Panchayati Raj MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Panchayati Raj - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Three tiers.

Key Points

• In the three-tier Panchayati Raj system -
  • These include Gram Panchayat (at the village level), Panchayat Samiti (at the intermediate level) and Zilla Parishad (at the district level).

Additional Information

• ​For the first time in modern India, the Panchayati Raj system was introduced by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
• This Panchayati Raj system was implemented on 2 October 1959 in Bagdhari village of Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
• Lord Ripon is considered the father of local self-government in India during the British rule in India.
• In the year 1882, he proposed local self-government.

The correct answer is Provision for emergency relief in cases of fire flood, drought, etc.

Key Points

• The civic functions relating to sanitation, cleaning of public roads, minor irrigation, public toilets and lavatories, primary health care, vaccination, the supply of drinking water, constructing public wells, rural electrification, social health, and primary and adult education, etc. are obligatory functions of village panchayats.
• The optional functions depend on the resources of the panchayats. They may or may not perform such functions as tree plantation on roadsides, setting up breeding centers for cattle, organizing child and maternity welfare, promotion of agriculture, etc.
• After the 73rd Amendment, the scope of functions of Gram Panchayat was widened. Such important functions like preparation of annual development plan of panchayat area, annual budget, relief in natural calamities, removal of encroachment on public lands, and implementation and monitoring of poverty alleviation programs are now expected to be performed by panchayats.
• Selection of beneficiaries through Gram Sabhas, public distribution system, non-conventional energy source, improved Chullahs, biogas plants have also been given to Gram Panchayats in some states.
• Disaster Management Comes under state government and central government. Hence option 3 is NOT correct.

Important Points

• Article 40:
  • Article 40 of the constitution directs to state to organize Village Panchayats as a unit of self-government.
  • Most states began implementing this Directive Principle along the lines of the recommendations of the government's Balwantrai Mehta Commission report.
  • 73rd Constitution Amendment Act, 1992 and 74th Constitution Amendment Act, 1992 inserted part IX (Panchayats) and part IXA (Municipalities) in the constitution respectively as well as XIth and XIIth schedule respectively.
  • Rajasthan was the first state to set up Panchayati Raj System in 1959 by Jawaharlal Nehru followed by Andhra Pradesh.

The correct answer is It promotes sustainable agriculture through women farmers.

Key Points

• Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) is a sub-component of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
• It aims to empower women in agriculture by making systematic investments to enhance their participation and productivity.
• MKSP promotes sustainable agricultural practices like organic farming, crop diversification, and integrated farming systems.
• It focuses on capacity building of women farmers through various training programs and exposure visits.
• By supporting women farmers, the scheme aims to enhance their livelihoods and income through sustainable agriculture.

Additional Information

• National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)
  • NRLM was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India in June 2011.
  • It aims to reduce poverty by enabling poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
  • NRLM is implemented in a phased manner throughout the country.
  • The mission focuses on building strong grassroots institutions for the poor and enhancing their capacities.
• Sustainable Agriculture Practices
  • Sustainable agriculture involves farming in ways that meet society's food and textile needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
  • It includes techniques such as crop rotation, conservation tillage, and the use of green manure and compost.
  • Sustainable practices reduce the use of non-renewable resources and minimize environmental impact.
• Women Farmers in India
  • Women form a significant part of the agricultural workforce in India, constituting around 30% of the total farmers.
  • They often face challenges such as lack of access to resources, training, and recognition.
  • Empowering women in agriculture can lead to increased agricultural productivity and improved household incomes.
• Organic Farming
  • Organic farming is a method of farming system which primarily aimed at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way as to keep the soil alive and in good health by use of organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes.
  • It excludes the use of synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives, etc.
  • The objective of organic farming is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings.

The correct answer is Urja Mitra (Energy Friend).

