UPSC Prelims 2016 · Question 25 of 98

UPSC Prelims 2016 question on Panchayat Membership Age

Consider the following statements:

1. The minimum age prescribed for any person to be a member of Panchayat is 25 years.

2. A Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution continues only for the remainder period.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: B. 2 only

Verdict

The answer is 2 only. A prematurely dissolved Panchayat is reconstituted only for the remainder of the term, but the minimum age is 21, not 25.

Analysis

Statement 2 is CORRECT. Every Panchayat continues for a full term of five years, but one reconstituted after premature dissolution continues only for the remainder of that period, and elections must be held within six months of dissolution unless the remainder is less than six months. Statement 1 is INCORRECT. The minimum age for contesting Panchayat elections is 21 years, not 25, which is the qualifying age for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly.

Source

M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity.

How to crack it

Hold the age ladder as one block, since 18 is the voting age, 21 the age for local bodies, 25 for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly, 30 for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council, and 35 for President, Vice-President and Governor. UPSC tests it by moving one rung. Then keep the remainder of the term rule as a general federal principle, because it applies identically to a prematurely dissolved municipality and follows from the constitutional guarantee of regular local elections.

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