The 73^th Constitutional Amendment Act provides that NOT less than _______ of the total number of offices for chairperson at all levels of the panchayat be reserved for women.

The correct answer is one-third.

Key Points

• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 mandates that not less than one-third of the total number of seats and offices of chairpersons at all levels of Panchayats are reserved for women.
• This reservation is intended to promote the political participation of women in rural governance.
• The one-third reservation includes the number of seats reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• This provision applies uniformly across all states and Union Territories of India.

Additional Information

• 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act
  • Enacted in 1992 and came into force on April 24, 1993.
  • It provides for the establishment of Panchayats in rural areas as institutions of self-government.
  • It introduced a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj for all states having a population of over 20 lakh.
  • The three tiers are Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level).
• Women’s Political Participation
  • The reservation for women in Panchayats aims to ensure their active participation in decision-making processes.
  • This initiative has led to significant improvements in areas such as health, education, and infrastructure at the local level.
  • It has also been found to increase the responsiveness of local government to women’s issues.
• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
  • The amendment ensures that seats are also reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population.
  • This provision aims to give these marginalized communities a greater voice in local governance.
• Gram Sabha
  • The Gram Sabha consists of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village within the area of the Panchayat.
  • It serves as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj system and is a forum for direct participation of villagers in local governance.