Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1993
(1) On the constitution of village panchayat or on its reconstitution under section 13 or under any other provision of this Act, there shall be called the first meeting thereof for the election of Upa-Srupanch from amongst the members of the panchayat. (2) (a) The offices of Sarpanch of village panchayats in the State shall be reserved by the State Government for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and the number of the offices of Sarpanch of village panchayats in the State so reserved shall bear as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of offices of Sarpanch of village panchayat in the State as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or of the Scheduled Tribes in the State bears to the total population of the State. There shall be reserved by the State Government for socially and educationally backward classes ten percent of the offices of Sarpanch of village panchayats in the State. (b) (i) 2[As nearly as may be one-half] of the total number of offices of Sarpanch of village panchayats in the State reserved under clause (a), and (ii) 2[As nearly as may be one-half] of the total number of offices of Sarpanch of village panchayats in the State, not so reserved, shall be reserved by the State Government, for women. (3) The number of offices reserved under sub-section (2) shall be allotted by the State Government by rotation to different village panchayats in the State in the prescribed manner. (4) The meeting shall be held on such day within four weeks from the date on which the names of members elected at the general election are published under section 15 as may be fixed by the competent authority: Provided that where no day is fixed within the aforesaid period of four weeks, the competent authority shall report the fact to the State Government or an officer or authority authorised by the State Government and the meeting shall be held on such day as the State Government or the said officer or authority as the case may be, may specify.