Name the three tiers of rural local government in India and identify the body that functions at the village or group-of-villages level.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:15 · grounding rag
Model Answer
The three tiers of rural local government in India are:
- Gram Panchayat – at the village or group-of-villages level
- Panchayat Samiti (Block/Mandal) – formed by grouping several gram panchayats
- Zilla Parishad – at the district level, comprising all panchayat samitis in a district
The body that functions at the village or group-of-villages level is the Gram Panchayat. It consists of ward members (panch) and a president (sarpanch), all directly elected by adult voters of the village. It is the decision-making body for the entire village and works under the overall supervision of the Gram Sabha.
Source: Federalism, Decentralisation in India — Chapter 2
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Explanation
- The question has two parts: name all three tiers (2 marks) and identify the village-level body (1 mark). Address both clearly.
- Use the correct terminology: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti/Block/Mandal, Zilla Parishad — these exact terms fetch marks.
- Briefly mentioning the composition of the Gram Panchayat (panch + sarpanch, directly elected) and its link to the Gram Sabha shows depth and secures full marks.
- Avoid writing about urban local bodies — the question asks only about rural government.