Which Section of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 has been amended to replace the expression ‘Gram Vikas Adhikari’ in place of ‘Gram Sevak’?

Correct — option (2), 89.

The change was made by the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act No. 12 of 2021). Its section 2 is headed "Amendment of section 89, Rajasthan Act No. 13 of 1994".

It provides that in sub-section (2) of section 89, in clause (i), for the existing expression "village level workers", the expression "Gram Vikas Adhikari" shall be substituted. The Hindi text of the same Act names the old expression as "ग्राम सेवक" (Gram Sevak), the wording the stem uses.

The Act received the Governor's assent on 25 September 2021, was published in the Rajasthan Gazette Extraordinary dated 28 September 2021, and came into force at once, a month before the exam.

The section amended is option (2), 89.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  88 — Section 88 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 is about records, not posts. It gives the right to requisition records: anyone holding moneys, accounts, records or property of a Panchayati Raj Institution must hand them over on the Chief Executive Officer's written requisition.

  The 2021 amendment did not touch it.

• (3)
  91 — Section 91 deals with disciplinary proceedings against, and punishments of, staff of Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads. It does not list the categories of posts.

  The list of posts, including the one renamed Gram Vikas Adhikari, is in section 89(2), which is the section the 2021 Act amended.

• (4)
  90 — Section 90 constitutes the District Establishment Committee, chaired by the Zila Pramukh, which makes selections to posts in the Service and prepares promotion lists.

  It refers to the posts but does not name them. The designations sit in section 89(2), which the 2021 Act amended.

Section 89 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 constitutes the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Service. Sub-section (2) lists its categories of posts.

Before 2021, the English text of that list began: "(i) Village level workers; (ii) Gramsevikas", followed by school teachers and the ministerial establishment.

The Bill's Statement of Objects and Reasons explains the two changes. The Government decided to change the designation of village level workers to Gram Vikas Adhikari, and the post of Gramsevikas did not exist in Panchayati Raj Institutions, so clause (ii) was to be deleted.

The neighbouring sections run the Service: section 90 sets up the District Establishment Committee and section 91 governs disciplinary proceedings against staff.

Key facts

• Section 89 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 constitutes the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Service.
• Act No. 12 of 2021 substituted "Gram Vikas Adhikari" for "village level workers" (Hindi: ग्राम सेवक) in section 89(2)(i).
• The same Act deleted section 89(2)(ii), Gramsevikas, a post its Bill said did not exist in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2021 received the Governor's assent on 25 September 2021 and came into force at once.
• Section 90, as printed in PRS's compilation of the Act, constitutes the District Establishment Committee with the Zila Pramukh as Chairman.

Common traps

• Picking the section that selects or disciplines the staff. Sections 90 and 91 deal with the Service's staff, but only section 89 lists the posts.
• Expecting the same word in English and Hindi. The English text says 'village level workers'; the Hindi text says ग्राम सेवक.
• Dating the change to the Bill. The Bill was published in February 2021; the Act received assent on 25 September 2021.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which post was deleted from section 89(2) of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 by the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2021?

  • (a)Village level workers
  • (b)Gramsevikas
  • (c)Primary and Upper Primary School teachers
  • (d)Ministerial establishment
  Answer(2) — Section 2(b) of the 2021 Act deleted clause (ii), Gramsevikas; the Bill's Statement of Objects and Reasons says that post does not exist in Panchayati Raj Institutions. Village level workers (1) were renamed Gram Vikas Adhikari, not deleted. Teachers (3) and the ministerial establishment (4) were not touched by the 2021 Act.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  Under section 90 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 (as printed in PRS's compilation), the District Establishment Committee is chaired by —

  • (a)The District Collector
  • (b)The Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Parishad
  • (c)The Zila Pramukh
  • (d)The Pradhan of the Panchayat Samiti
  Answer(3) — Section 90(1) names the Zila Pramukh as Chairman. The Chief Executive Officer (2) is a member of the Committee. The Collector (1) and the Pradhan (4) are not named in section 90(1).