According to the Ashok Mehta Committee on Panchayati Raj, which new intermediate tier of rural local government was recommended for establishment?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on the recommendations of the Ashok Mehta Committee, which was appointed in the late 1970s to review and strengthen the system of Panchayati Raj in India. Understanding what this committee proposed is important for Indian polity and rural development topics, especially in relation to decentralisation of power and democratic local governance.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The committee under discussion is the Ashok Mehta Committee on Panchayati Raj institutions.
• The question asks specifically about the establishment of a new intermediate tier of rural local government.
• We assume basic familiarity with terms like Gram Panchayat, Zila Parishad and Panchayati Raj system.

Concept / Approach:
The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee earlier recommended a three tier Panchayati Raj system consisting of Gram Panchayat at village level, Panchayat Samiti at block level and Zila Parishad at district level. Later, the Ashok Mehta Committee studied the functioning of these bodies and suggested reforms. One of its key recommendations was the introduction of a two tier system in which the Zila Parishad would be the main executive body at district level, and a new intermediate unit called Mandal Panchayat would be created by grouping several small villages. This Mandal Panchayat was meant to be strong enough administratively and financially to execute development programmes effectively.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Ashok Mehta Committee proposed restructuring the existing three tier system to make local bodies stronger and more efficient.Step 2: Remember the specific term “Mandal Panchayat”, which is associated directly with the Ashok Mehta Committee recommendations.Step 3: Check the options to identify which one talks about establishing a Mandal Panchayat as an intermediate tier between Gram Panchayat and Zila Parishad.Step 4: Option A clearly matches this recommendation and therefore must be the correct choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification is to contrast Balwant Rai Mehta and Ashok Mehta committees. Balwant Rai Mehta is remembered for Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad. Ashok Mehta is associated with Mandal Panchayat and the recommendation that Zila Parishad become the key planning and executive body. Since Mandal Panchayat appears only in relation to Ashok Mehta, option A is confirmed as correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: District Planning Committees were later given constitutional status under the 74th Amendment and are not the specific intermediate tier proposed by the Ashok Mehta Committee.Option C: The committee did not recommend abolishing the Gram Sabha; instead, it favoured stronger participation of people at local levels.Option D: Nyaya Panchayat refers to village level judicial bodies, but their introduction was not the main structural recommendation associated with the Ashok Mehta Committee.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the recommendations of different committees, especially Balwant Rai Mehta, Ashok Mehta and later committees on Panchayati Raj. A useful memory aid is to link Mandal Panchayat specifically with Ashok Mehta. Mixing up Mandal Panchayat with Panchayat Samiti or Gram Panchayat can lead to wrong answers, so keeping a clear mental table of which committee recommended which institution is highly helpful.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: Establishment of Mandal Panchayat as an intermediate tier between Gram Panchayat and Zila Parishad