Local Government MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Local Government - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Option 3.

Key Points

• In 1948, the Department of Panchayati Raj was created following the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act, 1947.
• The Department of Panchayati Raj was established with the responsibility to regulate and monitor the functioning of Gram Panchayats.
• In the act it is mentioned that a Gram Panchayat shall
  ordinarily meet for the transaction of business at least once every month but two months shall not intervene between two consecutive meetings.
• The date to be appointed for the first meeting of a Gram Panchayat shall be within thirty days from the date of its constitution.
• Consequently, UP Kshetra Panchayat and Zila Panchayat Act, 1961 was passed to run the local administration at the intermediate and district level.
• Through the above act, Kshetra Panchayats and Zila Panchayats were established.
• Thus, Uttar Pradesh has a three-tier structure of local administration with
  • Zila Panchayat at District Level
  • Kshetra Panchayat at Intermediary Level
  • Gram Panchayat at Village Leve

The correct answer is Technical Assistant.

Key Points

• Under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), the completion of houses is verified by a Technical Assistant.
• The Technical Assistant ensures that the construction quality meets the prescribed standards and guidelines.
• They conduct field visits to inspect the physical status of the houses.
• Verification by the Technical Assistant is a critical step before the final disbursement of funds to beneficiaries.

Additional Information

• Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)
  • Launched by the Government of India to provide affordable housing to the rural poor.
  • Aims to build 2.95 crore houses with basic amenities by 2022.
  • Ensures that the houses are designed to be disaster-resilient.
• Role of Technical Assistant
  • Responsible for technical supervision and quality control of construction activities.
  • Provides technical guidance to beneficiaries and masons.
  • Ensures adherence to construction norms and standards.
• Funding and Disbursement
  • Funds are released in stages based on the completion of specific construction milestones.
  • Technical Assistant's verification is crucial for the release of the final installment.
• Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Regular monitoring and evaluation are conducted to ensure the scheme's effectiveness.
  • Technical Assistants play a key role in the monitoring process.

The correct answer is Block Development Officer.

Key Points

• The Block Development Officer (BDO) acts as the Ex-officio Secretary of the Panchayat Samiti.
• The Panchayat Samiti is the intermediate level of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system, established under the Indian Constitution's Article 243.
• The BDO oversees the implementation of developmental programs and ensures administrative efficiency within the block.
• As Ex-officio Secretary, the BDO facilitates coordination between the Panchayat Samiti and other government departments for effective governance.
• The BDO also assists in the preparation and execution of the block-level budget and development plans.

Additional Information

• Panchayati Raj System:
  • It is a decentralized form of government in India where each village is responsible for its own affairs, governed under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.
  • The system consists of three tiers: Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zilla Parishad (district level).
• Role of Panchayat Samiti:
  • It is responsible for planning and executing development programs at the block level.
  • It acts as a link between the Gram Panchayat and the Zilla Parishad.
• Block Development Officer:
  • BDO is a government official responsible for development and administrative activities in a block.
  • They supervise the execution of various state and central government schemes at the block level.
• Nyay Sachiv:
  • The Nyay Sachiv (Secretary of Justice) is responsible for legal and judicial matters but does not hold administrative authority over the Panchayat Samiti.

The correct answer is 29.

• Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar (DDUPSP) is given to best performing Panchayats (District, Intermediate, and Gram Panchayat) across the States/UTs in recognition of the good work that is done by PRIs at each level for improving the delivery of services and public goods.
• 29 villages of Uttar Pradesh have been awarded under this yojana.
• 2 Zila Panchayat of Uttar Pradesh that is, Shamli and Hapur were also awarded Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar.
• Under this scheme, 50 lakhs were awarded to every Panchayat.

• National Panchayat day is observed on the 24th of April every year.
• Union Minister of Ministry of Panchayati Raj is Shri Giriraj Singh. (As of 2022)

The correct answer is Option 4.

