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Point out the difference between the local government in India before and after the Constitutional Amendments in 1992 : 1. It has become mandatory to hold regular elections to the local government bodies. 2. 1/3 rd positions are reserved for women. 3. Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts of 1992 fundamentally transformed local governance in India. Before these amendments, local bodies were often under the control of state governments with irregular elections. Post-1992, it became constitutionally mandatory to hold regular elections every five years [1]. Furthermore, the amendments introduced a mandatory reservation of at least one-third of all seats and chairperson positions for women to ensure gender representation [1]. While the amendments granted constitutional status and required states to share powers and revenue, they did not grant 'supreme power' to elected officials [1]. Local bodies operate within a framework of devolved powers and remain subject to state laws and constitutional limitations. Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect as supreme power remains with the sovereign state and central frameworks rather than local officials.
Sources
- [1] Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Federalism > Decentralisation in India > p. 24