Railway
The Panchayati Raj system under Part IX of the Constitution does not apply to which group of states?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram
Detailed Solution
Under Article 243M, Part IX of the Constitution, which deals with panchayats, does not apply to the states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
Why these states are exempted:
- These states have their own traditional systems of local self-government, such as village councils and tribal councils.
- Their customary institutions and practices are protected by special constitutional provisions.
- For example, Nagaland is protected by Article 371A, and Mizoram by Article 371G.
- Meghalaya's tribal areas are covered by the Sixth Schedule, which provides for district councils with law-making powers.
Other areas exempted by Article 243M:
- Scheduled areas under the Fifth Schedule and tribal areas under the Sixth Schedule.
- The hill areas of Manipur for which District Councils exist under any law.
- The Darjeeling district of West Bengal, for which the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (now the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) exists.
Extension to scheduled areas:
- Parliament can extend Part IX to scheduled areas and tribal areas with modifications.
- It did so through the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), which gives special powers to Gram Sabhas in tribal areas.
- PESA applies to the Fifth Schedule areas in ten states.
Traditional institutions in the exempted states:
- Nagaland has Village Councils and Village Development Boards.
- Meghalaya has traditional institutions such as the Syiem, Doloi and Nokma, along with the District Councils.
- Mizoram has Village Councils set up under state law.
Importance of the exemptions:
- They respect the cultural diversity and autonomy of tribal communities.
- They allow local governance based on customs rather than a uniform model.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Assam, Tripura and Manipur have panchayats under Part IX in their non-tribal areas.
- ✗Sikkim, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh have panchayats.
- ✗Kerala, Karnataka and West Bengal have strong Panchayati Raj systems.
Quick tip
Remember: Part IX (panchayats) does not apply to Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram (Article 243M).
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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.