POLITICAL ORGANISATION

• Political organisation is the system of political institutions in a society organised as a state.
• Panchayati Raj has been the backbone of Indian villages since the beginning of recorded history.
• The purpose of introducing the 2-tier Panchayati Raj system was to ensure people's participation in rural reconstruction.
• What was the purpose of introducing the 3-tier Panchayati Raj system?

  to ensure people's participation in rural reconstruction
• Panchayati Raj is a system of governance in which gram panchayats are the basic units of administration.
• Mahatma Gandhi advocated the Panchayati Raj, a decentralised form of government wherein each village is responsible for its affairs, as the foundation of India.
• What is the vision of the Panchayati Raj?

  TO attain a decentralised and participatory local self-government though Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• What is the mission of the Panchayati Raj?

  Empowerment, enablement and accountability of PRIs to ensure inclusive development with social justice and efficient delivery of services.
• On 24th April 1993, the Constitution Act 1992 (73rd Amendment) came into force to provide constitutional status to the PRI.
• The bal panchayat is the representative organ of the bal sabha
• The age of the members of the Bal Panchayat is between 10-15 years.
• Generally, the total number of members of the Bal Panchayat is 10% of the total number of children in the village, but it has been advised to keep the maximum number to 25 to maintain smooth coordination between the members.
• The posts in the Bal Panchayat are generally the President, Secretary and Reporter, who are elected members and hold office for 6 months.
• The ratio of girls and boys in the Bal Panchayat is generally 6:4, but children decide whether to maintain the ratio or relax the law.
• The Government of India has incorporated a special "Women Components" under the Ministry of Rural Development.
• Swayamsiddha is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Women which aims at holistic economic empowerment.
• The full form of STEP is Support for Training and Employment Programme. It aims to upgrade their incomes by upgrading their skills in the traditional sectors.
• The Ministry has set up support systems like working women hostels and creches to help women in their struggle towards economic empowerment.
• Swadhar and Short Stay Homes have been set up to provide shelter and care services for women in distress.
• The special intervention Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY) and Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) are being implemented for adolescent girls, using the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) infrastructure.
• Interventions like KSY and NPAG focus on school dropouts, girls in the age group of 11-18 years, to meet their needs of self-development, health, education, nutrition, literacy and recreational skill formation.