Through which Amendment Act, the existing, ‘Village Level Workers’ has been substituted by the ‘Gram Vikas Adhikari’ ?

Correct — option (4), The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2021.

Section 89 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 (Act No. 13 of 1994) constitutes the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Service. Sub-section (2) sets out the categories of posts in that Service, and clause (i) read "village level workers".

The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Bill No. 5 of 2021) changed that clause. Its clause 2 provides that for the existing expression "village level workers", the expression "Gram Vikas Adhikari" shall be substituted.

Clause 1 of the same Bill names the law it enacts: the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2021. The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly's record of Bills shows it introduced on 25 February 2021 and passed on 18 September 2021, as Act No. 12 of 2021.

The Bill also deleted clause (ii), "Gramsevikas". Its Statement of Objects and Reasons says that post does not exist in Panchayati Raj Institutions.

RPSC's Hindi version of this stem uses ग्राम सेवक (Gram Sevak) where the English says 'Village Level Workers'.

The idea to remember: Section 89(2)(i) — village level workers became Gram Vikas Adhikari by the 2021 amendment.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2015 — The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2015 changed Section 19, which decides who may contest Panchayati Raj elections. It did not touch the service cadre in Section 89.

  That Bill, No. 4 of 2015, added a functional sanitary toilet at home as a condition for contesting, with no family member defecating in the open. It replaced an ordinance of 8 December 2014 and was deemed in force from that date.

• (2)
  The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2017 — The substitution of "Gram Vikas Adhikari" for "village level workers" is made by clause 2 of the 2021 Bill, so 2017 is the wrong year.

  The change sits in Section 89(2)(i), the list of posts in the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Service. The year to attach to it is the year in the short title of the Bill that contains that clause.

• (3)
  The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2019 — The 2019 amendment is about election qualifications, not post names. Bill No. 3 of 2019 deleted clauses (r), (s) and (t) of Section 19, which had required educational qualifications for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members and for Sarpanches.

  Its Statement of Objects and Reasons said those provisions "create unreasonable restriction on the right of the voters to contest election at the grass root level".

Among other things, the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 governs the Panchayati Raj Institutions, including who may contest their elections (Section 19). It also sets up a service of employees who work in them (Section 89).

Section 89 constitutes the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Service. Sub-section (2) divides it into categories of posts. Before 2021, the first two categories were village level workers and Gramsevikas.

The 2021 amendment renamed the first category Gram Vikas Adhikari and removed the Gramsevika category. The post stayed in the same Service; its name in the Act changed.

An amending Bill carries a Statement of Objects and Reasons. For the 2021 Bill it records that the State Government decided to change the designation.

Key facts

• 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.
• Clause 2 of Bill No. 5 of 2021 substituted "Gram Vikas Adhikari" for "village level workers" in Section 89(2)(i) and deleted clause (ii), Gramsevikas.
• Assembly record: the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced on 25 February 2021 and passed on 18 September 2021 as Act No. 12 of 2021.
• Bill No. 4 of 2015 made a functional sanitary toilet at home a condition for contesting; it was deemed in force from 8 December 2014.
• Bill No. 3 of 2019 deleted Section 19's educational qualifications for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members and for Sarpanches.

Common traps

• Mixing up the two sections: Section 19 is about who may contest Panchayati Raj elections, while Section 89 is the service in which the Gram Vikas Adhikari post sits.
• Treating the Hindi and English names as two posts: the English Act said 'village level workers', and RPSC's Hindi version of this stem uses ग्राम सेवक for the same post.
• Taking an ordinance's year for the Act's year: the toilet condition came by an ordinance of 8 December 2014, but the Bill that replaced it is titled 2015.

UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2021 and 2013 here once those papers are published on this site.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Under the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, the post of 'Gram Vikas Adhikari' is a category of posts in which Service?

  • (a)Rajasthan Tehsildar Service
  • (b)Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Service
  • (c)Rajasthan Administrative Service
  • (d)Rajasthan Police Service
  Answer(2) — Section 89 of the 1994 Act constitutes the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Service, and its sub-section (2)(i), as amended by the 2021 Bill, reads 'Gram Vikas Adhikari'. Options (1), (3) and (4) are State services that Section 89 does not create.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  Arrange the following in chronological order: A. Bill No. 3 of 2019 deletes educational qualifications for Sarpanch candidates B. An ordinance makes a functional toilet at home a condition for contesting Panchayati Raj elections C. Bill No. 5 of 2021 renames 'village level workers' as 'Gram Vikas Adhikari' Codes:

  • (a)A, B, C
  • (b)B, A, C
  • (c)B, C, A
  • (d)C, B, A
  Answer(2) — B (8 December 2014), A (2019), C (introduced 25 February 2021). Option (1) puts the 2019 Bill before the 2014 ordinance; option (3) puts the 2021 renaming before the 2019 Bill; option (4) reverses the order.