Reservation of chairperson posts in panchayats
Topic: Panchayati Raj: Rural Local Government · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 8 "Local Governments"
Meaning
Under Article 243D, reservation does not stop at ordinary member seats. Chairperson posts, such as sarpanch at the village level and adhyaksha at the district level, are also reserved for SCs, STs and women. These reserved posts rotate among panchayats. As a result, a village may have to choose a Dalit or Adivasi woman as its head. SC/ST reservation ends with the Article 334 period (January 2030). Women's reservation does not end with it.
Example
Geeta Rathore was elected sarpanch of Jamonia Talab (Sehore, Madhya Pradesh) from a reserved post in 1995. In 2000 she won again from an unreserved post. Her case shows how reservation can open the door to lasting leadership.
Don't confuse with
- Reservation of seats in panchayats: it covers ordinary member (ward) seats. Chairperson reservation covers only the head's post.