{"id":3507,"date":"2026-08-11T22:11:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T16:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/notes\/73rd-and-74th-amendments\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T02:57:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:27:51","slug":"73rd-and-74th-amendments","status":"publish","type":"psir_note","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/notes\/73rd-and-74th-amendments\/","title":{"rendered":"73rd and 74th Amendments"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PSIR Notes<\/a>\u203a<\/span>I-B Indian Government and Politics<\/a>\u203a<\/span>73rd and 74th Amendments<\/span><\/div>\n
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Paper I \u00b7 Indian Government and Politics<\/div>\n

73rd and 74th Amendments<\/h1>\n
Syllabus \u00b7 Paper I-B \u00b7 5<\/b> \u2014 Grassroots Democracy : Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; Significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments<\/span>; Grassroot movements.<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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The 73rd Amendment<\/span>, 1992 \u2014 Part IX<\/h3>\n

The 73rd CAA added Part IX<\/span> (Panchayats), in force 24 April 1993<\/span>. It turned PRIs from statutory bodies into constitutionally-recognised institutions of self-government \u2014 Articles 243\u2013243<\/span>-O<\/span> + Eleventh Schedule<\/span><\/span> (29 subjects).<\/p>\n

Key articles<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Article<\/th>\nProvision<\/th>\nArticle<\/th>\nProvision<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
243A<\/td>\nGram Sabha<\/td>\n243D<\/td>\nReservation (SC\/ST, women, chairpersons)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
243B<\/td>\nThree-tier Panchayat system<\/td>\n243E<\/td>\nFive-year term<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
243C<\/td>\nComposition & direct elections<\/td>\n243G<\/td>\nPowers, authority & responsibilities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
243K<\/td>\nState Election Commission<\/td>\n11th Sch.<\/td>\n29 subjects (agriculture \u2192 PDS)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Constitutional architecture \u2014 three-tier rural & categorised urban local government.<\/span> RURAL \u2014 PRI (Part IX):<\/em> Gram Sabha<\/span> (all adult voters \u00b7 direct democracy) \u2192 Gram Panchayat<\/span> (village) \u2192 Panchayat Samiti<\/span> (intermediate \/ block) \u2192 Zila Parishad<\/span> (district). URBAN \u2014 ULB (Part IX-A):<\/em> Municipal Corporation<\/span> (larger urban area) \u00b7 Municipal Council<\/span> (smaller urban area) \u00b7 Nagar Panchayat<\/span> (transitional area) \u2014 + Ward Committees \u00b7 DPC (243ZD) \u00b7 MPC (243ZE).<\/p>\n

Compulsory vs voluntary \u2014 a national floor, real devolution left to states<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Compulsory (the \u201cskeleton\u201d)<\/th>\nVoluntary (the \u201cflesh & blood\u201d)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
three-tier structure; Gram Sabha<\/td>\nactual transfer of functions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
regular 5-year elections; fixed tenure<\/td>\ntaxation powers; control over staff<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
State Election Commission<\/td>\nGram Sabha authority; activity mapping<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
reservation (SC\/ST\/women); State Finance Commission<\/td>\naccountability codes; depth of planning power<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cintroduces just a skeleton; flesh and blood have to be added to make it successful\u201d<\/p>\n

on the Act<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u201cuntil and unless some issue becomes a matter of public discourse, governments will not respond\u201d<\/p>\n

Amartya Sen<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Empowerment of marginalised sections<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201ca tremendous widening of the democratic base of the country\u201d<\/p>\n

George Mathew<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Article 243D<\/span><\/span> reserves seats for SC\/ST in proportion to population, not less than one-third for women, and chairperson posts. Raghabendra Chattopadhyay<\/span> and Esther Duflo<\/span> \u2014 villages headed by women \u201cinvest more in drinking-water infrastructure\u201d; SC heads invest more in public goods in SC hamlets.<\/p>\n

Criticism \u2014 a \u201chalf-baked cake\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n