Model Answer
0 min readIntroduction
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 aimed to institutionalize Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as units of self-governance, with specific provisions for the representation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and women. This landmark legislation sought to address historical marginalization and ensure inclusive governance at the grassroots level. However, despite these constitutional safeguards, the voice of weaker sections within PRIs often remains muted, failing to achieve the desired level of socio-political empowerment. This disparity necessitates a critical examination of the factors hindering effective representation and the impact of these provisions in practice.
Constitutional Provisions for Representation
The 73rd Amendment Act mandates reservation of seats for SCs and STs in PRIs, proportionate to their population in the respective area. Article 243D specifically addresses this. Furthermore, it provides for reservation of one-third of seats for women, including within the reserved seats for SCs and STs (a concept known as ‘rotation’). This ‘rotation’ is intended to ensure that different segments of the weaker sections get representation over time. Beyond reservation, the Act also empowers State Legislatures to make provisions for representation of backward classes.
Challenges to Effective Representation
Socio-Political Barriers
- Dominance of Upper Castes: Despite reservation, upper castes often maintain significant influence in PRI decision-making through informal power structures and social hierarchies. This can marginalize the voices of elected representatives from weaker sections.
- Lack of Political Awareness & Capacity Building: Many elected representatives from weaker sections lack the necessary political awareness, education, and skills to effectively navigate the complexities of PRI governance.
- Social Discrimination & Exclusion: Persistent social discrimination and exclusion hinder the full participation of weaker sections in PRI activities.
- Gender Inequality: Women, even with reservation, face challenges related to patriarchal norms, limited mobility, and lack of access to information, impacting their ability to effectively represent their constituencies.
Structural & Institutional Limitations
- Insufficient Devolution of Funds & Functions: PRIs often lack adequate financial resources and functional autonomy, limiting their ability to address the needs of weaker sections. The State Finance Commissions (SFCs) have often been criticized for not adequately addressing this issue.
- Weak Implementation of Reservation Policies: Issues like ‘rotation’ being implemented in a way that prevents repeated representation from the same group, or deliberate attempts to circumvent reservation rules, can undermine the effectiveness of these policies.
- Lack of Representation in Key Positions: Reservation primarily focuses on seats, but often weaker sections are underrepresented in key positions like Panchayat President or Block Pramukh, limiting their overall influence.
- Limited Access to Information: Lack of transparency and access to information hinders the ability of weaker sections to hold PRIs accountable.
Implementation Challenges
- Political Will: A lack of genuine political will at the state level to empower PRIs and promote inclusive governance can hinder effective implementation of constitutional provisions.
- Bureaucratic Inertia: Bureaucratic resistance to decentralization and a reluctance to share power with PRIs can also pose challenges.
- Conflict & Violence: In some areas, conflict and violence can disrupt PRI functioning and marginalize the voices of weaker sections.
Case of Odisha: Addressing Representation Gaps
The Odisha government has implemented innovative measures to enhance the representation of tribal communities in PRIs. These include providing specialized training programs for elected representatives from tribal areas, establishing dedicated tribal development funds, and promoting community participation in PRI planning and decision-making. This has led to improved infrastructure development and social welfare programs in tribal-dominated regions.
Potential Solutions
- Strengthening Capacity Building: Investing in comprehensive capacity-building programs for elected representatives from weaker sections, focusing on leadership skills, financial management, and legal awareness.
- Enhancing Devolution of Funds & Functions: Ensuring adequate devolution of funds and functions to PRIs, along with greater financial autonomy.
- Promoting Transparency & Accountability: Strengthening transparency mechanisms, such as social audits and Right to Information, to enhance accountability.
- Addressing Social Discrimination: Implementing targeted programs to address social discrimination and promote social inclusion.
- Empowering Women: Promoting women’s leadership and participation in PRIs through targeted interventions.
- Strengthening Monitoring & Evaluation: Establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the impact of reservation policies and identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
While the 73rd Amendment Act represented a significant step towards inclusive governance, the voice of weaker sections in PRIs remains constrained by a complex interplay of socio-political barriers, structural limitations, and implementation challenges. Addressing these issues requires a multi-pronged approach that focuses on strengthening capacity building, enhancing devolution, promoting transparency, and tackling social discrimination. A sustained commitment to genuine decentralization and inclusive governance is essential to ensure that the constitutional provisions for representation translate into meaningful empowerment for all sections of society.
Answer Length
This is a comprehensive model answer for learning purposes and may exceed the word limit. In the exam, always adhere to the prescribed word count.