Key Points

• Standing Committees of Zila Panchayat in Madhya Pradesh mainly consist of General Administration Committee, Agriculture Committee, Education Committee, Communication and Works Committee, and Co-operation and Industries Committee.
• Zila Panchayat may create one or more of these committees in addition to the five standing committees with the agreement of the designated authority for other concerns not covered by the aforementioned sub-section.
• General Administration Committee - The General Administration Committee is responsible for all issues relating to the creation and operation of the Zila Panchayat Administration, the planning of the Integrated Rural Development Programme, the budget, the accounts, the taxation, and other financial issues and topics that are not covered by the duties assigned to any other committee.
• Agriculture Committee - For agricultural, animal husbandry, power, and reclamation, including soil conservation and contour bunding, fisheries compost manuring, seed distribution, and other issues related to the growth of agriculture and livestock.
• Education Committee - For education, including adult education, social welfare of the disabled and the poor, women's and children's welfare, elimination of untouchability, relief from distress brought on by floods, droughts, earthquakes, hailstorms, scarcity, locust worms, and other such emergencies, temperance or prohibition, health and sanitation, tribal and Harijan welfare.
• Communication and Works Committee - For communication, minor irrigation, rural housing, rural water supply, drainage and other public works.
• Co-operation and Industries Committee - For co-operation, thrift and small savings, cottage and village industries, market ad statistics.

Additional Information

District Panchayat or Zila Panchayat - 

• Every District has a Zila Panchayat, assuming that each Municipal Corporation exists.
• A distinct administrative unit must be formed by the Municipal Council or Nagar Panchayat for the territory under their control.
• The MLA, MP, and all of the Janpad Panchayat Chairpersons in the District serve as ex-officio members of each Zila Panchayat, together with the member elected from the constituencies. Additionally, the District Magistrate serves as an Ex Officio member.

The correct answer is ​73rd and 74th Amendment Acts.

• Panchayati Raj Institution was constitutionalized through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 to build democracy at the grassroots level and was entrusted with the task of rural development in the country.
• 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were passed by Parliament in December 1992.
  • The Acts came into force as the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 on April 24, 1993.

Key Points

• Article 243 - 243O
  • the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992 on June 1, 1993.
• Article 243P-243ZG
• Salient Features of the Constitution 73rd and 74th amendments.
  • Added two new parts in the constitution
  • Part- IX - The Panchayats
  • Part - IXA - The Municipalities
• Article - 40 has a provision regarding organizing panchayat at the village level, attaining self-government.
  • Basic democratic unit- Gram sabha

Additional Information

The three-tier system of PRI

Urban Local bodies

Committee related to PRI

Hint

• Trick to remember committee in chronological order
  • "B.A HoGayaLekinSarkarP.K Kharra hai".

The correct answer is Village Committee.

Key Points

• The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was a committee originally appointed by the Government of India to examine the working of the Community Development Programme and the National Extension Service.
• The committee was formed on 16^th January 1957.
• Balwant Rai Mehta was the Chairman of this committee.
• The establishment of a 3-tier Panchayati Raj system is one of the main recommendations of this committee.
• The 3-tier system recommended by this committee is:
  1. Gram Panchayat at the village level.
  2. Panchayat Samiti at the block level.
  3. Zila Parishad at the district level.

Additional Information

Other important recommendations of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee are:

• The Panchayat Samiti should be the executive body while the Zila Parishad should be the advisory, coordinating, and supervisory body.
• The District Collector should be the Chairman of the Zila Parishad.

The correct option is Gram Panchayat.

Key Points

• The devolution grant shall be distributed to Village Panchayats, Panchayat Unions, and District Panchayats in the ratio of 60:32:8 respectively as recommended by the Third State Finance Commission.
• A minimum grant of Rs.3 lakhs to each Village Panchayat shall be provided as a measure of equalization, the balance amount shall be distributed based on population.
• The devolution grant shall be distributed within each tier of rural and urban local bodies based on the 2011 population.

