आदिवासी लोकसंख्येला सक्षम करण्यासाठी 'पंचायती राज तरतुदी (अनुसूचित क्षेत्रांमध्ये विस्तार) कायदा' (PESA) कोणत्या वर्षी लागू करण्यात आला?

The correct answer is Option B (1996).

Key Points:
• Enactment of the PESA Act (24 December 1996): To extend the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution relating to Panchayats to the Fifth Schedule tribal areas with certain modifications, Parliament enacted the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), which received Presidential assent on 24 December 1996.
• Dileep Singh Bhuria Committee (1994–95): Because Article 243M exempted Fifth Schedule areas from automatic application of the 73rd Amendment, the Union Government constituted a high-level committee chaired by MP Dileep Singh Bhuria in 1994; based on its January 1995 report, PESA was enacted in 1996.
• Empowerment of the Gram Sabha across 10 States: PESA recognizes tribal self-rule and vests sweeping powers in the Gram Sabha across 10 Fifth Schedule States (including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan)—granting ownership of Minor Forest Produce (MFP), mandatory consultation before land acquisition, control over local money-lending and intoxicants, and safeguarding customary tribal traditions.
• Distractor Analysis: 1992 was the year of the 73rd Amendment Act, while 2005 saw the enactment of the RTI Act and MGNREGA (followed by the Forest Rights Act in 2006).
• Key Takeaway: The PESA Act was enacted in 1996 on the recommendation of the Dileep Singh Bhuria Committee to empower tribal Gram Sabhas in Fifth Schedule areas.