Key Points

• Urja Mitra is a key official in Uttar Pradesh responsible for promoting renewable energy initiatives at the village level.
• The role of Urja Mitra includes raising awareness about renewable energy sources among villagers.
• They are tasked with facilitating the implementation of renewable energy projects in rural areas.
• Urja Mitras work under the guidance of the state government to ensure sustainable energy solutions are adopted.
• They also provide technical support and training to the villagers regarding the use and benefits of renewable energy technologies.

Additional Information

• Renewable Energy
  • Energy derived from natural resources that are replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.
  • Key benefits include reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved public health, and a sustainable energy supply.
• Solar Power
  • Converts sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) cells.
  • It is one of the most widely adopted forms of renewable energy in rural areas due to its scalability and relatively low maintenance.
• Wind Energy
  • Generates electricity by using wind turbines to convert the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical power.
  • Suitable for areas with consistent and strong wind patterns.
• Biogas
  • Produced from organic waste materials through anaerobic digestion.
  • Can be used for cooking, heating, and electricity generation, providing a sustainable solution for rural energy needs.

The correct option is 3 i.e. 8135.

• The total number of Nyaya panchayats in Uttar Pradesh is 8135.
• Uttar Pradesh has a total of 18 divisions, 75 districts.
• Uttar Pradesh has a total of 915 urban bodies.

Additional Information

• Uttar Pradesh has a total of 17 Municipal Corporations.
• There are a total of 226 municipal boards in Uttar Pradesh.
• There are a total of 59163 Gram Sabhas in Uttar Pradesh.

Some facts:

The correct answer is ​73rd and 74th Amendment Acts.

• Panchayati Raj Institution was constitutionalized through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 to build democracy at the grassroots level and was entrusted with the task of rural development in the country.
• 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were passed by Parliament in December 1992.
  • The Acts came into force as the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 on April 24, 1993.

Key Points

• Article 243 - 243O
  • the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992 on June 1, 1993.
• Article 243P-243ZG
• Salient Features of the Constitution 73rd and 74th amendments.
  • Added two new parts in the constitution
  • Part- IX - The Panchayats
  • Part - IXA - The Municipalities
• Article - 40 has a provision regarding organizing panchayat at the village level, attaining self-government.
  • Basic democratic unit- Gram sabha

Additional Information

The three-tier system of PRI

Urban Local bodies

Committee related to PRI

Hint

• Trick to remember committee in chronological order
  • "B.A HoGayaLekinSarkarP.K Kharra hai".

The correct answer is Village Committee.

Key Points

• The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was a committee originally appointed by the Government of India to examine the working of the Community Development Programme and the National Extension Service.
• The committee was formed on 16^th January 1957.
• Balwant Rai Mehta was the Chairman of this committee.
• The establishment of a 3-tier Panchayati Raj system is one of the main recommendations of this committee.
• The 3-tier system recommended by this committee is:
  1. Gram Panchayat at the village level.
  2. Panchayat Samiti at the block level.
  3. Zila Parishad at the district level.

Additional Information

Other important recommendations of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee are:

• The Panchayat Samiti should be the executive body while the Zila Parishad should be the advisory, coordinating, and supervisory body.
• The District Collector should be the Chairman of the Zila Parishad.

The correct option is Gram Panchayat.

Key Points

• The devolution grant shall be distributed to Village Panchayats, Panchayat Unions, and District Panchayats in the ratio of 60:32:8 respectively as recommended by the Third State Finance Commission.
• A minimum grant of Rs.3 lakhs to each Village Panchayat shall be provided as a measure of equalization, the balance amount shall be distributed based on population.
• The devolution grant shall be distributed within each tier of rural and urban local bodies based on the 2011 population.

Important Points

• Every Panchayat has the right to receive grant-in-aid from the State Fund based on the recommendation made by the State Finance Commission.
• On the recommendation of the State Finance Commission, the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad can collect tax/fees as per the direction of the government.
• Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad respectively constitute Gram Panchayat Fund in the name of Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti Fund in the name of Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad Fund in the name of Council, and deposit their funds in the deposit accounts.
• The Assigned/Shared revenues are one which is collected by State Government but transferred/shared to/with local bodies.
• The major sources of assigned/shared revenues to the rural local bodies are Local Cess, Local Cess Surcharge, Surcharge on Stamp duty, Entertainment tax, seigniorage fees, and lease amount of mines and minerals, and sale proceeds of Social Forestry plantations.

