Local Governments: Panchayats and Nagarpalikas, Class 11 Political Science

What Local Governments is about

Weightage: Indian Constitution at Work carries 40 of the 80 theory marks in the school annual exam, shared among its chapters; project work carries the other 20 marks.Source: CBSE Political Science (028) syllabus 2026-27, Class XI course structure

Key concepts

Why local governments?

NCERT section Why Local Governments?

• Local government is government at the village and district level, closest to common people and concerned with their day-to-day problems.
• It rests on the idea that local knowledge and local interest are essential for democratic decisions and for efficient, people-friendly administration.
• Advantages: it is near the people, so problems can be solved quickly and at low cost; it can protect local interests (Vengaivasal kept control of its land).
• Democracy means meaningful participation and accountability; strong local bodies ensure both. Geeta Rathore's work shows committed participation; Vengaivasal's struggle shows a mission for accountability.
• Tasks that can be done locally should be left to local people and their representatives; people know and care more about local government because it directly affects them. So strengthening local government strengthens democracy.

The two stories:

• Geeta Rathore (Jamonia Talab, Sehore, MP): from housewife to leader; renovated tanks, built a school and roads, fought domestic violence, promoted afforestation and water management.
• Vengaivasal (Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, 1997): the State allotted 2 hectares to 71 employees; the Panchayat refused to endorse it; a single judge upheld the Collector, but the Division Bench reversed it, calling the order a gross violation of the Panchayats' constitutional status.

Worked example

How does local government strengthen democracy? Use one example from the chapter. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. It brings government closest to people, so citizens can take part in decisions about their own needs and development.
2. It uses local knowledge, making administration efficient, quick, cheap and people-friendly.
3. It ensures accountability: Vengaivasal's Panchayat resisted an imposed land allotment and won in the High Court.
4. It builds new leadership and participation: Geeta Rathore, first elected from a reserved seat, was re-elected from a general seat for her work.

Answer: By enabling participation and accountability at the level closest to people, as the Jamonia Talab and Vengaivasal stories show.

Growth of local government in India

NCERT section Growth of Local Government in India

1. Earliest times: self-governing village communities as 'sabhas', later Panchayats (an assembly of five) resolving village issues.
2. 1882: elected local boards created on the initiative of Viceroy Lord Ripon; slow progress led the Indian National Congress to press for more effective bodies.
3. Government of India Act 1919: village panchayats in several provinces; the trend continued after the 1935 Act.
4. Mahatma Gandhi pleaded for decentralisation of economic and political power: every village a republic, life as a pyramid sustained from the bottom. Panchayats were seen as tools of participatory democracy; leaders feared the concentration of power in the Governor General at Delhi.

In the Constitution (1950): local government was a State subject and appeared in the Directive Principles (non-justiciable, advisory; Article 40). It got inadequate importance because:

• Partition produced a unitary inclination; Nehru saw extreme localism as a threat to unity.
• Dr B. R. Ambedkar and others felt faction and caste in rural society would defeat local self-government.
• Still, nobody denied the importance of people's participation in development planning.

Worked example

Nehru and Ambedkar were both unenthusiastic about local government. Were their objections the same? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Nehru's concern was national unity: after Partition he saw extreme localism as a threat to the integration of the nation.
2. Ambedkar's concern was social: caste and faction in villages would defeat the purpose of rural self-government.

Answer: No: Nehru feared for unity, Ambedkar for social justice in caste-ridden villages.

Local governments in independent India before 1992

NCERT section Local Governments in Independent India

• Community Development Programme (1952): promoted people's participation in local development; against this background a three-tier Panchayati Raj system was recommended for rural areas.
• Some States (e.g. Gujarat, Maharashtra) adopted elected local bodies around 1960.

Weaknesses before the amendments:

• Local bodies lacked powers and functions for local development.
• They were financially dependent on State and central governments.
• Many States did not set up elected bodies at all.
• Bodies were often dissolved and handed to government officers.
• Indirect elections to most bodies in many States.
• Elections postponed repeatedly.

Reform: after 1987 a thorough review began; in 1989 the P. K. Thungon Committee recommended constitutional recognition, periodic elections, and a list of functions with funds.

