Local Self-Government: 73rd and 74th Amendments, ISC Class 12

What Local Self-Government is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter or unit weightage for ISC Political Science. Local Self-Government is part of Section B: Indian Democracy, 9 of the 2027 syllabus and can be asked anywhere in the 80-mark Paper I (Section A 16 one-mark items, Section B 4-mark short answers, Section C 8-mark long answers).Source: CISCE ISC Political Science (852) syllabus, examination year 2027; ISC 2027 specimen question paper

Key concepts

Key features of the 73rd Amendment (1992): rural local government

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 came into force on 24 April 1993 and added Part IX (Articles 243 to 243-O) and the Eleventh Schedule.

Key features
1. Constitutional status: panchayats became a constitutional institution; states must establish them.
2. Gram Sabha (Article 243A): all registered voters of a village form the Gram Sabha, which approves plans and reviews the work of the panchayat.
3. Three-tier system (Article 243B): village (Gram Panchayat), intermediate or block (Panchayat Samiti) and district (Zila Parishad); states with a population below 20 lakh need not have the intermediate tier.
4. Direct elections: all members at all levels are directly elected; chairpersons of the intermediate and district tiers are elected indirectly from among the elected members.
5. Reservation (Article 243D): seats for SCs and STs in proportion to their population; not less than one-third of seats (including those reserved for SCs and STs) and of chairpersons' posts for women; states may reserve seats for backward classes.
6. Five-year term (Article 243E): fresh elections must be completed before the term expires, or within six months of dissolution.
7. State Election Commission (Article 243K) to conduct panchayat elections.
8. State Finance Commission (Article 243-I) every five years to review panchayat finances and recommend sharing of state taxes and grants.
9. Powers and functions (Article 243G): states may give panchayats powers to plan and implement schemes for economic development and social justice, including on the 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule.
10. Powers to levy taxes, duties and fees (Article 243H) and audit of accounts.

Worked example

[4] State any four key features of the 73rd Amendment. (Recall)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Constitutional status; Gram Sabha in every village - 1 mark.
2. Three-tier system: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Zila Parishad - 1 mark.
3. Reservation for SCs and STs and at least one-third of seats for women - 1 mark.
4. Five-year term; State Election Commission; State Finance Commission; Eleventh Schedule - 1 mark.

Answer: The 73rd Amendment (1) gave panchayats constitutional status and created a Gram Sabha of all village voters; (2) set up a uniform three-tier structure of village, block and district panchayats; (3) reserved seats for SCs and STs in proportion to population and not less than one-third for women; and (4) fixed a five-year term with elections by a State Election Commission, a State Finance Commission to review finances, and 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule for devolution.

Key features of the 74th Amendment (1992): urban local government

The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 came into force on 1 June 1993 and added Part IXA (Articles 243P to 243ZG) and the Twelfth Schedule.

Key features
1. Constitutional status to urban local government.
2. Three types of municipalities (Article 243Q): a Nagar Panchayat for an area in transition from rural to urban; a Municipal Council for a smaller urban area; a Municipal Corporation for a larger urban area.
3. Direct elections from wards; ward committees in municipalities with a population of three lakh or more (Article 243S).
4. Reservation (Article 243T): seats for SCs and STs in proportion to population; at least one-third for women; states may provide for backward classes and for the reservation of chairpersons' posts.
5. Five-year term (Article 243U); elections within six months of dissolution.
6. State Election Commission conducts municipal elections; State Finance Commission reviews municipal finances.
7. Powers and functions (Article 243W): states may devolve powers, including the 18 subjects in the Twelfth Schedule.
8. Planning bodies: a District Planning Committee to consolidate rural and urban plans (Article 243ZD) and a Metropolitan Planning Committee for areas of ten lakh or more (Article 243ZE).

Worked example

[4] What did the 74th Amendment change for India's towns and cities? Explain four of its provisions. (Understand)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Constitutional status; three types of municipalities (Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation) - 1 mark.
2. Twelfth Schedule: 18 subjects to be devolved - 1 mark.
3. Regular elections every five years by the State Election Commission - 1 mark.
4. Reservation for SCs, STs and at least one-third for women; State Finance Commission - 1 mark.

Answer: The 74th Amendment (1) gave constitutional status to urban local bodies and provided for three types: Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporations; (2) listed 18 subjects in the Twelfth Schedule that states may devolve to them; (3) made five-year terms and regular elections compulsory, conducted by the State Election Commission; and (4) reserved seats for SCs and STs and not less than one-third for women, with a State Finance Commission to strengthen their finances.

The Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules in brief

Eleventh Schedule (73rd Amendment): 29 subjects that may be entrusted to panchayats. Examples:

• agriculture and agricultural extension; land improvement; minor irrigation and watershed development;
• animal husbandry, dairying and poultry; fisheries; social forestry;
• small-scale and cottage industries; rural housing; drinking water; roads and bridges; rural electrification;
• poverty alleviation programmes; education including primary and secondary schools; adult and non-formal education; libraries;
• health and sanitation; family welfare; women and child development; social welfare; welfare of weaker sections; public distribution system; maintenance of community assets.

Twelfth Schedule (74th Amendment): 18 subjects for municipalities:
1. Urban planning including town planning.
2. Regulation of land use and construction of buildings.
3. Planning for economic and social development.
4. Roads and bridges.
5. Water supply.
6. Public health, sanitation and solid waste management.
7. Fire services.
8. Urban forestry and protection of the environment.
9. Safeguarding the interests of weaker sections.
10. Slum improvement and upgradation.
11. Urban poverty alleviation.
12. Urban amenities such as parks, gardens and playgrounds.
13. Promotion of cultural, educational and aesthetic aspects.
14. Burials, cremations and electric crematoriums.
15. Cattle pounds and prevention of cruelty to animals.
16. Vital statistics including registration of births and deaths.
17. Public amenities such as street lighting, parking, bus stops.
18. Regulation of slaughterhouses and tanneries.

Note: the Schedules list subjects that states may devolve; actual devolution depends on state laws.

Worked example

[4] What do the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules contain? Give two examples from each. (Recall)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Eleventh Schedule: 29 subjects for panchayats (73rd Amendment) - 1 mark.
2. Examples: minor irrigation, drinking water (or primary education, poverty alleviation) - 1 mark.
3. Twelfth Schedule: 18 subjects for municipalities (74th Amendment) - 1 mark.
4. Examples: urban planning, fire services (or water supply, slum improvement) - 1 mark.

Answer: The Eleventh Schedule, added by the 73rd Amendment, lists 29 subjects that states may hand over to panchayats, such as minor irrigation and drinking water. The Twelfth Schedule, added by the 74th Amendment, lists 18 subjects for municipalities, such as urban planning and fire services.

Zila Parishad: composition and functions

The Zila Parishad is the top tier of panchayati raj, at the district level.

Composition (details vary by state law)
1. Members directly elected from territorial constituencies within the district.
2. Chairpersons of the Panchayat Samitis in the district (ex officio, where state law provides).
3. Members of the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assembly whose constituencies lie in the district, and Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council members registered as voters there (as state law provides).
4. Reserved seats for SCs, STs and women (at least one-third), as under the 73rd Amendment.
5. A Chairperson (Adhyaksh or Pramukh) elected by and from the elected members; a Vice-Chairperson.
6. A Chief Executive Officer, usually a senior state or IAS officer, acts as secretary and heads the administration.
Term: five years.

Functions
1. Co-ordinating and supervising the work of the Panchayat Samitis and Gram Panchayats in the district.
2. Preparing district development plans and integrating the plans of the lower tiers.
3. Distributing funds and grants received from the state and Union governments among the Samitis.
4. Implementing development schemes: agriculture, minor irrigation, rural roads, drinking water, primary health, education and poverty alleviation.
5. Maintaining district roads, schools, dispensaries and other institutions.
6. Advising the state government on development matters in the district.

Worked example

[4] Explain the composition of the Zila Parishad. (Recall)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Directly elected members from territorial constituencies of the district - 1 mark.
2. Chairpersons of Panchayat Samitis; MPs and MLAs of the district (as state law provides) - 1 mark.
3. Reserved seats for SCs, STs and at least one-third for women - 1 mark.
4. Chairperson elected from among elected members; CEO as secretary; five-year term - 1 mark.

Answer: A Zila Parishad consists of members directly elected from territorial constituencies in the district, along with, where state law provides, the chairpersons of the Panchayat Samitis and the MPs and MLAs of the district. Seats are reserved for SCs and STs and at least one-third for women. Its Chairperson is elected by and from the elected members, a Chief Executive Officer serves as secretary, and its term is five years.

Municipal Corporation: composition and functions

A Municipal Corporation is the urban local body for a large city (for example Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai).

