SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE

WORKSHEET: SUBJECTIVE TYPE

CHAPTER 5- PANCHAYATI RAJ

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION

Kindly take out the printout and paste this worksheet in the Social and Political Life
notebook. Do not write the answers.

I. DEFINE THE FOLLOWING

a) Gram Sabha

• The Gram Sabha is a meeting of all adults who live in the area covered by a Panchayat.
This could be only one village or a few villages.
• In some states a village meeting is held for each village. Anyone who is 18 years old or
more and who has the right to vote is a member of the Gram Sabha.
• Thus, Gram Sabha is a meeting where people directly participate and seek answers from
their elected representatives.

b) Panch
• Village Panchayat is divided into wards, i.e. smaller areas. Each ward elects a
representative who is known as the Ward Member or Panch.
• Members of the Panchayat are called Panch.

c) Ward
• A ward is a local authority area used for electoral purposes.
• The smallest administrative unit of Gram Panchayat is known as a ward.

II. Answer the Following Questions

1. Who can be a member of Gram Sabha? Who is the president of Gram Sabha?
Ans

• Anyone who is 18 years old or more and who has the right to vote is a member of the
Gram Sabha.
• The panchayat is chaired by the president of the village known as the Sarpanch.

1
2. How is a Panch or a ward member elected?
Ans

• The village Panchayat is divided into wards, i.e. smaller areas. Each ward elects a
representative who is known as the Ward Member (Panch).
• Panch is directly elected by the villagers.

3. What is the task of the secretary of the Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat?
Ans
• The Secretary is responsible for calling the meeting of the Gram Sabha and Gram
Panchayat.
• The secretary keeps a record of the proceedings.

4. How does the Gram Sabha keep a check on the working of the Gram Panchayat?
Ans
• The Gram Sabha is a key factor in making the Gram Panchayat play its role and be
responsible. It is the place where all plans for the work of the Gram Panchayat are placed
before the people.
• The Gram Sabha prevents the Panchayat from doing wrong things like misusing money or
favouring certain people.
• It plays an important role in keeping an eye on the elected representatives and in making
them responsible to the persons who elected them.

5. Give the importance of the Gram Sabha.

Ans

• The Gram Sabha is the most important body of the Panchayati Raj System. The members
of the Gram Sabha elect the Gram Panchayat.
• The Gram Sabha prevents the Panchayat from doing wrong things like misusing money or
favouring certain people.
• It is the place where all plans for the work of the Gram Panchayat are placed before the
people.
• It plays an important role in keeping an eye on the elected representatives and in making
them responsible to the persons who elected them.
• Gram Sabha finalizes and approves the list of the people below the poverty line in rural
areas.
• The work of the Gram Panchayat has to be approved by the Gram Sabha.
• In some states, Gram Sabha form committees like construction and development
committees. These committees include some members of the Gram Sabha and some from
the Gram Panchayat who work together to carry out specific tasks.

2
6. What is a Gram Panchayat? What is the duration of the term of a Gram Panchayat?
Ans

• A Gram Panchayat is the local self-government organisation formed at the village level.
• The Ward Panchs and the Sarpanch form the Gram Panchayat.
• The Gram Panchayat is elected for five years.

7. What are the functions of the Gram Panchayat?

Ans
• The construction and maintenance of water sources, roads, drainage, school buildings and
other common property resources.
• Levying and collecting local taxes.
• Executing government schemes related to generating employment in the village.

8. What are the sources of funds for the smooth functioning of the Panchayat?
Ans
• Collection of taxes on houses, marketplaces etc.
• Government scheme funds received through various departments of the government –
through the Janpad and Zila Panchayats.
• Donations for community works.

9. What are the levels of the Panchayat? Name them.

Ans

3
 The Panchayati Raj system has three levels

• Gram Panchayat- It acts at the village level. It includes Panchayat members and the
ward members.
• Block level Panchayat- It is known as Janpad Panchayat or the Panchayat Samiti. The
Panchayat Samiti has many Gram Panchayats under it.
• District Panchayat or the Zila Parishad- Zila Parishad makes developmental plans at the
district level. With the help of Panchayat Samitis, it also regulates the money
distribution among all the Gram Panchayats.

10. What do you understand by Panchayati Raj system?

Ans

• The Panchayati Raj system is the first tier or level of democratic government
• It is a process through which people in the rural areas participate in their own government.
• Each state in the country has its own laws with regard to Panchayats.
• The idea is to provide more and more space for people to participate and raise their voices.

11. What are the advantages of Local Self Government?

Ans
• The local self -government takes steps to solve the problems of the people at the grass root
level.
• They perform various important functions which help in the development of a village. For
example, construction of roads, provision of clean drinking water, schemes related to
improvement of agriculture and irrigation.
• The local people gets more decision making opportunities for their own problems in local
self-government.
• The local people elect their own representatives to form the local government of an area.
• The local people have best ideas on how and where to spend money for their development.
Any problem or issue in a particular area can be best attended by the local government.

12. What are the functions of the Zila Parishad?

Ans

• Zila Parishad supervises the working of the Panchayat samitis, the Gram Panchayat.
• Zila Parishad makes developmental plans at the district level.
• With the help of Panchayat Samitis, it also regulates the money distribution among all
the Gram Panchayats.

4
13. What is the link between the Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat?
Ans
• The Gram Sabha elects the members of the Gram Panchayat.
• It plays an important role in keeping an eye on the elected representatives and in making
them responsible to the persons who elected them.
• The Gram Panchayat is responsible to the Gram Sabha. The work of the Gram Panchayat
has to be approved by the Gram Sabha.
• In a Gram Sabha, all plans for the working of the Gram Panchayat are placed before the
people.
• The Gram Sabha prevents the Panchayat from doing wrong things like misusing money or
favouring certain people.
• The Gram Panchayat has a secretary who is also the secretary of the Gram Sabha.

14. What is the difference the Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat?

GRAM SABHA GRAM PANCHAYAT

1. The Gram Sabha acts as a 1. Gram Panchayat is an executive
legislative body at the village level. body at the village level.
2. All the adult members of the 1. The elected representatives of the
Panchayat form the Gram Sabha. Gram Sabha form the Gram Panchayat.
Members of Gram Sabha are not The Gram panchayat consists of ward
elected. members and sarpanch.
3. The minimum requirement of age 3. The member of the Gram Panchayat
for the membership of the Gram should not be less than 21 years of age.
Sabha is 18 years.
4. Gram Sabha is the place where all 4.The work of the Gram Panchayat has
plans for the work of the Gram to be approved by the Gram Sabha.
Panchayat are placed before the
people. The Gram Sabha prevents the
Panchayat from doing wrong. It plays
an important role in keeping an eye on
the elected representatives and in
making them responsible to the
persons who elected them.
5. It is a permanent body. 5. It is a temporary body as the
members of the panchayat are elected
for a term of five years.