Rural Local Self-Government
ICSE Class 6 · History & Civics · Chapter 10
What this chapter covers
- Local self-government: meaning
- The Panchayati Raj system and its three tiers
- The village level: Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat and Nyaya Panchayat
- Block Samiti
- Zila Parishad
Key points
- Local self-government means that the people of a place choose representatives to manage local matters.
- Rural local self-government in India is called Panchayati Raj.
- Panchayati Raj has three tiers: Gram Panchayat (village), Block Samiti (block) and Zila Parishad (district).
- The 73rd Amendment of 1992 made the panchayats stronger, with regular elections every five years and seats reserved for women.
- The Gram Sabha is made up of all the adult voters of a village; it elects the Gram Panchayat and checks its work.
- The Gram Panchayat is headed by the Sarpanch and looks after water, roads, cleanliness, street lights and records.
- The Nyaya Panchayat settles small village disputes quickly and cheaply; it can fine but cannot jail.
- The Block Samiti joins together the work of the Gram Panchayats; the BDO carries out its decisions.
- The Zila Parishad plans for the whole district and links the villages to the state government.
- Every citizen can help local bodies by keeping public places clean, saving water and voting.
Questions answered
What is local self-government?
Local self-government is the system in which the people of a place choose their own representatives to look after local matters.
Name the three tiers of Panchayati Raj, from the lowest to the highest.
Gram Panchayat (village), Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti (block), and Zila Parishad (district).
Who are the members of the Gram Sabha?
All the adults aged 18 or above whose names are on the voters' list of the village.
Who is the Sarpanch?
The Sarpanch is the elected head of the Gram Panchayat.
Give two functions that every Gram Panchayat must perform.
Any two of these: providing drinking water, repairing village roads, keeping the village clean, looking after street lights, keeping records of births and deaths.
Give one way in which a Nyaya Panchayat helps poor villagers.
It gives quick justice at very little cost, and no lawyer is needed.
Which government officer carries out the decisions of the Block Samiti?
The Block Development Officer (BDO).
Name two kinds of members of a Zila Parishad.
Any two of these: members elected directly by the voters of the district, the chairpersons of the Block Samitis, and the MLAs and MPs from the district.