Constitution Section 243 — Definitions

Part IX — THE PANCHAYATS

Constitutional

Summary

This section defines key terms used in the part of the Constitution dealing with Panchayats. A "district" refers to a district within a State, and a "Gram Sabha" is the body of people whose names appear on the voter list for a village within a Panchayat area. An "intermediate level" is the level between the village and district, as declared by the State Governor. A "Panchayat" is a rural self-government body, and "Panchayat area" is its territorial boundary. "Population" refers to the figures from the most recent published census, and a "village" is an area, or group of areas, officially declared as such by the Governor.

Official Text

In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a) “district” means a district in a State;

(b) “Gram Sabha” means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level;

(c) “intermediate level” means a level between the village and district levels specified by the Governor of a State by public notification to be the intermediate level for the purposes of this Part;

(d) “Panchayat” means an institution (by whatever name called) of self-government constituted under article 243B, for the rural areas;

(e) “Panchayat area” means the territorial area of a Panchayat;

(f) “Population” means the population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published;

(g) “village” means a village specified by the Governor by public notification to be a village for the purposes of this Part and includes a group of villages so specified.