Worked example

In a State in the 1980s, panchayat elections had not been held for eight years, district bodies were elected indirectly, and almost all office-holders were men from landowning castes. Which provisions of the 73rd Amendment address each of these problems? Name one further change it made. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Postponed elections: a fixed five-year term for every body, fresh elections within six months if a body is dissolved early, and an independent State Election Commissioner to conduct elections.
2. Indirect elections: direct election of members at all three levels (village, block and district).
3. Domination by men and dominant groups: one-third of positions reserved for women, and seats for SCs and STs in proportion to population, including chairperson posts.
4. Further change (any one): a compulsory Gram Sabha; 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule for transfer; a State Finance Commission every five years; a uniform three-tier structure.

Answer: Five-year terms with the State Election Commissioner, direct elections at all levels, and reservations for women, SCs and STs; plus the Gram Sabha, the Eleventh Schedule or the State Finance Commission.

The 73rd and 74th Amendments: background

NCERT section 73rd and 74th Amendments

• In 1989 the central government introduced two amendments to strengthen local governments and bring uniformity in their structure and working.
• 1992: Parliament passed the 73rd Amendment (rural local government: Panchayati Raj Institutions, PRIs) and the 74th Amendment (urban local government: Nagarpalikas).
• Both came into force in 1993.
• Local government remains a State subject, but States had to amend their laws to conform, within one year.

Brazil comparison: its Constitution creates States, Federal Districts and Municipal Councils, each with independent powers; States cannot interfere in municipal affairs, protecting local government.

Worked example

If local government is a State subject, how could Parliament reform it through the 73rd and 74th Amendments? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The amendments changed the Constitution itself, giving local bodies constitutional status and laying down mandatory features.
2. States still make the laws on local government, but they had to bring their laws into line with the amended Constitution within one year.

Answer: By amending the Constitution, which binds States to frame conforming local government laws.

73rd Amendment: structure, elections and reservations

NCERT section 73rd Amendment

Three-tier structure (uniform in all States):
1. Gram Panchayat: a village or group of villages (base).
2. Mandal / Block / Taluka Panchayat: intermediate level; need not be created in smaller States.
3. Zilla Panchayat: the entire rural area of the district (apex).

Gram Sabha: mandatory; all adult registered voters in the Panchayat area; its role is decided by State law.

Elections:

• All three levels directly elected; five-year term.
• If the State dissolves a Panchayat early, fresh elections within six months. Earlier, district bodies were often indirectly elected and there was no rule for immediate elections.

Reservations:

• One-third of positions for women in all panchayat institutions.
• SCs and STs at all three levels in proportion to population; OBC reservation optional for States.
• Reservations apply to chairpersons (Adhyakshas) too.
• Women's one-third applies within SC, ST and backward-caste seats as well, so a Sarpanch post may be reserved for a Dalit or Adivasi woman.

Worked example

In a Gram Panchayat election, only a Dalit woman can contest the post of Sarpanch. Explain the reservation rules of the 73rd Amendment that make this possible, and assess their effect on village leadership. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. One-third of positions in all panchayats are reserved for women, and SCs and STs get reservations at all three levels in proportion to their population (States may also reserve seats for OBCs).
2. Reservations apply to chairperson (Adhyaksha) posts as well, and the women's quota operates within SC and ST seats too, so a seat can be reserved for a Dalit woman at the same time.
3. Effect: at least 13 lakh of the over 32 lakh elected members are women, including more than 80,000 women Sarpanchs, and about 6.6 lakh members come from SC and ST communities, so local bodies better reflect society.
4. Limits: in some cases women were proxies for male relatives or faced resistance, though the chapter says such instances are becoming fewer.

Answer: Overlapping quotas for women and SCs/STs, extended to chairpersons, make such a seat possible; they have widened leadership greatly, though proxy leadership and resistance remain in places.

73rd Amendment: subjects, Adivasi areas and two commissions

NCERT section 73rd Amendment

Transfer of subjects:

• 29 subjects, earlier in the State List, are listed in the Eleventh Schedule for transfer to PRIs: mostly development and welfare functions (e.g. agriculture, minor irrigation, small-scale industries, rural housing, drinking water, roads, rural electrification, poverty alleviation, education, libraries, markets, health and sanitation, women and child development, welfare of SCs and STs, public distribution system).
• Actual transfer depends on State law; each State decides how many subjects to transfer (Article 243G lets the State legislature endow Panchayats with powers).

