73rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992
The passage of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 marked a new era in the federal democratic set up of the country and provides constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
The main features of the Act are:
- establishment of a three-tier structure: Village Panchayat (Gram Panchayat); intermediate panchayat (Panchayat Samiti); and the district panchayat (Zila Parishad)
- regular elections, every five years
- reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population
- not less than one-third reservation of seats for women at three different levels of PRIs
- establishment of State Finance Commissions to recommend measures to improve the finances of panchayats
- establishment of State Election Commissions to conduct election to the PRIs
- establishment of District Planning Committees to prepare development plans for the districts
- preparation of plans for economic development and social justice and their execution concerning 29 subjects listed in the 11th Schedule of the Constitution
- establishment of Grama Sabha (village assemblies) and their empowerment as a decision making body at the village level
- rotation in accordance with the reservation of seats for women and the Scheduled Castes in the PRIs