Which one of the following statements best describes the relationship

Which one of the following statements best describes the relationship between the State and a Panchayati Raj Institution?

The State supervises and controls the Panchayati Raj Institution in administrative matters.
The State delegates its powers to the Panchayati Raj Institution for specific purposes.
The State is a superior body exercising direct control over the Panchayati Raj Institution.
The relationship is one of partnership based on decentralized governance.
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2010
The relationship between the State and a Panchayati Raj Institution is best described as one of partnership based on decentralized governance.
– The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) with the objective of establishing local self-government and promoting decentralized governance.
– This structure envisions PRIs not merely as administrative units supervised and controlled by the state (A and C), or bodies to which power is merely delegated by the state for specific tasks (B), but as institutions of self-governance at the local level.
– The relationship is intended to be one where the state empowers PRIs with necessary funds, functions, and functionaries, fostering a partnership for planning and implementation of development programs and provision of local services, based on the principle of decentralized governance where power and responsibility are devolved to the grassroots level.
– While the state government retains oversight and control powers, and devolution of powers can be seen as delegation, the fundamental shift brought by the 73rd Amendment was to treat PRIs as a third tier of government, implying a relationship built on shared responsibility and cooperation for local development and democratic participation.