Adivasi areas (1996 Act): the 73rd Amendment did not apply to Adivasi areas in many States. A separate act in 1996 extended the Panchayat system there, protecting communities' traditional ways of managing forests and water; Gram Sabhas get more powers and elected panchayats need their consent in many matters. Aim: protect local traditions while introducing elected bodies.

State Election Commissioner: appointed by the State government to conduct PRI elections (earlier done by State administration). It is autonomous, like the Election Commission of India, but not linked to or controlled by it.

State Finance Commission: appointed every five years; examines local bodies' finances and reviews revenue sharing between State and local bodies and between rural and urban bodies, so that fund allocation is not a political matter.

Worked example

What are the functions of the State Finance Commission, and why is it important? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Appointed every five years, it examines the financial position of local governments and reviews how revenue is shared between the State and local bodies, and between rural and urban bodies.
2. It makes the allocation of funds to local bodies rule-based rather than a matter of political favour.

Answer: It reviews local finances and revenue sharing every five years, depoliticising fund allocation.

74th Amendment: urban local bodies

NCERT section 74th Amendment

What is an urban area? (Census of India):
1. Minimum population of 5,000.
2. At least 75 per cent of the male working population in non-agricultural occupations.
3. Density of at least 400 persons per sq km.

Roughly 31% of Indians lived in urban areas at the 2011 Census.

Provisions: largely a repetition of the 73rd Amendment for towns: direct elections, reservations, transfer of subjects, State Election Commission and State Finance Commission all apply to Nagarpalikas. Functions to be transferred to urban bodies are listed in the Twelfth Schedule.

Types of urban bodies mentioned: city Corporations, town Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats.

Worked example

A settlement has 8,000 people, 60 per cent of its male workers in farming and a density of 600 persons per sq km. Is it an urban area by the Census definition? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Population (8,000 ≥ 5,000) and density (600 ≥ 400) meet the criteria.
2. But only 40 per cent of male workers are in non-agricultural work, below the 75 per cent required, so it is not urban.

Answer: No: it fails the 75 per cent non-agricultural male workforce test.

Implementation: achievements and limitations

NCERT section Implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments

Achievements:

• All States passed conforming laws; in 1994-2004 most held at least two rounds of local elections (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and a few others, three).
• Numbers: over 600 Zilla Panchayats, about 6,000 intermediate panchayats, 2,40,000 Gram Panchayats; over 100 city Corporations, 1,400 town Municipalities, over 2,000 Nagar Panchayats. More than 32 lakh members elected every five years, at least 13 lakh women, compared with fewer than 5,000 MLAs and MPs together.
• Uniformity of structures across the country and a platform for participation.
• Women leaders: at least 200 women Zilla Adhyakshas, 2,000 block presidents, 80,000+ women Sarpanchs, 30+ women Mayors, 500+ women heads of town Municipalities and nearly 650 Nagar Panchayats. Women gained power and confidence, understanding of politics and brought new perspectives; cases of proxy women are becoming fewer.
• Social profile: SCs (16.2%) and STs (8.2%) of the population; about 6.6 lakh members from these groups. Bodies became more representative, though dominant groups resist, causing tension: a sign of democracy deepening.

Limitations:

• Limited autonomy: many States have not transferred most of the 29 subjects, so electing so many representatives becomes partly symbolic.
• Central and State decision-making unchanged; local people have little say on welfare programmes or resource allocation.
• Weak finances: rural local bodies raise 0.24% of total revenue but account for 4% of government spending, so they depend on grants.

Conclusion: local bodies remain largely agencies implementing central and State schemes. Real decentralisation needs people to decide their own policies; the true test is practice, not law. Bolivia (1994 Popular Participation Law): 314 municipalities, elected mayors and councils, and 20% of national tax collections shared per capita.

