Amendment of Section 11

(1) In every Gram Panchayat, seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes and the ratio of the number of such seats so reserved shall, as far as may be, be the same as the ratio of the population of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in the Gram Panchayat area to the total population of the Panchayat area. The ratio of the number of seats reserved for the Backward Classes shall be the same as recommended by the Dedicated Commission on the basis of contemporary rigorous empirical inquiry and determined by the State Government and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies of a Gram Panchayat in such order, as may be prescribed: Provided that the total reservation of seats in the Gram Panchayat for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes shall not exceed 50 percent of the total number of seats in the Gram Panchayat: Provided further that if the reservation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Gram Panchayat reaches 50 percent of the total number of seats, there shall be no reservation for the Backward Classes: Provided also that if the data regarding the population of the Backward Classes is not available, then their population can be determined by conducting a survey in the prescribed manner. (2) Not less than half of the total number of seats reserved in any Gram Panchayat under sub-section (1) shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, as the case may be. (3) Not less than half of the total number of seats in any Gram Panchayat, including the number of seats reserved for women under sub-section (2), shall be reserved for women and such seats shall be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies of a Gram Panchayat in such order, as may be prescribed. (4) The reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under this section shall not be effective on the expiration of the period specified in Article 334 of the "Constitution of India". Explanation- Nothing contained in this section shall prevent persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and women from contesting from unreserved seats.