Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other one labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Panchayati Raj Act was amended in the year 2023.
Reason (R): The amendment to the Panchayati Raj Act enabled elected women representatives to be selected and trained to enable them to discharge their duties well.
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
• B. Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A)
• C. (A) is correct but (R) is not correct
• D. (A) is not correct but (R) is correct

Hint:

Democratic decentralization policies increasingly prioritize training and capacity building for elected women representatives (EWRs) to improve local governance and support genuine women's empowerment.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Panchayati Raj system in India is a decentralized local self-government framework. Various legislative amendments are regularly introduced to strengthen democratic processes and support marginalized groups, including women representatives.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- Assertion (A): Several states in India introduced key legislative amendments to their state Panchayati Raj Acts in 2023 to address governance challenges and improve the effectiveness of local bodies. This makes Assertion (A) correct.
- Reason (R): A major focus of the 2023 amendments in several states was to support elected women representatives (EWRs). The amendments introduced mandatory training programs and capacity-building systems to ensure that women representatives have the skills needed to lead independently and effectively, reducing the common issue of family members (such as husbands) acting on their behalf. Thus, Reason (R) is correct and provides a logical justification for the policy changes introduced by the amendments.

Step 3: Final Answer
Since both statements are correct and the Reason directly explains the objective of the amendment, the correct option is (A).