Worked example

'The law on local government is good but mostly on paper.' Evaluate. (6 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Achievement: constitutional status, uniform three-tier structure and regular elections; most States held two or more rounds by 2004.
2. Achievement: over 32 lakh elected representatives, including at least 13 lakh women and about 6.6 lakh from SC and ST communities, making bodies socially representative.
3. Achievement: women leaders have gained confidence and brought new perspectives; proxy cases are falling.
4. Limitation: many States have not transferred most of the 29 subjects, so local bodies have limited autonomy.
5. Limitation: rural bodies raise only 0.24% of revenue but spend 4% of government expenditure, so they depend on grants and implement others' schemes.
6. Judgement: participation has expanded greatly, but real decentralisation of power and finance is incomplete; the statement is partly true.

Answer: Partly true: representation and participation are real gains, but powers and funds remain largely with States.

Local Governments in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• The 73rd and 74th Amendments: Panchayati Raj, Urban Local Bodies, Reservations and Implementation
• Why Local Governments? Their History and the Case for Constitutional Recognition Before 1992

Local Governments: key facts

Why local government

Closeness + local knowledge + quick, cheap solutions + participation + accountability

Stories: Geeta Rathore (participation), Vengaivasal (accountability).

History

1. 1.Sabhas
2. 2.Panchayats
3. 3.1882 Ripon's local boards
4. 4.1919 and 1935 Acts
5. 5.Gandhi's village republic
6. 6.DPSP (1950)
7. 7.CDP 1952
8. 8.Thungon Committee 1989
9. 9.73rd/74th 1992
10. 10.in force 1993

Low priority: Nehru (unity), Ambedkar (caste, faction).

73rd Amendment checklist

• •3 tiers
• •Gram Sabha
• •direct elections
• •5 years
• •poll within 6 months
• •1/3 women
• •SC/ST
• •29 subjects (Eleventh Schedule)
• •State Election Commissioner
• •State Finance Commission

Intermediate tier optional in small States; OBC quota optional.

74th Amendment

Same provisions for Nagarpalikas + functions in Twelfth Schedule

Urban: ≥ 5,000 people, ≥ 75% male non-farm workers, ≥ 400 per sq km; 31% urban (2011).

Implementation numbers

32 lakh+ elected (13 lakh+ women) vs < 5,000 MLAs and MPs; 2,40,000 Gram Panchayats; 80,000+ women Sarpanchs

6.6 lakh SC/ST members.

Finance gap

Rural local bodies: 0.24% of revenue raised vs 4% of expenditure

Dependence on grants limits autonomy.

How the school exam asks Local Governments

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Local Governments

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• 73rd Amendment: 3-5-6-1/3-29

  3 tiers, 5-year term, 6 months to re-elect, 1/3 women, 29 subjects.

  Use it when: Provisions checklist.

• Two commissions: E and F

  Election (State Election Commissioner) and Finance (State Finance Commission, every 5 years).

  Use it when: Institutional provisions.

• Urban test 5-75-400

  5,000 people, 75% male non-farm workers, 400 per sq km.

  Use it when: Census definition.

• History ladder R-G-D-C-T

  Ripon 1882, Gandhi's republics, Directive Principle 1950, Community Development 1952, Thungon 1989.

  Use it when: Growth of local government.

• 0.24 vs 4

  'Earn a quarter, spend four': rural bodies raise 0.24% of revenue, spend 4%.

  Use it when: Financial dependence.

Local Governments: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section E style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 4-mark question split into 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Local Governments

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Saying the amendments came into force in 1992

  Passing and commencement are confused.

  Wrong working

  The 73rd Amendment came into force in 1992.

  Right working

  Passed in 1992; in force in 1993.

  ✓Do this: Passed '92, in force '93.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules

  Both list local functions.

  Wrong working

  Urban functions are in the Eleventh Schedule.

  Right working

  Eleventh: 29 panchayat subjects; Twelfth: urban local body functions.

  ✓Do this: 11 for villages, 12 for towns.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Placing the State Election Commissioner under the Election Commission of India

  Similar names and roles.

  Wrong working

  The ECI appoints the State Election Commissioner.

  Right working

  The State government appoints it; it is autonomous and not controlled by the ECI.

  ✓Do this: Separate offices.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Assuming all 29 subjects have been transferred

  The Schedule lists them, so students treat transfer as automatic.

