(1)Notwithstanding anything contained in the Oaths Act, 1969 (Central Act X of 1969), every person who is elected to be a member or who becomes a member shall, before taking his seat, make, at a meeting of the Panchayat an oath or affirmation in the following form, namely: -"I, A.B, having been elected a member/having become a member of this Village Panchayat/Panchayat Union Council/District Panchayat do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India and that I will faithfully discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter".(2)Any person who, having been elected to be a member or who, having become a member, fails to make within three months of the date on which his term of office commences or at one of the first three meetings held after the said date, whichever is later, the oath or affirmation laid down in sub-section (1), shall cease to hold his office and his seat shall be deemed to have become vacant.(3)Any person who has been elected to be a member or who has become a member shall not take his seat at a meeting of the Panchayat or do any act as such member unless he has made the oath or affirmation as laid down in subsection (1).(4)Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), the President or the Chairman of a Panchayat or the member of a Committee constituted under this Act, who has not made the oath or affirmation as a member, shall be entitled to act as such President, Chairman or member provided he makes the oath or affirmation and takes his seat at the first meeting of the Panchayat which he attends within two months after he is elected or appointed as, or becomes entitled to exercise the functions of the President, Chairman or member, as the case may be.Explanation. - For the purposes of this section -(i)"President" includes a Vice-President exercising the functions of the President under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) of section 47 and the temporary President appointed under sub-section (3) of that section; and(ii)"Chairman" includes Vice-Chairman exercising the functions of the Chairman under sub-section (1) or sub-section (5) of section 54 or a Revenue Divisional Officer who is ex officio Chairman under sub-section (2) of that section.
