01
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 came into force on 24 April 1993, and April 24 is now celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Day.
02
The Amendment added Part IX to the Constitution titled ‘The Panchayats’ containing Articles 243 to 243-O (16 Articles in total).
03
It also added the 11th Schedule to the Constitution, listing 29 functional subjects transferred to Panchayats including agriculture, primary education, and rural roads.
04
The Amendment provides for a three-tier Panchayati Raj structure: Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (intermediate level), and Zila Parishad (district level). States with population below 20 lakh may have only two tiers.
05
Article 243-D mandates reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population, and not less than one-third seats are reserved for women (many states including Tamil Nadu provide 50%).
06
Article 243-E fixes the term of Panchayats at 5 years. In case of dissolution, elections must be held within 6 months, and the reconstituted body serves only the remainder of the original term.
07
Article 243-G empowers State Legislatures to vest Panchayats with powers and authority to function as institutions of self-government and implement schemes for economic development and social justice.
08
Article 243-K mandates the constitution of a State Election Commission (SEC), headed by a State Election Commissioner, who has security of tenure similar to a High Court judge and supervises all Panchayat elections.
09
Article 243-I mandates a State Finance Commission (SFC) to be constituted every 5 years to review the financial position of Panchayats and recommend devolution of taxes, duties, and grants from the State Consolidated Fund.
10
The Amendment is based on the recommendations of the L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986) and the P.K. Thungon Committee (1988); the Bill was originally introduced by Rajiv Gandhi and passed under P.V. Narasimha Rao’s government.
Memory Tip
Remember ’11-29-16-5-6′ for 73rd Amendment: 11th Schedule, 29 subjects, 16 Articles (243 to 243-O), 5-year term, 6-month election window after dissolution — this chain covers 80% of MCQ patterns on this topic.
