Railway
Of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in a panchayat, the share that must be reserved for women of these communities is at least:
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Answer: Option C — One-third
Detailed Solution
Under Article 243D(2), not less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in a panchayat must be reserved for women belonging to these communities.
Reservation under Article 243D:
- Seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in every panchayat in proportion to their population in the area.
- Not less than one-third of these reserved seats are reserved for SC and ST women.
- Not less than one-third of the total number of seats in every panchayat (including the seats for SC and ST women) are reserved for women.
- These reserved seats are allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a panchayat.
Reservation of chairpersons:
- Offices of chairpersons of panchayats at every level are also reserved for SCs, STs and women, in the manner provided by state law.
- Not less than one-third of the offices of chairpersons are reserved for women.
Backward classes:
States may also make provisions for reservation of seats or offices for backward classes of citizens.
In the K. Krishna Murthy case (2010) and the Vikas Kishanrao Gawali case (2021), the Supreme Court laid down a "triple test" for OBC reservation in local bodies, including a dedicated commission and a 50 per cent ceiling.
Higher reservation for women:
Many states have raised the reservation for women in panchayats to 50 per cent, starting with Bihar in 2006.
Duration of reservation:
The reservation of seats for SCs and STs in panchayats continues as long as the reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies under Article 334 continues.
Municipalities:
Article 243T makes similar provisions for municipalities.
Impact:
- Lakhs of women, including many from SC and ST communities, have been elected to panchayats.
- Studies show that women leaders often give priority to issues like drinking water, health and education.
Why not the other options?
- ✗One-fourth, one-half and two-thirds are not the constitutional minimum.
Quick tip
Remember: Women's share = at least one-third of all panchayat seats and at least one-third of SC/ST reserved seats (Article 243D).
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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.