SSC
A meeting of all the registered voters of a Panchayat area is called the:
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Answer: Option C — Gram Sabha
Detailed Solution
The Gram Sabha is a body made up of all persons whose names are registered in the electoral rolls (voters' list) of a village or group of villages within the area of a Panchayat. In other words, every adult voter of the village is automatically a member of the Gram Sabha. It is the foundation of the Panchayati Raj system and the only institution of direct democracy at the grassroots level in India.
The Gram Sabha is defined in Article 243(b) of the Constitution, added by the 73rd Amendment (1992). Article 243A states that a Gram Sabha may exercise such powers and perform such functions at the village level as the legislature of a state may provide by law.
Functions of the Gram Sabha generally include:
- Approving the plans, programmes and projects for the social and economic development of the village, such as the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
- Identifying beneficiaries for government schemes, such as housing and pensions.
- Conducting social audits of schemes such as MGNREGA, to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Reviewing the accounts and work of the Gram Panchayat.
- Promoting unity and harmony in the village.
The Gram Sabha usually meets at least twice or four times a year, depending on state laws. Special Gram Sabha meetings are often held on 26 January (Republic Day), 1 May (Labour Day), 15 August (Independence Day) and 2 October (Gandhi Jayanti).
The difference between Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat:
- The Gram Sabha consists of all voters of the village.
- The Gram Panchayat is the elected executive body of the village, headed by the Sarpanch (Mukhiya or Pradhan), elected by the Gram Sabha members, for five years.
The three tiers of Panchayati Raj are:
- Village level: Gram Panchayat.
- Intermediate (block) level: Panchayat Samiti (Block Panchayat).
- District level: Zila Parishad.
- States with a population below 20 lakh may not have the intermediate level.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Gram Panchayat is the elected executive body of the village.
- ✗The Panchayat Samiti works at the block level.
- ✗Nyaya Panchayats were village courts in some states.
Quick tip
Remember: Gram Sabha = all registered voters of the village (Article 243A), direct democracy, social audits; Gram Panchayat = elected body (Sarpanch); three tiers = Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad.
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Panchayati Raj & Municipalities — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Panchayati Raj & Municipalities, 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 local self-government in India: the Balwant Rai Mehta and Ashok Mehta committees, the 73rd Amendment on panchayats (Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule), the 74th Amendment on municipalities (Part IX-A and the Twelfth Schedule), and state election commissions and finance commissions. Questions commonly ask which state first adopted Panchayati Raj (Rajasthan, at Nagaur in 1959), which committee recommended the three-tier system, and what the 73rd and 74th Amendments provide, such as reservation for women of not less than one-third of seats. The Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects and the Twelfth lists 18. Practise the Panchayati Raj and municipalities 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.