Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).

Assertion (A) : The 73th Amendment of the Constitution is considered to be a watershed in the history of local self government in India.
Reason (R): The 73th Constitution Amendment conferred the much coveted Constitutional status on Panchayats.

Select the correct answer from the code given below.
Code :

Explanation

The 73rd Amendment Act (1992) is a landmark in Indian governance as it institutionalized Panchayati Raj as a third tier of government, providing a structured framework for local self-governance. It also aimed to promote democracy at the grassroots level.

The amendment granted Constitutional recognition to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by adding Part IX to the Constitution and inserting Articles 243 to 243-O. It made Panchayats a mandatory institution across states, defined their structure, composition, and duration, and empowered them to function as institutions of self-government.