Hinglish

Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad

Class 6 Social Science · Chapter 11: Grassroots Democracy – Part 2: Local Government in Rural Areas · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 11.5

Learn

Above the village level are the Panchayat Samiti at the block level and the Zila Parishad at the district level. Their members are elected by local people, and may also include Sarpanchs of the area and local members of the State Legislative Assembly.

The Panchayat Samiti is the link between the Gram Panchayats and the Zila Parishad. It collects development plans from all its Gram Panchayats, puts them together and presents them at the district or State level. This helps get funds for projects and schemes, like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, which builds all-weather roads in villages.

The Zila Parishad plans for the whole district: larger roads, health centres, schools and irrigation that serve many villages. The names and make-up of these bodies differ from State to State, but their aim is the same: to strengthen people's participation.

At all three levels, special rules help disadvantaged groups make their needs heard, and at least one-third of the seats are reserved for women; many States reserve half. This makes sure local government works for everyone, not just a few.

Explore: which tier handles it?

  1. Sort each card.

Remember

  • The Panchayat Samiti (block) links Gram Panchayats to the Zila Parishad (district) and helps get funds.
  • At least one-third of seats are reserved for women; special rules help disadvantaged groups.

Quick check

The Panchayat Samiti works at the …

  1. block level
  2. village level
  3. national level
  4. city level
Answer

block level. It links the Gram Panchayats and the Zila Parishad.

Think about it

Why is it important for the government to pay special attention to disadvantaged groups?

One answer

They often face more problems and have less power to be heard. Giving them a voice and support makes society fairer and helps everyone move forward together.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.