MPPSC 2021 Prelims Q79: Who will preside over the meeting of the Gram Sabha in the

Q: What is the answer to MPPSC 2021 Prelims Q79?

D. Correct — D. Under the M.P. Panchayat Raj Avam Gram Swaraj Adhiniyam, 1993, a Gram Sabha meeting is presided over by the Sarpanch, or in the Sarpanch's absence by the Up-Sarpanch; if both are absent, a Panch of that Gram Panchayat — elected for the purpose by the members present at the meeting — presides. The stand-in presiding officer must be an elected panchayat functionary (a Panch), not simply whoever happens to be oldest or a government employee.

MPPSC 2021 Prelims Paper-I · Question 79 of 100

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official MPPSC answer key.

Who will preside over the meeting of the Gram Sabha in the absence of the sarpanch and up-sarpanch in Madhya Pradesh?

(a)Block Development Officer
(b)Secretary of Gram Panchayat
(c)For this purpose, the oldest person of the respective Gram Panchayat elected by the members present in the Gram Sabha meeting
(d)For this purpose, a Panch of the respective Gram Panchayat elected by the members present in the Gram Sabha meeting

Answer

Why

Correct — D. Under the M.P. Panchayat Raj Avam Gram Swaraj Adhiniyam, 1993, a Gram Sabha meeting is presided over by the Sarpanch, or in the Sarpanch's absence by the Up-Sarpanch; if both are absent, a Panch of that Gram Panchayat — elected for the purpose by the members present at the meeting — presides. The stand-in presiding officer must be an elected panchayat functionary (a Panch), not simply whoever happens to be oldest or a government employee.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Block Development Officer — The BDO is a government (executive) officer overseeing block-level administration, not an elected panchayat functionary — the Act gives the BDO no role in presiding over Gram Sabha meetings.
(b)
Secretary of Gram Panchayat — The Secretary is the panchayat's administrative/record-keeping officer, responsible for maintaining minutes and registers — not empowered by the Act to preside over the meeting.
(c)
For this purpose, the oldest person of the respective Gram Panchayat elected by the members present in the Gram Sabha meeting — A close trap — the Act specifies that a Panch (an elected panchayat member) is to be elected for the purpose, not simply the oldest person present.

Concept

The Gram Sabha — the village-level body of all registered voters — has a clear, cascading chain of presiding authority under Madhya Pradesh's panchayat law: the Sarpanch presides first; if the Sarpanch is absent, the Up-Sarpanch presides; and if both are absent, a Panch elected on the spot by the members present presides. This ensures every Gram Sabha meeting always has a valid presiding officer drawn from among elected panchayat representatives, never from the administrative staff.

MPPSC tests this exact three-step cascade because the wrong options are designed to tempt with plausible-sounding alternatives — a government officer (the BDO), an administrative staffer (the Secretary), or a criterion that sounds democratic but is wrong (the oldest person) — instead of the correct answer, an elected Panch.

Key facts

Presiding order: Sarpanch → (if absent) Up-Sarpanch → (if both absent) a Panch elected by the members present
Governed by the M.P. Panchayat Raj Avam Gram Swaraj Adhiniyam, 1993
The stand-in presiding officer must be an elected Panch of that Gram Panchayat — not the oldest attendee and not a government employee
The Gram Panchayat Secretary and the Block Development Officer are administrative posts with no role in presiding over Gram Sabha meetings

Who presides over a Gram Sabha meeting in Madhya Pradesh

Sarpanch presides (default)
If Sarpanch absent — Up-Sarpanch presides
If both absent — a Panch, elected for the purpose by the members present, presides

The Act's cascade always keeps the presiding chair with an elected panchayat functionary — never with an official like the BDO or Secretary.

Study next

73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 — the Gram Sabha's constitutional basis (Articles 243, 243A)Powers and functions of the Gram Sabha under PESA, 1996 (Scheduled Areas)Roles of the Sarpanch, Up-Sarpanch and Panch in Gram Panchayat governanceDifference between the Gram Sabha (all registered voters) and the Gram Panchayat (elected body)Quorum and frequency requirements for Gram Sabha meetings

Common traps

Assuming 'the oldest person present' is a valid stand-in rule — the Act specifies an elected Panch, not seniority by age
Confusing the Gram Panchayat Secretary (an administrative officer) with an elected panchayat functionary

MPPSC and other state PCS exams frequently test this exact presiding-officer cascade (Sarpanch → Up-Sarpanch → elected Panch) — lock the order and remember it must always be an elected functionary, never an official.

Related PYQs

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
As per Article 243(b) of the Constitution of India, the 'Gram Sabha' is defined as a body consisting of:
- (a)all elected Panchs of a Gram Panchayat
- (b)persons registered in the electoral rolls of a village comprised within a Panchayat area
- (c)only the Sarpanch and Up-Sarpanch
- (d)the Block Development Officer and his staff
Answer(b) persons registered in the electoral rolls of a village comprised within a Panchayat area.
practice — not a real PYQ
Who presides over the meetings of the Gram Panchayat (as distinct from the Gram Sabha)?
- (a)the Sarpanch
- (b)the Secretary
- (c)the Block Development Officer
- (d)the seniormost Panch
Answer(a) the Sarpanch.