Additional Information

• Finance Commission:
  • Finance Com mission is a constitutional body under Article 280 created every five years to recommend the transfer of financial resources from the Centre to the States.
  •  The Commission also decides the principles on which grants-in-aid will be given to the States.
  • The 15th FC was constituted on November 27, 2017, and is headed by Mr. N.K. Singh.
• State Finance Commissions:
  • It is an institution created by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments to rationalize and systematize State/sub-State-level fiscal relations in India.
  • Article 243I of the Constitution mandated the State Governor to constitute a Finance Commission every five years.
  • Article 243Y of the Constitution states that the Finance Commission constituted under article 243I shall also review the financial position of the Municipalities and make recommendations to the Governor.

• The Panchayati Raj System is described in Part IX of the Indian Constitution. 
• Rajasthan is the first state where this system was first implemented in 1959 in Nagaur District. 
• Later, it also became the first state to have this system placed in all the districts of the state. 
• The 73rd Amendment 1992 is associated with this system in India. 

The correct answer is the  73 ^rd  Amendment.

• The Parliament passed the  73rd Constitutional Amendment Act to grant the Panchayati Raj Institutions in India a legislative status by adding Article 243 and Part IX  of the Indian Constitution.
• Pursuant to Article 243, the Act was imposed on all state governments to amend their Panchayat Laws in compliance with the Constitutional provisions.

Key Points

• The act was passed in 1993 to give constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions in India and is an important step in the decentralization of power and promotion of local self-government.
• Panchayati Raj system is a local self-governance system, with constitutional recognition, in villages. In this system, the Gram Panchayat is the basic unit of local administration.
• It is a 3 tier system comprising:
  • Gram Panchayat at the village level.
  • Panchayat Samiti at the block level.
  • Zila Parishad at the District level.

Additional Information

• The 72nd Amendment in the Constitution of India Statement of Objects and Reasons appended to the Constitution (Seventy-Second Amendment) Bill, 1991 (Bill No. 209 of 1991) For restoring peace and harmony in the areas of the State of Tripura where disturbed conditions prevailed, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed by the Government of India with Tripura National Volunteers on 12-8-1988.
• The 7l^St Amendment Of The Constitution Of India, Officially Known As The Constitution (seventy-first Amendment) Act, 1992, amended the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution so as to include Konkani, Meitei (Manipuri), and Nepali languages, thereby raising the total number of languages ​​listed in the schedule to eighteen.
• 75th Amendment in the Constitution of India THE CONSTITUTION (SEVENTY-FIFTH AMENDMENT)  ACT, 1993. It provides for the setting up of State-level Rent Tribunals to exclude the jurisdiction of all courts, except that of the Supreme Court, under Article 136 of the Constitution.

The correct answer is Development officer.

• Panchayat Samiti is an intermediate level of the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Chief Executive Officer of Panchayat Samiti is Block Development Officer.
• The development officer is an officer of the State Civil Service.
• Panchayat Samiti is also known by the name of Janpad Panchayat.

Key Points

• Indian polity provides for three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions in India.
  • Gram Panchayat at the village level.
  • Janpad Panchayat or Panchayat Samiti at intermediate level.
  • Zila Panchayat at the district level.

Additional Information

• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act was passed in 1992, which gave constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Generally, the CEO of Zila Panchayat is an IAS officer.
• BDO is the Chief Officer of Janpad Panchayat.
• Secretary is appointed at the village level, he calls the gram sabha and keeps records of its proceedings.

The correct answer is Six months from the date of dissolution.

