Question

Every village has a headman or Patla who is generally ______.
A. Hereditary
B. Acquired
C. Elected
D. Selected

Answer 1

Hint: Though under the Constitutionally recognised position of the village is the Panch who is an elected body, there are still other kinds of authorities which exist in the villages of India and are seen as influential leaders.

Complete answer: After the independence of India, all hereditary and acquired positions were mostly abolished from being constitutionally valid. But this does not take away the influence that influential families in a village cast. So some positions have remained as they are historically and continue to be important from a social perspective.
The position of Patla is one such example of an influential family who continues to be prominent with regards to any affairs at the village level. Patla is a hereditary position. This means that the Patla of the village acts as the central focus of the village and is in place of that position by being the child to their parents, i.e, by belonging to a particular family. Thus, Patla is a hereditary position.

Looking at the other options;
Option B- The villages can only be acquired by the governments from the landowners in the villages for development. No other type of land ownership is legal. So this is an incorrect option.
Option C- The Panch and Sarpanch of the villages are an elected body. They are the final decision-makers in the matters about a village and can also remove the Patla from his or her position. So this is an incorrect option.
Option D- The selected members in a village are the Grama Sabha or the electoral voters who pass the criteria required to qualify as a voter. But they are not a position but only people eligible to vote for Gram Panchayat elections.
Thus, option (A) is the correct answer.

Note: Patla is not a compulsory or a permanent position. It exists because of the will of the common people in a village who find a person, by status, the central focus of the village and go to him or her with their matters. This position can be checked by the Panch and can also be barred from interference in any matters.