Which part of the Constitution, has the provisions for Panchayati Raj System ?

The correct answer is A) IX. Panchayati Raj is in Part IX of the Constitution, titled 'The Panchayats', which was inserted by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. It runs from Article 243 to 243O and gives the Panchayat a constitutional status, including a three-tier structure, direct elections, reservation for SCs, STs and women, and a State Finance Commission.

• B) VI is wrong. Part VI deals with 'The States' (Articles 152 to 237), covering the State executive, legislature and High Courts.
• C) III is wrong. Part III contains the Fundamental Rights (Articles 12 to 35).
• D) IV (a) is wrong. Part IV(A) holds the Fundamental Duties (Article 51A), added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.

The core concept is the constitutional recognition of local self-government. For Mains, this links to decentralisation, the gap between the 'Gram Swaraj' idea of Article 40 (a DPSP) and actual fiscal devolution, and the role of State Election Commissions.

Trap: Candidates confuse Part IX with Part IX-A, which covers Municipalities (Articles 243P to 243ZG, added by the 74th Amendment). Remember that the rural body is Part IX and the urban body is Part IX-A.