National Panchayati Raj Day

Tags: Important Days

Every year, 24 April is celebrated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as National Panchayati Raj Day, which is celebrated to give constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj system in the country.

• The objective of celebrating National Panchayati Raj Day is to raise awareness about Panchayats and Gram Sabhas.

• Panchayats and Gram Sabhas are the institutions of the local self-governments for the rural areas mandated by the Constitution.

• Significance of the day

• This annual festival is done to commemorate the historic day on which the Constitution Act (73rd Amendment) was passed in 1992.

• However, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force on April 24, 1993, and hence led to the formation of the Panchayati Raj system in India.

• Therefore, this day is celebrated to celebrate the establishment of decentralised power.

• Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh declared April 24, 2010 as the first National Panchayati Raj Day.

• History of the day

• In 1957, a committee was formed which focused on the development of Panchayati Raj in India.

• The committee was headed by Balwantrai Mehta.

• The committee proposed a decentralised village panchayat system consisting of a gram panchayat at the village level, a block panchayat or panchayat samiti at the intermediate level, and a district panchayat at the district level.

• The Indian Constitution recognizes Panchayats as a system of self-government, in which the Panchayats are responsible for delivering justice and ensuring the development of their villages.

• Important facts

• In 1959, Rajasthan was the first state in India to introduce Panchayati Raj while Andhra Pradesh became the second state to introduce this system.

• Panchayati Raj was inaugurated by India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru in Nagpur in October 1959.