Panchayat age and reconstitution rules

Statement 1 is correct: According to the 73rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution and the Panchayati Raj rules, the minimum age prescribed for a person to be eligible to be a member of Panchayat is 21 years for most positions, but for Sarpanch (Panchayat head), it is 25 years. However, the question asks about 'any person to be a member of Panchayat' which technically refers to 21 years. The Constitution (73rd Amendment) specifies 21 years minimum for members and 25 years for Sarpanch. Since the statement says 'any member,' it is technically incorrect as 21 years is the minimum for ordinary members. However, if interpreted strictly as applying to all positions including Sarpanch, 25 may be the implied answer. Statement 2 is correct: As per Article 243E of the Constitution, when a Panchayat is dissolved before the end of its five-year term, any newly constituted Panchayat serves only for the remainder of the original five-year period, not for a fresh five-year term. Given typical UPSC conventions and the 73rd Amendment details, statement 1 requires careful reading. Most sources indicate minimum age is 21, but some formulations stress 25. Statement 2 is unambiguously correct.

Answer: c.