Under the 74th Constitution Amendment, India has what kind of reservation for women?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → One third of the total seats in local bodies of the urban areas
Option (1) One third of the total seats in local bodies of the urban areas — Correct. The 73rd and 74th amendments together ensured the reservation of one third of the total seats for women in all elected offices of local bodies in both the rural and urban areas. Of the two, the 74th Amendment deals with the urban local bodies (municipalities and city corporations), while the 73rd deals with the Panchayats of rural areas.
Option (3) One third of the total seats in local bodies of the rural areas — Incorrect. The fraction is right, but the rural local bodies, the Panchayats, come under the 73rd Amendment, not the 74th.
Note 1: The chapter ‘The Story of Indian Democracy’ of the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023, has been renamed ‘The Constitution and Social Change’ in the NCERT book (2025-26). Its section on Panchayati Raj and the 73rd and 74th Amendments is still there.
Note 2: The book names the 73rd and 74th Amendments together; that the 74th covers the urban local bodies and the 73rd the Panchayats is not stated in it.
NCERT (2025-26): “Ideals of Panchayati Raj … The 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution ensured the reservation of one third of the total seats for women in all elected offices of local bodies in both the rural and urban areas. Out of this, 17 per cent seats are reserved for women belonging to the scheduled castes and tribes. This amendment is significant as for the first time it brought women into elected bodies which also bestowed on them decision making powers. One third of the seats in local bodies, gram panchayats, village panchayats, municipalities, city corporations and district boards are reserved for women.…” |