amendment in 1976. Questions often ask which article contains a directive (Article 44 on a uniform civil code, Article 40 on village panchayats, Article 45 on early childhood care), how DPSP differ from Fundamental Rights (they cannot be enforced in court), and how many Fundamental Duties there are now (eleven, after the 86th Amendment added the eleventh in 2002). Practise the DPSP and Fundamental Duties questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.