Which of the following statement/s is/are correct? Indian Constitution…

Concept

Democratic decentralization means transferring real governance powers to elected local self-government bodies at the village, block, district and urban levels. In the Indian Constitution this idea is anchored both as a guiding goal in the Directive Principles of State Policy and, later, as a binding constitutional framework added through dedicated amendments that created Panchayats and Municipalities.

Application

Evaluate each listed provision against this principle:

• Directive Principles of State Policy (statement ii): Article 40 directs the State to organise village panchayats and endow them with powers to function as units of self-government — the original constitutional mandate for grassroots democracy.

• Seventy Third Constitutional Amendment, 1992 (statement iii): inserted Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule, giving constitutional status to the three-tier Panchayati Raj system of rural local self-government.

• Seventy Fourth Constitutional Amendment, 1992 (statement iv): inserted Part IX-A and the Twelfth Schedule, giving constitutional status to urban local bodies (Municipalities).

Together, statements (ii), (iii) and (iv) form the clear constitutional mandate for democratic decentralization, which is the set (ii), (iii) and (iv).

Contrast

• Forty Second Amendment, 1976 (statement i): known for adding the words Socialist, Secular and Integrity to the Preamble, inserting Fundamental Duties and curtailing judicial review during the Emergency era — it does not establish local self-government, so it is not part of the decentralization mandate.

Therefore the correct combination is (ii), (iii) and (iv).