Question

33% seats have been reserved for women in the panchayati raj institutions, as per the following amendment of the constitution-

• A. 70th
• B. 73rd
• C. 80th
• D. 93rd

Hint:

Associate the 73rd Amendment with rural local government (Panchayati Raj) and the 74th Amendment with urban local government (Municipalities). Both contain the \(33\%\) gender reservation clause.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The reservation of seats for women in local self-government bodies is a landmark constitutional provision in India designed to promote gender equality and women's empowerment at the grassroots level.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 granted constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in India, establishing a standardized three-tier structure of local self-government.
Under Article 243D of the Constitution, introduced by this amendment, specific provisions were made for the reservation of seats:
Seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in proportion to their population in the panchayat area.
Crucially, the amendment mandates that not less than one-third (approximately \(33\%\)) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat must be reserved for women.
This reservation applies to both the general seats and the seats reserved for SC and ST women.
Furthermore, not less than one-third of the total offices of chairpersons in the Panchayats at all three levels must also be reserved for women.
This policy has dramatically increased women's representation in rural local governance, enabling them to participate directly in community decision-making and resource management.
Several states have since increased this reservation to \(50\%\) of the seats in PRIs.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The \(33\%\) seat reservation for women in PRIs was enacted by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.