Railway
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was created as a separate ministry of the Government of India in:
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Answer: Option D — May 2004
Detailed Solution
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was set up as a separate ministry on 27 May 2004.
Why a separate ministry was created:
- Before 2004, Panchayati Raj matters were handled by the Ministry of Rural Development.
- The government felt that a separate ministry was needed to focus on strengthening panchayats and implementing the 73rd Amendment.
- It was meant to help devolve funds, functions and functionaries to panchayats.
Functions of the Ministry:
- To monitor the implementation of Part IX of the Constitution.
- To encourage states to devolve powers on the 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule.
- To promote capacity building and training of elected representatives and officials.
- To promote e-governance in panchayats through applications such as e-Gram Swaraj.
- To oversee the implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA).
Important schemes:
- Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, for capacity building of panchayats.
- SVAMITVA scheme, launched in 2020, for mapping rural residential properties using drones and giving property cards to owners.
- Gram Panchayat Development Plans, prepared by every panchayat for local development.
Awards for panchayats:
The Ministry gives national awards to the best-performing panchayats, such as the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar.
National Panchayati Raj Day:
24 April is celebrated every year as National Panchayati Raj Day, because the 73rd Amendment came into force on that date in 1993.
Background of the 73rd Amendment:
- The 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions.
- It made provisions for regular elections, reservation of seats, finance commissions and devolution of powers.
Mani Shankar Aiyar:
He was the first Union Minister of Panchayati Raj.
Why not the other options?
- ✗April 1993 is when the 73rd Amendment came into force.
- ✗October 1999 and January 2009 are not the year the ministry was created.
Quick tip
Remember: Ministry of Panchayati Raj = created on 27 May 2004; first minister Mani Shankar Aiyar.
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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.