Which of the following statements about Article 243ZA of the Constitution and Gram Sabhas is correct?

The Gram Sabha, recognized under Article 243A, represents the most basic unit of participatory democracy in India. It consists of all registered voters within a Panchayat area and functions as a forum for direct citizen participation. Its constitutional importance is amplified in Scheduled Areas through the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), which vests Gram Sabhas with authority over natural resources, development planning, and social justice decisions. Courts have recognized that Gram Sabhas play a critical role in ensuring that decentralization is democratic rather than merely administrative. Article 243A thus operationalizes Article 40 of the Directive Principles at the grassroots level.