Q. Consider the following statements :
I. Panchayats at the intermediate level exist in all States.
II. To be eligible to be a Member of a Panchayat at the intermediate level, a person should attain the age of thirty years.
III. The Chief Minister of a State constitutes a commission to review the financial position of Panchayats at the intermediate levels and to make recommendations regarding the distribution of net proceeds of taxes and duties, leviable by the State, between the State and Panchayats at the intermediate level.
Which of the statements given above are not correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
Correct Answer: (d) I, II and III
UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper's Solution
Explanation :
The incorrect statements are I, II, and III.
Statement I: Panchayats at the intermediate level do not exist in all States. Article 243B of the Indian Constitution states that Panchayats at the intermediate level may not be constituted in a State with a population not exceeding twenty lakhs (2 million). Additionally, the 73rd Amendment Act, which established the Panchayati Raj system, does not apply to certain states like Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, and other specific areas.
Statement II: To be eligible to be a Member of a Panchayat at the intermediate level, a person should attain the age of twenty-one years, not thirty years. Article 243F of the Constitution specifies 21 years as the minimum age for contesting elections to Panchayats.
Statement III: The Chief Minister of a State does not constitute a commission to review the financial position of Panchayats. Instead, the Governor of a State constitutes a Finance Commission, as per Article 243I of the Indian Constitution, to review the financial position of Panchayats and make recommendations regarding the distribution of taxes and duties between the State and Panchayats.