  Wrong working

  Panchayats now control all 29 subjects.

  Right working

  Transfer depends on State law; many States have not transferred most subjects.

  ✓Do this: Listed is not transferred.

  Usually costs: 1-2 marks in evaluation answers.

• ✗Mistake: Writing only achievements in an implementation question

  The large numbers are memorable.

  Wrong working

  Local government is a complete success because 32 lakh members are elected.

  Right working

  Balance numbers with limited autonomy and weak finances (0.24% revenue vs 4% spending).

  ✓Do this: Gains plus gaps.

  Usually costs: Up to 2 marks in a 6-mark answer.

• ✗Mistake: Misstating the urban definition

  Three thresholds to remember.

  Wrong working

  Urban means population above 10,000.

  Right working

  At least 5,000 people, 75% of male workers in non-farm jobs, 400 persons per sq km.

  ✓Do this: 5,000-75-400.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

NCERT exercise guide: Local Governments

What each exercise in the NCERT chapter tests, how to approach it, and a question of the same kind solved step by step. Questions here are written in our own words.

Practice questions on Local Governments

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   The 73rd and 74th Amendments came into force in:
   (a) 1989
   (b) 1992
   (c) 1993
   (d) 1996

   Hint

   Passed one year, in force the next.

   Answer

   (c) 1993.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   If a Panchayat is dissolved before its term ends, fresh elections must be held within:
   (a) three months
   (b) six months
   (c) one year
   (d) five years

   Hint

   Ensures elected bodies always exist.

   Answer

   (b) six months.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

   Consider the statements:
   1. The intermediate tier of Panchayati Raj need not be set up in smaller States.
   2. Reservation for OBCs in panchayats is compulsory.
   3. Women's reservation applies also to chairperson posts.
   Which are correct?
   (a) 1 and 2
   (b) 1 and 3
   (c) 2 and 3
   (d) 1, 2 and 3

   Hint

   OBC quota is at the State's option.

   Answer

   (b) 1 and 3.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

   Match:
   A. 1882 1. Community Development Programme
   B. 1952 2. P. K. Thungon Committee
   C. 1989 3. Lord Ripon's local boards
   D. 1996 4. Panchayats extended to Adivasi areas
   (a) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
   (b) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
   (c) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
   (d) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

   Hint

   Viceroy, development, committee, Adivasi act.

   Answer

   (a).

5. Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

   Assertion (A): Many Indian local bodies function mainly as agencies implementing State and central schemes.
   Reason (R): Many States have not transferred most of the 29 subjects, and local bodies have very few funds of their own.
   Choose the correct option as in the standard A-R format.

   Hint

   Powers and money.

   Answer

   (a) Both true; R explains A.

6. Q6 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   According to the Census of India, the minimum density for an urban area is:
   (a) 250 persons per sq km
   (b) 400 persons per sq km
   (c) 500 persons per sq km
   (d) 1,000 persons per sq km

   Hint

   With 5,000 people and 75% male non-farm workers.

   Answer

   (b) 400 persons per sq km.

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

   What is the Gram Sabha, and why is it important? (2 marks)

   Hint

   All adult voters.

   Answer

   The Gram Sabha, made mandatory by the 73rd Amendment, consists of all adult registered voters in a Panchayat area; its functions are set by State law. It is the direct democratic forum of the village where people can discuss and hold the elected panchayat accountable (in Adivasi areas its consent is required in many matters).

8. Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Why did the 1996 Act for Adivasi areas give more powers to Gram Sabhas? (2 marks)

   Hint

   Traditional management of resources.

   Answer

   Many Adivasi communities have traditional customs for managing common resources such as forests and small water reservoirs. Giving Gram Sabhas more powers, and requiring panchayats to get their consent, protects these traditions while introducing elected bodies, in keeping with diversity and decentralisation.

9. Q9 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   A State announces that Gram Panchayats will 'monitor' every State scheme in their villages: officials will send them monthly progress reports, but all spending decisions will stay with the block office. Is this decentralisation? Explain. (4 marks)

   Hint

   Information is not decision-making; functions and funds.

