Local Self-Government Institutions

What the official syllabus says

GPSC Main Examination, Paper V: General Studies-II, (A) Indian Polity and Constitution:

• Local self-government institutions.

Topics in detail

Evolution

• Ancient village assemblies; Lord Ripon's resolution of 1882 on local self-government
• Article 40 (Directive Principle on village panchayats) and Gandhiji's idea of gram swaraj
• Community Development Programme (1952) and National Extension Service (1953)
• Balwantrai Mehta Committee (1957): three-tier democratic decentralisation
• Ashok Mehta Committee (1977): two-tier system, Mandal Panchayats
• G. V. K. Rao Committee (1985) and L. M. Singhvi Committee (1986): constitutional status

73rd Amendment, 1992: panchayats (Part IX, Articles 243 to 243O)

• Gram Sabha (Article 243A)
• Three tiers: village, intermediate and district levels; intermediate tier optional for States below 20 lakh population
• Direct elections; reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to population; at least one-third seats and chairperson posts for women
• Five-year term; elections within six months of dissolution
• State Election Commission (Article 243K) and State Finance Commission (Article 243I)
• Eleventh Schedule: 29 subjects that may be devolved
• Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA): powers of the Gram Sabha over minor forest produce, land, water bodies and village markets

74th Amendment, 1992: municipalities (Part IXA, Articles 243P to 243ZG)

• Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council and Municipal Corporation
• Ward committees (Article 243S)
• Twelfth Schedule: 18 functions, such as urban planning, water supply, public health, slum improvement
• District Planning Committee (Article 243ZD) and Metropolitan Planning Committee (Article 243ZE)

Issues and challenges

• Devolution of funds, functions and functionaries (the three Fs)
• Own revenue of local bodies: property tax, user charges, fees
• Dependence on grants; role of Union and State Finance Commission grants
• Proxy representation of elected women
• Weak capacity, staff shortages and the role of the Gram Sabha
• Parallel bodies and line departments undercutting elected bodies
• Urbanisation pressure: housing, sanitation, transport, urban floods

Finances of local bodies

• Taxes and fees the State law allows local bodies to levy: property tax, profession tax (in some States), water charges, market fees
• Assigned revenues and shared taxes from the State
• Grants recommended by the Union Finance Commission: basic (untied) and tied grants for water and sanitation
• Municipal bonds as a source of capital for large cities

Urban governance models

• Commissioner system: executive power with a State-appointed Municipal Commissioner
• Mayor-in-council and directly elected mayors in some States
• Ward committees and area sabhas for citizen participation
• Parastatal bodies (development authorities, water boards) and their relationship with municipalities

Reports

• Second Administrative Reforms Commission, sixth report: Local Governance (2007)
• Recommendations on activity mapping (which tier does what) and capacity building

Schemes linked to local bodies

• Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (capacity building of panchayats)
• e-Gram Swaraj, SVAMITVA (property cards in village habitations)
• Gram Panchayat Development Plan
• Urban missions: AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)

Overlaps

How Gujarat organises its panchayats and municipalities is set out on Gujarat: Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies.