Railway
The three-tier system of Panchayati Raj was first recommended by the:
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Answer: Option C — Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957)
Detailed Solution
The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee, appointed in January 1957 to examine the working of the Community Development Programme and the National Extension Service, recommended a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj. It submitted its report in November 1957.
Why the committee was set up:
- The Community Development Programme and the National Extension Service had not succeeded in getting the active participation of the people.
- The government wanted to find ways to make rural development more effective.
Main recommendations:
- Establishment of a three-tier system of local government, with bodies at three levels linked together through indirect elections.
- Members of the lowest tier should be directly elected, while those of the higher tiers should be indirectly elected.
- All planning and development activities should be entrusted to these bodies.
- The middle tier should be the executive body, and the top tier should be an advisory, coordinating and supervisory body.
- The District Collector should be the chairman of the top-tier body.
- There should be genuine transfer of power and responsibility to these bodies, with adequate resources.
Acceptance:
The National Development Council accepted the recommendations in January 1958.
Implementation:
- Rajasthan was the first state to establish Panchayati Raj, at Nagaur on 2 October 1959, inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru.
- Many other states soon followed.
About Balwant Rai Mehta:
- He was a freedom fighter and later became Chief Minister of Gujarat.
- He died in 1965 when his aircraft was shot down by Pakistan during the war.
- He is often called the "Architect of Panchayati Raj".
Later committees:
The Ashok Mehta Committee (1977 to 1978) recommended a two-tier system.
The G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985) linked Panchayati Raj with rural development administration.
The L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986) recommended constitutional recognition for Panchayati Raj.
Why not the other options?
The Ashok Mehta, G.V.K. Rao and Singhvi committees came later and made different recommendations.
Quick tip
Remember: Three-tier Panchayati Raj first recommended by the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957); first implemented in Rajasthan (1959).
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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.