The Supreme Court case Rajbala versus State of Haryana (2015) dealt with which subject?
- A.Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes in municipalities
- B.Minimum qualifications prescribed for contesting panchayat elections
- C.Delay in holding panchayat elections
- D.Powers of the State Finance Commission
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Minimum qualifications prescribed for contesting panchayat elections. Haryana amended its Panchayati Raj Act in 2015 to add conditions for candidates, including a minimum educational qualification, no outstanding arrears of electricity dues or cooperative loans, and a functional toilet at home. The amendment was challenged and the Supreme Court upheld it in Rajbala versus State of Haryana, decided in December 2015, holding that the legislature could prescribe such conditions.
Option A is wrong because reservation in municipalities flows from Article 243-T and was not the subject of this case. Option C is wrong because the delay in holding elections is dealt with under Article 243-E, which requires an election before the end of the five-year term. Option D is wrong because the State Finance Commission is provided by Articles 243-I and 243-Y and was not in issue. This case is the single most asked item from Haryana’s local government chapter.
Read the full article: Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies of Haryana: Acts and Articles
Practice Questions
View allPanchayati raj in Haryana is governed today by which state law?
- A.The Punjab Gram Panchayat Act, 1952
- B.The Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994
- C.The Haryana Municipal Act, 1973
- D.The Haryana Panchayat Samiti Act, 1966
Show answer
After the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 every state had to bring its own law in line with Part IX of the Constitution, and Haryana did so with the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, which still governs the gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads of the state.
Read the full explanation →In Haryana, the directly elected head of a Gram Panchayat is called the:
- A.Mukhiya
- B.Sarpanch
- C.Pramukh
- D.Mayor
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Under the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 a gram panchayat is headed by a Sarpanch, who is elected directly by all the voters of the panchayat area, with an Up-Sarpanch as deputy and panches elected from the wards of the village.
Read the full explanation →Under the Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2015, the minimum educational qualification fixed for a general category male candidate was:
- A.Class 5 pass
- B.Class 8 pass
- C.Matriculation
- D.Graduation
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The amendment required a general category candidate to have passed matriculation, that is Class 10, while a relaxation was given to women and to Scheduled Caste candidates, who needed Class 8, and to Scheduled Caste women contesting a panch seat, for whom Class 5 was enough.
Read the full explanation →The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, which gave panchayats constitutional status, came into force on:
- A.2 October 1959
- B.24 April 1993
- C.1 June 1993
- D.15 August 1994
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The 73rd Amendment Act was passed in 1992 and was brought into force on 24 April 1993, observed every year since as National Panchayati Raj Day.
Read the full explanation →The Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, added by the 73rd Amendment, lists how many subjects for panchayats?
- A.18
- B.21
- C.29
- D.32
Show answer
The Eleventh Schedule, read with Article 243-G, lists 29 subjects such as agriculture, minor irrigation, animal husbandry, rural housing, drinking water, roads, education, health and the public distribution system, which a state legislature may devolve to panchayats.
Read the full explanation →