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Question 40 of 49 · Panchayati Raj & Municipalities
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Under the Constitution, municipalities and panchayats are constituted by the:

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Answer: Option C — State government, under state laws

Detailed Solution

"Local government" is a subject in the State List (Entry 5 of List II). So panchayats and municipalities are created and governed by laws made by state legislatures, and they are constituted by state governments in accordance with those laws.

Constitutional framework:

  • The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992) added Parts IX and IXA to the Constitution, giving constitutional status to panchayats and municipalities.
  • These Parts lay down a basic framework: structure, elections, reservation, duration, finance commissions and powers.
  • Within this framework, each state legislature passes its own Panchayati Raj Act and Municipal Acts.

Role of the state government:

  • Deciding the number and boundaries of panchayats and municipalities.
  • Specifying the area of a village, panchayat or urban area by notification of the Governor.
  • Devolving powers, functions and funds to these bodies.
  • Appointing officials, such as panchayat secretaries and Municipal Commissioners.
  • Setting up State Finance Commissions every five years (Articles 243I and 243Y).

Role of the State Election Commission:

It conducts elections to panchayats and municipalities.

Role of the Centre:

  • The Centre provides funds through schemes and Finance Commission grants.
  • The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs guide and support states.
  • Parliament has made laws for special areas, such as the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.

Cantonments:

Cantonment Boards are an exception: they are set up under a central law and controlled by the Ministry of Defence.

Variation among states:

  • Because local government is a state subject, the powers and functioning of local bodies vary widely from state to state.
  • Kerala, Karnataka and West Bengal are often praised for strong devolution to panchayats.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Central government and Parliament do not directly constitute local bodies.
  • ✗The Election Commission of India does not conduct local elections.

Quick tip

Remember: Local government = State List subject; panchayats and municipalities are created under state laws.

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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.

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