Important Points

• Every Panchayat has the right to receive grant-in-aid from the State Fund based on the recommendation made by the State Finance Commission.
• On the recommendation of the State Finance Commission, the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad can collect tax/fees as per the direction of the government.
• Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad respectively constitute Gram Panchayat Fund in the name of Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti Fund in the name of Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad Fund in the name of Council, and deposit their funds in the deposit accounts.
• The Assigned/Shared revenues are one which is collected by State Government but transferred/shared to/with local bodies.
• The major sources of assigned/shared revenues to the rural local bodies are Local Cess, Local Cess Surcharge, Surcharge on Stamp duty, Entertainment tax, seigniorage fees, and lease amount of mines and minerals, and sale proceeds of Social Forestry plantations.

Additional Information

• Finance Commission:
  • Finance Com mission is a constitutional body under Article 280 created every five years to recommend the transfer of financial resources from the Centre to the States.
  •  The Commission also decides the principles on which grants-in-aid will be given to the States.
  • The 15th FC was constituted on November 27, 2017, and is headed by Mr. N.K. Singh.
• State Finance Commissions:
  • It is an institution created by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments to rationalize and systematize State/sub-State-level fiscal relations in India.
  • Article 243I of the Constitution mandated the State Governor to constitute a Finance Commission every five years.
  • Article 243Y of the Constitution states that the Finance Commission constituted under article 243I shall also review the financial position of the Municipalities and make recommendations to the Governor.

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key PointsSchedule 5 of the Indian Constitution

• The administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes are addressed in the Fifth Schedule. 
• Article 244(1) is directly related to Schedule 5.
  • Ten states currently have Fifth Schedule Areas: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
• The criteria for declaring an area as Scheduled Area are as follows:
  • a preponderance of tribal population;
  • compactness and reasonable size of the area;
  • under-developed nature of the area; and
  • the marked disparity in the economic standard of the people.
• The Governor can make regulations for the peace and good government of a scheduled area after consulting the tribes' advisory council.
• Such regulations may prohibit or restrict the transfer of land by tribal to non-tribal members or among members of the scheduled tribes, and regulate the allotment of land to members of the scheduled tribes. Hence, Option 1 is correct.

• The Panchayati Raj System is described in Part IX of the Indian Constitution. 
• Rajasthan is the first state where this system was first implemented in 1959 in Nagaur District. 
• Later, it also became the first state to have this system placed in all the districts of the state. 
• The 73rd Amendment 1992 is associated with this system in India. 

The correct answer is the  73 ^rd  Amendment.

• The Parliament passed the  73rd Constitutional Amendment Act to grant the Panchayati Raj Institutions in India a legislative status by adding Article 243 and Part IX  of the Indian Constitution.
• Pursuant to Article 243, the Act was imposed on all state governments to amend their Panchayat Laws in compliance with the Constitutional provisions.

Key Points

• The act was passed in 1993 to give constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions in India and is an important step in the decentralization of power and promotion of local self-government.
• Panchayati Raj system is a local self-governance system, with constitutional recognition, in villages. In this system, the Gram Panchayat is the basic unit of local administration.
• It is a 3 tier system comprising:
  • Gram Panchayat at the village level.
  • Panchayat Samiti at the block level.
  • Zila Parishad at the District level.

Additional Information

• The 72nd Amendment in the Constitution of India Statement of Objects and Reasons appended to the Constitution (Seventy-Second Amendment) Bill, 1991 (Bill No. 209 of 1991) For restoring peace and harmony in the areas of the State of Tripura where disturbed conditions prevailed, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed by the Government of India with Tripura National Volunteers on 12-8-1988.
• The 7l^St Amendment Of The Constitution Of India, Officially Known As The Constitution (seventy-first Amendment) Act, 1992, amended the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution so as to include Konkani, Meitei (Manipuri), and Nepali languages, thereby raising the total number of languages ​​listed in the schedule to eighteen.
• 75th Amendment in the Constitution of India THE CONSTITUTION (SEVENTY-FIFTH AMENDMENT)  ACT, 1993. It provides for the setting up of State-level Rent Tribunals to exclude the jurisdiction of all courts, except that of the Supreme Court, under Article 136 of the Constitution.

