Q30. Which provision is compulsory under the 73rd Amendment?
[Punjab Police Constable | 2023]
A. Mandatory backward-class reservation
B. Complete fiscal autonomy
C. Voting rights for every MP and MLA
D. Indirect election of intermediate and district Panchayat chairpersons
Answer: (D) Indirect election of intermediate and district Panchayat chairpersons
Explanation: The Constitution requires chairpersons at intermediate and district levels to be elected by and from elected Panchayat members. Backward-class reservation is an enabling option, and the specific representation of legislators is regulated by state laws within Article 243C.
Q29. Under Rajasthan’s Municipalities Act, 2009, a Municipal Corporation is constituted for which area?
[RPSC Executive Officer/Revenue Officer | 2023]
A. Transitional area
B. Every area
C. Smaller urban area
D. Larger urban area
Answer: (D) Larger urban area
Explanation: Municipal Corporations serve larger urban areas under the constitutional categories of Article 243Q and related Rajasthan legislation. Smaller urban areas receive Municipal Councils, while transitional areas ordinarily have Nagar Panchayats. States establish detailed criteria through their own municipal laws.
Q28. What is a principal function of the State Finance Commission?
[RRB Group D | 2022]
A. Supervise Parliament’s expenditure
B. Advise President on all legal issues
C. Recommend sharing of certain state taxes and fees with local bodies
D. Conduct local elections and finance them
Answer: (C) Recommend sharing of certain state taxes and fees with local bodies
Explanation: The State Finance Commission reviews Panchayat and municipal finances and recommends principles governing distribution of taxes, duties, tolls and fees. Under Articles 243I and 243Y its recommendations go to the Governor, supporting fiscal decentralisation and stronger local public services.
Q27. Article 243V deals with which aspect of municipalities?
[RSMSSB Junior Engineer Civil | 2022]
A. Composition
B. Seat reservations
C. Municipal powers
D. Disqualification of members
Answer: (D) Disqualification of members
Explanation: Article 243V identifies grounds affecting eligibility and continuing membership in a municipality. It also protects otherwise eligible people aged twenty-one or more from disqualification solely because they are under twenty-five. Municipal reservation rules appear separately in Article 243T.
Q26. How many categories of municipality does the 74th Amendment provide?
[MPSC State Services Prelims | 2022]
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
Answer: (B) Three
Explanation: Article 243Q recognises three forms of municipal body: Nagar Panchayat for transitional areas, Municipal Council for smaller urban areas and Municipal Corporation for larger urban areas. The state determines area classifications by legislation and notification under constitutional criteria.
Q25. A State Finance Commission is constituted every how many years and by whose authority?
[SSC CGL Tier-I | 2022]
A. Five years, state government
B. Five years, central government
C. Two and a half years, state government
D. Two and a half years, central government
Answer: (A) Five years, state government
Explanation: The Governor constitutes a State Finance Commission every fifth year under Article 243I. Though the exam option uses the broader expression state government, the constitutional appointing authority is the Governor. Its role is to assess financial needs and fiscal sharing for local bodies.
Q24. Into how many classes does Article 243Q divide municipalities?
[RRB Group D | 2022]
A. Three
B. Six
C. Five
D. Four
Answer: (A) Three
Explanation: Article 243Q creates the constitutional classification of three urban local bodies. A Nagar Panchayat serves a transitional area, a Municipal Council a smaller urban area and a Municipal Corporation a larger urban area. States prescribe the operational details within that framework.
Q23. In which year was the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj created?
[RRB Group D | 2022]
A. 2004
B. 2002
C. 2001
D. 2003
Answer: (A) 2004
Explanation: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was established in May 2004 to oversee policy on decentralisation and rural local self-government. Its creation came after the Seventy-third Amendment gave Panchayats constitutional status, and institutional support remains important for strengthening their capacity.
Q22. What percentage of seats is reserved for women in Bihar’s Panchayats and municipalities?
[RRB Group D | 2022]
A. 10%
B. 50%
C. 25%
D. 33%
Answer: (B) 50%
Explanation: Bihar legislated a fifty-percent reservation for women in local bodies, going beyond the Constitution’s minimum one-third reservation. Articles 243D and 243T establish the basic constitutional floors, while states may introduce higher representation through applicable legislation.
Q21. Which Article begins the Constitution’s Panchayati Raj provisions?
[WBCS Mains Paper-V (2021 examination cycle) | 2022]
A. Article 243
B. Article 245
C. Article 242
D. Article 244
Answer: (A) Article 243
Explanation: Article 243 begins Part IX and defines essential terms such as Gram Sabha, Panchayat and village. The establishment of Panchayats is provided in Article 243B. The full Part IX spans Articles 243 to 243O, following the Seventy-third Amendment.
