Which one of the following Articles of the Constitution of India makes a specific mention of village panchayats?

Article 40 of the Constitution of India specifically mentions the organization of village panchayats. It is a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in Part IV [4]. The article mandates that the State shall take steps to organize village panchayats and endow them with the necessary powers and authority to function as units of self-government [5]. This provision reflects the Gandhian dream of rural self-governance [3]. In contrast, Article 19 and Article 21 are Fundamental Rights located in Part III, dealing with the protection of certain freedoms and the right to life and personal liberty, respectively [6]. Article 246 pertains to the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act later gave practical shape to the vision of Article 40 by providing constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions [2].

Sources

1. [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 39: Panchayati Raj > Significance of the Act > p. 388
2. [4] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 9: Directive Principles of State Policy > Directive Principles of State Policy > p. 108
3. [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 9: Directive Principles of State Policy > Gandhian Principles > p. 110
4. [5] https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf1/part4.pdf
5. [6] http://tribal.nic.in/FRA/data/LandandGovernanceunderFifthSchedule.pdf
6. [2] https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/16124/1/the_constitution_of_india.pdf