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Polity and governanceCommittees1957

Balwantrai Mehta Committee

Recommended a three-tier Panchayati Raj system.

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Led to the first panchayat systems, starting in Rajasthan in 1959.

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Prelims

Quick recall

When did the Balwantrai Mehta Committee report?
1957.
What did it recommend?
A three-tier Panchayati Raj system.
Which tier did it see as the key executive body?
The panchayat samiti at block level.
Which State first adopted Panchayati Raj?
Rajasthan, at Nagaur, on 2 October 1959.
Which committee recommended a two-tier system in 1978?
The Ashok Mehta Committee.
Which committee recommended constitutional status for panchayats?
The L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986).

Asked before in UPSC

Recurring theme: Democratic decentralisation and Panchayati Raj

Mains
  1. 2022 · GS2 · 10 marks

    To what extent, in your opinion, has the decentralisation of power in India changed the governance landscape at the grassroots?

    Balwantrai Mehta to Ashok Mehta to the 73rd Amendment is the standard evolution to cite.

  2. 2020 · GS2 · 15 marks

    The strength and sustenance of local institutions in India has shifted from their formative phase of 'Functions, Functionaries and Funds' to the contemporary stage of 'Functionality'. Highlight the critical challenges faced by local institutions in terms of their functionality in recent times.

    The formative phase began with the Mehta Committee's three-tier model; the 3Fs remain the test of devolution.

  3. 2018 · GS2 · 15 marks

    Assess the importance of the Panchayat system in India as a part of local government. Apart from government grants, what sources the Panchayats can look out for financing developmental projects?

    Start from the 1957 committee's democratic decentralisation idea and move to own-source revenue gaps today.

  4. 2017 · GS2 · 10 marks

    "The local self government system in India has not proved to be effective instrument of governance". Critically examine the statement and give your views to improve the situation.

    Trace the gap between the Mehta Committee's vision and the post-73rd Amendment reality of weak devolution.

  5. 2015 · GS2 · 12.5 marks

    In the absence of well-educated and organised local level government system, Panchayats and Samitis have remained mainly political institutions and not effective instrument of governance. Critically Discuss.

    The Panchayat Samiti at block level was the core of the Balwantrai Mehta design; this question tests how far that design delivered.

Prelims
  1. 2025 · Prelims

    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?

    Tests the intermediate (block) tier that the Mehta Committee introduced and its constitutional status today.

  2. 2015 · Prelims

    The fundamental object of Panchayati Raj system is to ensure which among the following? 1. People's participation in development 2. Political accountability 3. Democratic decentralization 4. Financial mobilization

    Democratic decentralisation is the phrase associated with the Balwantrai Mehta Committee.

The basics

Why it matters

The Balwantrai Mehta Committee (1957) studied why the Community Development Programme had not involved people, and recommended democratic decentralisation through a three-tier Panchayati Raj system.

1957
Year of the report
First major step towards Panchayati Raj.

The three tiers

It proposed a structure still used today.

Balwantrai Mehta model
  1. 1Gram panchayatVillage, directly elected
  2. 2Panchayat samitiBlock, the key executive tier
  3. 3Zila parishadDistrict, advisory and coordinating
  4. 4DevolutionReal powers and resources

You now know

  • Reported in 1957 on the Community Development Programme.
  • Recommended democratic decentralisation with three tiers.
  • Rajasthan first adopted Panchayati Raj at Nagaur on 2 October 1959.
  • Later committees: Ashok Mehta (1978), G.V.K. Rao (1985), L.M. Singhvi (1986).

Go deeper

In one line: Balwantrai Mehta started India's Panchayati Raj journey with a three-tier model.

Why it matters for UPSC

The sequence of committees on local government is a Prelims favourite.

The core idea

Development works better when people run it. The idea took constitutional form in the 73rd Amendment after the Ashok Mehta Committee and others refined it.

Where to go next

In one line: Early panchayats faded because they lacked powers, money and regular elections.

Lessons

The Ashok Mehta Committee suggested political parties' participation and two tiers; later committees called for constitutional status, achieved in the 73rd Amendment.

Where to go next

Ashok Mehta Committee

The two-tier proposal of 1978

In one line: The Ashok Mehta Committee (1977-78) recommended a two-tier Panchayati Raj system.

Tiers

Zila parishad and mandal panchayat.

Other ideas

Party participation and taxation powers.

Where to go next

73rd Amendment

Constitutional status for panchayats

In one line: The 73rd Amendment (1992) gave panchayats constitutional status.

Features

Three tiers, elections every five years, one-third seats for women, and the Eleventh Schedule's 29 subjects.

In force

24 April 1993.

Where to go next

Prelims-style quiz

  1. Panchayati Raj was first inaugurated in:

    1. Nagaur, Rajasthan
    2. Anand, Gujarat
    3. Madras
    4. Etawah, Uttar Pradesh
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Nagaur, Rajasthan. On 2 October 1959.

  2. The Ashok Mehta Committee recommended:

    1. Four tiers
    2. Two tiers
    3. No panchayats
    4. Three tiers
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Two tiers. A two-tier system.

  3. Consider the following:
    1. Balwantrai Mehta recommended democratic decentralisation.
    2. It recommended the zila parishad as the main executive tier.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 only. It saw the panchayat samiti as the key executive tier.

  4. Constitutional status for panchayats was recommended by:

    1. Sarkaria
    2. G.V.K. Rao
    3. L.M. Singhvi
    4. Punchhi
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) L.M. Singhvi. L.M. Singhvi (1986).

Syllabus

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