Constitution Section 243D — Reservation of seats
Part IX — THE PANCHAYATS
Constitutional
Summary
In every Panchayat, seats must be set aside for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The number of reserved seats should be roughly proportional to the population of these groups in that Panchayat area, and these seats can be rotated among different constituencies. At least one-third of these reserved seats must be for women from those communities. Additionally, at least one-third of all directly elected seats in every Panchayat must be reserved for women overall, and these seats can also be rotated. The offices of Chairpersons at each Panchayat level must be reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women as specified by state law, with the number of such reserved offices proportional to the state population and at least one-third reserved for women, all rotated among different Panchayats. These reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will end after the period mentioned in Article 334, but state legislatures can still make reservations for backward classes.
Official Text
(1) Seats shall be reserved for—
(a) the Scheduled Castes; and
(b) the Scheduled Tribes,in every Panchayat and the number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in that Panchayat as the population of the Scheduled Castes in that Panchayat area or of the Scheduled Tribes in that Panchayat area bears to the total population of that area and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat.
(2) Not less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved under clause (1) shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or, as the case may be, the Scheduled Tribes.
(3) Not less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat.
(4) The offices of the Chairpersons in the Panchayats at the village or any other level shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and women in such manner as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide:Provided that the number of offices of Chairpersons reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the Panchayats at each level in any State shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of such offices in the Panchayats at each level as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or of the Scheduled Tribes in the State bears to the total population of the State:Provided further that not less than one-third of the total number of offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats at each level shall be reserved for women:Provided also that the number of offices reserved under this clause shall be allotted by rotation to different Panchayats at each level.
(5) The reservation of seats under clauses
(1) and
(2) and the reservation of offices of Chairpersons (other than the reservation for women) under clause (4) shall cease to have effect on the expiration of the period specified in article 334.
(6) Nothing in this Part shall prevent the Legislature of a State from making any provision for reservation of seats in any Panchayat or offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats at any level in favour of backward class of citizens.