   Answer

   Hardly. Decentralisation means transferring power to decide, with the functions and funds to act on the decision, to bodies elected by the people. Here the panchayat only receives information about schemes designed and financed elsewhere, so decisions remain with officials and the panchayat becomes a passive observer, much like the implementing role the chapter criticises. Real decentralisation would require transferring Eleventh Schedule subjects such as drinking water or primary education with the money to run them, and letting the Gram Sabha and panchayat choose priorities. The proposal may improve transparency, but it does not give self-government.

10. Q10 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    'Without real functions and funds, panchayats are self-government only in name.' Examine this statement with reference to the working of the 73rd Amendment. (6 marks)

    Hint

    Eleventh Schedule in practice; 0.24% and 4%; State Finance Commission; Vengaivasal; achievements.

    Answer

    For: the 29 Eleventh Schedule subjects are transferred only if State law does so, and many States have not transferred most of them, so many local bodies mainly implement State and central schemes. Financially, rural local bodies raise only 0.24% of total revenue but account for 4% of government expenditure, so they depend on grants from those who control them. Officials have also tried to override panchayats, as in the Vengaivasal land case. Against: the amendment has given local bodies constitutional status (upheld by the Madras High Court in Vengaivasal), regular elections through State Election Commissioners, a State Finance Commission every five years to review their finances, and over 32 lakh elected representatives, including at least 13 lakh women. Judgement: the statement is largely true of power and money, but the constitutional framework and the new social leadership show self-government is more than a name; its depth depends on States transferring functions and funds.

11. Q11 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

    How did the 73rd Amendment address the problems of local bodies before 1992? (4 marks)

    Hint

    Match each old problem with a provision.

    Answer

    Irregular or postponed elections → five-year terms, elections within six months of dissolution, independent State Election Commissioner. Indirect elections → direct elections at all three levels. Domination by elders, men and dominant castes → reservations for women, SCs and STs including chairpersons. Lack of powers and funds → 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule and a State Finance Commission every five years.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.In which district and State is Jamonia Talab?Show answer

   Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh.

2. 2.What does 'Panchayat' literally mean?Show answer

   An assembly of five persons.

3. 3.Which two States adopted elected local bodies around 1960?Show answer

   Gujarat and Maharashtra (examples given).

4. 4.Who is a member of the Gram Sabha?Show answer

   Every adult registered voter in the Panchayat area.

5. 5.How long did States get to amend their laws after the amendments?Show answer

   One year.

6. 6.What share of India's population was urban in 2011?Show answer

   About 31%.

7. 7.About how many members are elected to local bodies every five years?Show answer

   More than 32 lakh, at least 13 lakh of them women.

8. 8.How many municipal governments does Bolivia have?Show answer

   314.

9. 9.Which committee recommended constitutional recognition for local bodies in 1989?Show answer

   The P. K. Thungon Committee.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Local government: closest to people; uses local knowledge; ensures participation and accountability.
• ☐Stories: Geeta Rathore (reserved seat 1995, general seat 2000); Vengaivasal (High Court Division Bench upheld Panchayat's status).
• ☐History: sabhas → Ripon's local boards 1882 → 1919/1935 Acts → Gandhi's village republic.
• ☐1950: State subject and Directive Principle; weak due to unitary concerns (Nehru) and caste/faction fears (Ambedkar).
• ☐Before 1992: CDP 1952, three-tier PR, but weak powers, indirect and postponed elections, dissolutions.
• ☐73rd (rural) and 74th (urban) Amendments: passed 1992, in force 1993; States given one year.
• ☐73rd: 3 tiers, Gram Sabha, direct elections, 5 years, 6-month rule, 1/3 women, SC/ST quota, 29 subjects (11th Schedule).
• ☐State Election Commissioner (autonomous, not under ECI); State Finance Commission every 5 years.
• ☐1996 Act extended panchayats to Adivasi areas with stronger Gram Sabhas.
• ☐74th: same provisions for Nagarpalikas; Twelfth Schedule; urban = 5,000, 75%, 400 per sq km.
• ☐Gains: 32 lakh+ members, 13 lakh+ women, 6.6 lakh SC/ST; limits: few subjects transferred, 0.24% revenue vs 4% spending.

Local Governments: frequently asked questions