Constitution of India · Part VIII: The Union Territories
Article 243: Definitions
In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “district” means a district in a State;
(b) “Gram Sabha” means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level;
(c) “intermediate level” means a level between the village and district levels specified by the Governor of a State by public notification to be the intermediate level for the purposes of this Part;
(d) “Panchayat” means an institution (by whatever name called) of self-government constituted under article 243B, for the rural areas;
(e) “Panchayat area” means the territorial area of a Panchayat;
(f) “Population” means the population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published;
(g) “village” means a village specified by the Governor by public notification to be a village for the purposes of this Part and includes a group of villages so specified.
Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the official text of the Constitution of India. As amended up to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Text as on 10 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the article 243
- Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. v. Raman
- Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India
- Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India
- M/S. Ocl India Ltd v. State of Orrisa and Ors.
- M/S. Jindal Steel and Power Limited v. The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission and Ors.
- State of Rajasthan v. Ashok Khetoliya & Anr
- Dr. Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v. The Chief Minister & Ors.
- Union of India & Ors. v. M/S G S Chatha Rice Mills & Anr.
- State of Bihar & Ors. v. The Bihar Secondary Teachers Struggle Committee, Munger & Ors.
- Seema Sarkar v. Executive Officer and Ors.
- Govt. of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India
- The Income Tax Officer v. Urban Improvement Trust
- Okhla Industrial Development Authority v. Chief Commissioner of Income Tax and Ors.
- Smt. Bharati Reddy v. The State of Karnataka and Ors.
- Jindal Stainless Ltd. & Anr v. State of Haryana & Ors
- Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. v. Pawan Kumar Gupta
- Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation &Anr. Etc. v. Rajubhai Somabhai Bharwad and Anr. Etc.
- Kripa Mangal Karyalaya & Ors. v. Nagpur Municipal Corporation & Ors.
- Charu Khurana & Others v. Union of India & Others
- Usha Bharti v. State of U.P. & Ors.
- Sushil Ansal v. State Through CBI
- Rajendra Nagar Adarsh Grah Nirman Sahkari Samiti Ltd. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors.
- Bharat Aluminium Co. v. Kaiser Aluminium Technical Service, Inc.
- Village Panchayat, Calangute v. The Additional Director of Panchayat-Ii and Ors.
- Agricultural Produce Market Committee, Narela, Delhi v. Commissioner of Income Tax & Anr.
- Som Lal v. Vijay Laxmi & Ors.
- M/S Gujarat Pradesh Panchayat Parishad and Ors. v. State of Gujarat and Ors.
- Vijay Singh Gond and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.
- State of Himachal Pradesh and Ors. v. Surinder Singh Banolta
- Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India and Ors.
- Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority v. Union of India and Ors.
- Saij Gram Panchayat v. State of Gujarat and Ors.
- Ram Beti Etc. Etc. v. District Panchayat Rajadhikari and Ors.
- Ratanlal Nath Etc. v. State of Tripura and Ors. Etc.
- New Delhi Municipal Council v. State of Punjab Etc. Etc.
- Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation v. Nawab Khan Gulab Khan and Ors.
- Anugrah Narain Singh and Anr. Etc. v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Ors.
- Municipal Board, Hapur Etc. v. Jassa Singh and Ors. Etc.
- Boddula Krishnaiah and Anr. v. State Election Commissioner, A.P. and Ors.
- State of U.P. and Ors. Etc. Etc. v. Pradhan Sangh Kshetira Samiti and Ors. Etc. Etc.