A. Tick the correct option.
1. Which one of the following is Not a local body under the Panchayati Raj System?
Answer: nagar panchayat
2. The Chairperson of the Gram Panchayat is Not called as-
Answer: president
3. The best example of direct democracy in India is-
Answer: gram sabha
4. The administrative work of a Panchayat Samiti is looked after by a-
Answer: block development officer
5. The apex body of the Panchayati Raj System is-
Answer: zila parishad
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. Gram Sabha consists of all the registered ___________ of the village.
2. The administrative work of the Block Samiti is looked after by a ___________.
3. The Zila Parishad acts as a link between ___________ and ___________.
4. The Gram Panchayat operates at the ___________ level of the Panchayati Raj System.
5. The Zila Parishad distributes grants to the ___________.
Answer: (1) voters (2) BDO (3) the State Government, the Block Samities, the Village Panchayats (4) village (5) Block Samities.
C. Write True or False for the following statements.
1. The lowest level of government in India is Nyaya Panchayat.
2. The members of Gram Sabha only elect the members of Gram Panchayat.
3. Zila Parishad implements the Five-Year Plans in the district.
4. Two or three small villages can have a common panchayat.
5. The Zila Parishad does not have any ex-officio member.
Answer: (1) False (2) True (3) True (4) True (5) False.
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Mention three levels of the local self-governing bodies under the Panchayati Raj System.
Answer: The three levels of the local self-governing bodies under the Panchayati Raj System are:
- Gram Panchayat at the village level
- Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti at block level
- Zila Parishad or Zila Panchayat at the district level.
2. Write two main functions of the Gram Sabha.
Answer: Two main functions of the Gram Sabha are:
- The Gram Sabha takes important decisions about the welfare and development of the village.
- It approves the annual budget of the Gram Panchayat.
3. What is the most important function of a Panchayat Samiti?
Answer: The most important function of a Panchayat Samiti is to look after the developmental and welfare work of the villages those are in that block.
4. How does a Village Panchayat generate its financial resources?
Answer: The following are the main sources of income of Village Panchayat:
- Taxes on fairs, shops and houses.
- Fees from registration of purchase and sale of cattle.
- Sale of public property.
- Government grants.
5. How are the Panchs and the Pradhan of a Gram Panchayat elected?
Answer: The Panchs and the Pradhan of a Gram Panchayat are directly elected by the members of Gram Sabha.
E. Answer the following questions.
1. Explain any three functions of the Gram Panchayat.
Answer: The three functions of Gram Panchayat are:
- Plantation of trees.
- Provision of clean drinking water.
- Sanitation and public health and animal husbandry.
2. Describe the composition of Zila Parishad.
Answer: The composition of Zilla Parishad is – chairman of the Block Samities, members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Vidhan Parishad, representatives of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women from the district constitute a Zila Parishad.
3. How does the Zila Parishad keep control over the other Panchayati Raj Institutions?
Answer: Zila Parishad keep control over the other Panchayati Raj Institutions in following ways:
- Zila Parishad acts as a link between the State Government and the Block Samities and the Village Panchayats.
- It keeps the government informed about the working of local self-governing bodies.
- It also distributes government funds to block Samiti.
- By planning and implementing the government schemes/plans.
4. Differentiate between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat.
Answer:
5. Highlight the significance of self-governing bodies in a democracy like India.
Answer: Self-governing bodies spread the idea of democracy along the people. The issues and problems of an area can be better understood and resolved by the local people. Since local people are involved in self-governing bodies. Therefore, these issues and problems can be solved easily by the self-governing bodies.