Which part of our Constitution envisages a three tier system of Panchayatas?

The answer is Part IX. It was inserted by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, and covers Panchayats in Articles 243 to 243O. Article 243B makes it the duty of every State to constitute Panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels. The 73rd Amendment came into force on 24 April 1993, which is why that date is important for Panchayati Raj questions.

Why the others fail: Part X deals with the Scheduled and Tribal Areas (Article 244). Part XI deals with Union-State relations, covering legislative, administrative and financial relations. Part XII deals with Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits.

Core concept: decentralisation through constitutional status for local bodies. The Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects for Panchayats, and this links directly to Mains GS-2 questions on local governance and the limits of devolution.

• Trap: Part IXA covers Municipalities (74th Amendment), not Panchayats. Also note that the intermediate tier is optional for States with a population below 20 lakh (Article 243B(2)).