Composition (details vary by state law)
1. Councillors (corporators) directly elected from wards for five years.
2. Nominated members with special knowledge or experience of municipal administration (without voting rights).
3. MPs and MLAs representing the city, as state law provides.
4. Reserved seats for SCs, STs and at least one-third for women.
5. The Mayor, the ceremonial head who presides over meetings (elected by councillors in most states, directly in some), and a Deputy Mayor.
6. The Municipal Commissioner, usually an IAS officer appointed by the state, is the chief executive who carries out decisions.
7. Committees, such as a Standing Committee, and ward committees in cities of three lakh or more.

Functions
Obligatory functions: water supply; sanitation, drainage and solid waste management; construction and maintenance of roads and bridges; street lighting; public health, hospitals and prevention of epidemics; primary education; registration of births and deaths; fire services; markets and slaughterhouses; burial and cremation grounds.
Discretionary functions: parks and gardens; libraries and museums; public housing; public transport; town planning and urban development; entertainment and cultural activities.
Revenue: property tax, taxes on advertisements and entertainment, fees and licences, and grants from the state.

Worked example

[4] State any four functions of a Municipal Corporation. (Recall)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Water supply, drainage and sanitation; solid waste management - 1 mark.
2. Roads, bridges and street lighting - 1 mark.
3. Public health, hospitals, prevention of epidemics; registration of births and deaths - 1 mark.
4. Primary education; fire services; markets; town planning - 1 mark.

Answer: A Municipal Corporation (1) supplies water and manages drainage, sanitation and garbage disposal; (2) builds and maintains roads, bridges and street lights; (3) runs hospitals and dispensaries, prevents epidemics and registers births and deaths; and (4) runs primary schools and fire services, regulates markets and plans the city's growth.

Local Self-Government 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

• Zila Parishad and Municipal Corporation: Composition, Functions and Comparison

Local Self-Government: key facts

73rd Amendment

1992; in force 24 April 1993; Part IX (Articles 243-243O)

Eleventh Schedule: 29 subjects.

74th Amendment

1992; in force 1 June 1993; Part IXA (Articles 243P-243ZG)

Twelfth Schedule: 18 subjects.

Three tiers (rural)

Gram Panchayat - Panchayat Samiti - Zila Parishad

Intermediate tier optional below 20 lakh population.

Three types (urban)

Nagar Panchayat - Municipal Council - Municipal Corporation

Ward committees at 3 lakh+.

Common features

5-year term; SC/ST reservation; at least 1/3 for women; State Election Commission; State Finance Commission

Articles 243K, 243-I (rural); 243ZA, 243Y (urban).

How the board asks Local Self-Government

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

Tricks to remember Local Self-Government

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

• 73-11-29, 74-12-18

  73rd Amendment: Eleventh Schedule, 29 subjects. 74th: Twelfth Schedule, 18 subjects.

  Use it when: Pairing amendments with Schedules.

• Common features 'G-T-R-E-F-F'

  Gram Sabha (rural), Tiers/Types, Reservation, Elections every five years, Finance Commission, Functions by Schedule.

  Use it when: Feature lists.

• Urban types 'N-C-C'

  Nagar Panchayat (transition), Council (small town), Corporation (big city).

  Use it when: Three types of municipalities.

Local Self-Government: board-level solved questions

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

Case-study practice (Section D style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 8-mark question split into 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 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 Self-Government

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

• ✗Mistake: Writing functions of municipal bodies for features of the 74th Amendment

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2025: candidates 'Wrote functions of urban local bodies instead of the key features of the Amendment.' In 2024 they 'Confused the 74th Amendment with features of a Municipal Council or Municipal Corporation.'

  Wrong working

  Feature of the 74th Amendment: the corporation supplies water and collects garbage.

  Right working

  Feature: the Twelfth Schedule lists 18 subjects, including water supply, that states may devolve to municipalities.

  ✓Do this: Features = constitutional provisions; functions = services of a body.

  Usually costs: Up to 4 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Writing 'Panchayati Raj' for the Eleventh Schedule

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2025: candidates 'Wrote "Panchayati Raj" instead of naming the Schedule/list of subjects.'

  ✓Do this: 29 subjects = Eleventh Schedule; 18 subjects = Twelfth Schedule.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Inadequate three-tier description

  CISCE examiners' comments, 2024: candidates 'Described the three-tier system of rural local self-government inadequately.'

  ✓Do this: Name each tier with its level and one role: Gram Panchayat (village), Panchayat Samiti (block), Zila Parishad (district).

  Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner

  Students treat the Mayor as the chief executive.

  ✓Do this: Mayor = elected, ceremonial head who presides; Commissioner = appointed chief executive.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

Practice questions on Local Self-Government

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 · Very short answerBoard level

   How many subjects are listed in the Twelfth Schedule?

   Hint

   Urban.