Key Points

• If a Panchayat is dissolved, elections are to be held within six months from the date of dissolution.
• The term Panchayati Raj in India signifies the system of rural local self-government.
• It had been established after the advice of the Balwant Rai Mehta committee, which is established by the Govt. of India in 1957.
• This committee has three-tier panchayat governance such as Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad.
• As a result of this scheme the first Panchayat system introduced in Rajasthan in 1959.
• This system observed a lack of people's participation.
• To overcome this failure a new committee named Ashok Mehta committee gives a two-tier governance plan in 1977.
• The two-tier plan was Zila Parishad and Mandal Panchayat.
• This Panchayati Raj faced a major constitutional amendment in 1992 that brings back the three-tier system again.
• This amendment added a new part to the Constitution, namely, added Part IX titled The Panchayats.
• This amendment adds a Three-tier system of panchayats at the village, intermediate Mandal, and district levels except in States with a population is below 20 lakhs (Article 243B)
• The Panchayat is constituted under Article 243 to 243 (O)

Additional Information

Duration of Panchayati Raj

• The Act provides for a five-year term of office to all the levels of the panchayat. However, the panchayat can be dissolved before the completion of its term.
• But fresh elections to constitute the new panchayat should be completed before the expiry of its five-year duration.
• In case of dissolution, the election should be within a period of six months from the date of its dissolution.

The correct answer is Transport Facilities.

Key Points

Transport facilities are NOT correct.

• The Ward Panchs and the Sarpanch form the Gram Panchayat.
• The Gram Panchayat is elected for a term of five years.
• The Gram Panchayat has a Secretary who is also the Secretary of the Gram Sabha.
• The Gram Sabha prevents the Panchayat from illegal activities. 
• The main functions of Gram Panchayat are:
  • The construction and maintenance of water sources, roads, drainage, and other common property resources.
  • Levying and collecting local taxes.
  • Executing government schemes related to generating employment in the village.
  • Providing an adequate number of street lights and paying electricity charges regularly.
  • Establishment & Maintenance of local markets.
  • Prevention of contagious diseases.
  • Constructing an adequate number of community latrines for the use of men and women and maintaining them.
  • Ensuring universal enrollment of children in primary school.
  • Ensuring prompt registration and reporting of birth and deaths.

The correct answer is Rajasthan.

Key Points

• For the first time in modern India, the Panchayati Raj system was implemented on 2nd October 1959 in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Panchayat has been one of the basic systems of Indian society.
• As of date, 2.51 lakh panchayats are operating as per guidelines which include 2.39 lakh gram panchayats, 6904 block panchayats, and 589 district panchayats.
• Rajasthan was the first state to introduce the panchayat system in India after independence. 
• Constitutional 73rd Amendment Act of 1992 provides constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj institutions. 
• This amendment contains provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities to the panchayats by state governments.
• Panchayat has 29 subjects listed in the eleventh schedule of the constitution.
• The Act aims to provide a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj.

Important Points 

• All the members of the Gram Sabha elect a Sarpanch who is the panchayat head.
• The Ward Panchs and the Sarpanch from the Gram Panchayat.
• The Gram Panchayat is elected for five years.
• The Gram Panchayat has a Secretary who is also the Secretary of the Gram Sabha.

Additional Information

• Important committees related to the development of Panchayati Raj:
  • Balwant Rai Mehta (1957).
  • Ashok Mehta Committee (1977).
  • G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985).

The correct answer is ​State Government.

• Zilla Parishad is considered the third tier of the Panchayati Raj system.
• The idea of people's participation in the Panchayati Raj system extends to two different levels called Janpad Panchayat and the Zila Parishad.
• Zilla Parishad makes developmental plans at the district level.
• Zilla Parishad regulates the money distribution among all the Gram Panchayats.
• It is formed through elections in Panchayati Raj System.
• State Government has the power to dissolve a Zilla Parishad
• Various development activities and welfare schemes of the state and central government are implemented through the Zilla Parishad.