The correct answer is Development officer.

• Panchayat Samiti is an intermediate level of the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Chief Executive Officer of Panchayat Samiti is Block Development Officer.
• The development officer is an officer of the State Civil Service.
• Panchayat Samiti is also known by the name of Janpad Panchayat.

Key Points

• Indian polity provides for three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions in India.
  • Gram Panchayat at the village level.
  • Janpad Panchayat or Panchayat Samiti at intermediate level.
  • Zila Panchayat at the district level.

Additional Information

• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act was passed in 1992, which gave constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Generally, the CEO of Zila Panchayat is an IAS officer.
• BDO is the Chief Officer of Janpad Panchayat.
• Secretary is appointed at the village level, he calls the gram sabha and keeps records of its proceedings.

The correct answer is Six months from the date of dissolution.

Key Points

• If a Panchayat is dissolved, elections are to be held within six months from the date of dissolution.
• The term Panchayati Raj in India signifies the system of rural local self-government.
• It had been established after the advice of the Balwant Rai Mehta committee, which is established by the Govt. of India in 1957.
• This committee has three-tier panchayat governance such as Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad.
• As a result of this scheme the first Panchayat system introduced in Rajasthan in 1959.
• This system observed a lack of people's participation.
• To overcome this failure a new committee named Ashok Mehta committee gives a two-tier governance plan in 1977.
• The two-tier plan was Zila Parishad and Mandal Panchayat.
• This Panchayati Raj faced a major constitutional amendment in 1992 that brings back the three-tier system again.
• This amendment added a new part to the Constitution, namely, added Part IX titled The Panchayats.
• This amendment adds a Three-tier system of panchayats at the village, intermediate Mandal, and district levels except in States with a population is below 20 lakhs (Article 243B)
• The Panchayat is constituted under Article 243 to 243 (O)

Additional Information

Duration of Panchayati Raj

• The Act provides for a five-year term of office to all the levels of the panchayat. However, the panchayat can be dissolved before the completion of its term.
• But fresh elections to constitute the new panchayat should be completed before the expiry of its five-year duration.
• In case of dissolution, the election should be within a period of six months from the date of its dissolution.

The correct answer is Transport Facilities.

Key Points

Transport facilities are NOT correct.

• The Ward Panchs and the Sarpanch form the Gram Panchayat.
• The Gram Panchayat is elected for a term of five years.
• The Gram Panchayat has a Secretary who is also the Secretary of the Gram Sabha.
• The Gram Sabha prevents the Panchayat from illegal activities. 
• The main functions of Gram Panchayat are:
  • The construction and maintenance of water sources, roads, drainage, and other common property resources.
  • Levying and collecting local taxes.
  • Executing government schemes related to generating employment in the village.
  • Providing an adequate number of street lights and paying electricity charges regularly.
  • Establishment & Maintenance of local markets.
  • Prevention of contagious diseases.
  • Constructing an adequate number of community latrines for the use of men and women and maintaining them.
  • Ensuring universal enrollment of children in primary school.
  • Ensuring prompt registration and reporting of birth and deaths.

The correct answer is ​State Government.

• Zilla Parishad is considered the third tier of the Panchayati Raj system.
• The idea of people's participation in the Panchayati Raj system extends to two different levels called Janpad Panchayat and the Zila Parishad.
• Zilla Parishad makes developmental plans at the district level.
• Zilla Parishad regulates the money distribution among all the Gram Panchayats.
• It is formed through elections in Panchayati Raj System.
• State Government has the power to dissolve a Zilla Parishad
• Various development activities and welfare schemes of the state and central government are implemented through the Zilla Parishad.