   Answer

   18.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level

   Which body consists of all registered voters of a village?

   Hint

   Article 243A.

   Answer

   The Gram Sabha.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

   An area in transition from rural to urban has a:
   (a) Municipal Corporation
   (b) Municipal Council
   (c) Nagar Panchayat
   (d) Zila Parishad

   Hint

   Smallest urban body.

   Answer

   (c) Nagar Panchayat.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder board level

   Which Directive Principle asks the state to organise village panchayats?

   Hint

   Gandhian.

   Answer

   Article 40.

5. Q5 · 4 marks · Short answerBoard level

   [4] Explain the provisions for reservation under the 73rd Amendment.

   Hint

   SC/ST, women, chairpersons, OBCs.

   Answer

   (1) Seats are reserved for SCs and STs in every panchayat in proportion to their population. (2) Not less than one-third of the total seats, including those reserved for SCs and STs, are reserved for women. (3) Posts of chairpersons at all levels are also reserved for SCs, STs and women. (4) States may reserve seats and posts for backward classes; many states have raised women's reservation to 50 per cent.

6. Q6 · 4 marks · Short answerBoard level

   [4] Explain the functions of the Zila Parishad.

   Hint

   Co-ordination, planning, funds, schemes.

   Answer

   (1) It co-ordinates and supervises the Panchayat Samitis and Gram Panchayats. (2) It prepares the district development plan. (3) It distributes funds from the state and Union among the Samitis. (4) It implements schemes in agriculture, minor irrigation, rural roads, drinking water, health and education, and advises the state government.

7. Q7 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   [4] Why were the 73rd and 74th Amendments necessary?

   Hint

   Weak, irregular, unrepresentative bodies before 1992.

   Answer

   (1) Before 1992 local bodies existed only under state laws, and elections were often postponed for years. (2) They were frequently superseded or dissolved by state governments. (3) Women, SCs and STs were poorly represented. (4) They lacked funds and functions; constitutional status was needed to guarantee regular elections, representation, finance commissions and a list of functions.

8. Q8 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   [4] Distinguish between the functions of a Municipal Corporation and the features of the 74th Amendment.

   Hint

   Work done versus constitutional framework.

   Answer

   Features of the 74th Amendment are the constitutional framework for all urban bodies: constitutional status, three types of municipalities, five-year terms, reservation, State Election and Finance Commissions and the Twelfth Schedule. Functions of a Municipal Corporation are the services it performs within that framework: water supply, sanitation, roads, street lighting, hospitals, primary schools, fire services and registration of births and deaths.

9. Q9 · 8 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

   [8] (a) Explain four key features of the 73rd Amendment. [4]
   (b) Explain the composition and functions of a Zila Parishad. [4]

   Hint

   (a) status, tiers, reservation, commissions; (b) members, head, functions.

   Answer

   (a) Constitutional status with a Gram Sabha; a three-tier structure (village, block, district); reservation for SCs, STs and at least one-third for women; five-year terms with a State Election Commission and a State Finance Commission, and the Eleventh Schedule of 29 subjects. (b) Composition: directly elected members, with Panchayat Samiti chairpersons and the district's MPs and MLAs as state law provides; reserved seats; a Chairperson elected from the members and a CEO as secretary. Functions: co-ordinating lower tiers, preparing district plans, distributing funds and implementing rural development schemes.

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.When did the 73rd Amendment come into force?Show answer

   24 April 1993.

2. 2.What is the minimum share of seats reserved for women in local bodies?Show answer

   Not less than one-third.

3. 3.Who is the chief executive of a Municipal Corporation?Show answer

   The Municipal Commissioner.

4. 4.Above what population must a municipality have ward committees?Show answer

   Three lakh.

5. 5.Which committee prepares plans for a metropolitan area of ten lakh or more?Show answer

   The Metropolitan Planning Committee.

Quick revision checklist

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

• ☐73rd (1992; 1993): Part IX; Gram Sabha; three tiers; reservation (SC/ST, 1/3 women); 5 years; SEC; SFC; Eleventh Schedule (29).
• ☐74th (1992; 1993): Part IXA; Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, Corporation; ward committees; reservation; 5 years; SEC; SFC; Twelfth Schedule (18); DPC, MPC.
• ☐Zila Parishad: elected members, Samiti chairpersons, MPs/MLAs; Chairperson; CEO; co-ordinates, plans, funds, schemes.
• ☐Municipal Corporation: councillors, nominated experts, MPs/MLAs; Mayor; Commissioner; water, sanitation, roads, health, schools, fire, records.

Local Self-Government: frequently asked questions