UPSC Prelims 2015 Q85: Indian Polity – Local Government & Panchayati Raj
The fundamental object of Panchayati Raj system is to ensure which among the following?
1. People’s participation in development
2. Political accountability
3. Democratic decentralization
4. Financial mobilization
Select the correct answer
using the code given below.
- (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
- (b) 2 and 4 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Explanation
Fundamental object of the Panchayati Raj system
| Aim | Fundamental object? (official key) | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1. People's participation in development | Yes | Villagers plan and carry out their own schemes |
| 2. Political accountability | No | A result of the system, not its basic object |
| 3. Democratic decentralization | Yes | Power moves down to elected local bodies |
| 4. Financial mobilization | No | A means, not the object |
Origin of the idea:
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) | Recommended democratic decentralization and a three-tier system |
| First Panchayat | Nagaur, Rajasthan, 2 October 1959 |
| 73rd Amendment (1992) | Constitutional status; Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule |
Some writers also count political accountability as an object; the official key does not.
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. The official key does not count political accountability as a fundamental object.
- (b) Incorrect. Financial mobilization is not a fundamental object, and 1 and 3 are left out.
- (c) CORRECT. People's participation and democratic decentralization are the fundamental objects.
- (d) Incorrect. Financial mobilization is only a means, so all four cannot be right.
Key point
Panchayati Raj: people's participation in development and democratic decentralization (Balwant Rai Mehta, 1957; 73rd Amendment, 1992).
Remember
Panchayati Raj = participation + decentralization.
Common mistakes
- Adding political accountability, which UPSC treats as an outcome.
- Counting financial mobilization as an object in itself.
- Forgetting that 'democratic decentralization' is the Balwant Rai Mehta phrase.
Exam tip
Ask 'why was it created?': to decentralise and to involve people. The rest follows from that.
Sources
- Balwant Rai Mehta Committee Report (1957)
- Constitution of India — Part IX (73rd Amendment Act, 1992)