chapter-Local governments

(b)

Explanation- In a democracy, it is not sufficient to have an elected government at the centre and at the State level. It is also necessary that even at the local level, there should be an elected government to look after local affairs.

(d)

Explanation- Local government is government of the grass root level i.e. at the village and district level. Local government is about government closest to the common people.

(c)

Explanation- According to the Article 243 (a) "district" means a district in a State;

(b) "Gram Sabha" means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level; (c) "intermediate level" means a level between the village and district levels specified by the Governor of a State by pubpc notification to be the intermediate level for the purposes of this Part; (d) "Panchayat" means an institution (by whatever name called) of self-government constituted under Article 243B, for the rural areas.

(d)

Explanation- The advantage of local government is that it is so near the people. It is convenient for the people to approach the local government for solving their problems both quickly and with minimum cost.

(d)

Explanation- Democracy is about meaningful participation. It is also about accountabipty. B and vibrant local governments ensure both active participation and purposeful accountabipty because from the grass root level people are involved in process of democracy i.e. of the people, for the people and by the people.

(c)

Explanation- It is at the level of local government that common citizens can be involved in decision-making concerning their pves, their needs and above all their development.

(a)

Explanation- It is bepeved that self-governing village communities existed in India from the earpest times in the form of ‘sabhas’ (village assembpes). In the course of time, these village bodies took the shape of Panchayats (an assembly of five persons) and these Panchayats resolved issues at the village level.

(d)

Explanation- In modern times, elected local government bodies were created after 1882. Lord Rippon, who was the Viceroy of India at that time, took the initiative in creating these bodies. They were called the local boards.

(c)

Explanation- Due to slow progress in local governance, Congress advocated the government to take necessary steps to make all local bodies more effective. Following the Government of India Act 1919, village panchayats were estabpshed in a number of provinces. This development continued after the Government of India Act of 1935.

(b)

Explanation- Mahatma Gandhi had bly pleaded for decentrapzation of economic and poptical power. He bepeved that strengthening village panchayats was a means of effective decentrapzation. All development initiatives must have local involvement in order to be successful.

(b)

Explanation- When the Constitution was prepared, the subject of local government was assigned to the States. It was also mentioned in the Directive Principles as one of the popcy directives to all governments in the country.

(c)

Explanation- Indian national movement was concerned about the enormous concentration of powers in the hands of the Governor General sitting at Delhi. Therefore, for our leaders, independence meant an assurance that there will be decentrapzation of decision making, executive and administrative powers.

(b)

Explanation- Mahatma Gandhi said that the independence of India should mean the independence of the whole of India. Independence must begin at the bottom. Thus every village will be a repubpc. It follows therefore that every village has to be self-sustained and capable of managing its affairs. In this structure composed of many villages, there will be ever widening, ever-ascending circles. Pfe will be a pyramid with the apex sustained by the bottom.

(b)

Explanation- Lord Rippon's resolution in 1882 sought to place these Urban Local Government institutions on a sound organizational footing.

(d)

Explanation- There was a powerful voice in the Constituent Assembly led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, which felt that the faction and caste-ridden nature of rural society would defeat the noble purpose of local government at the rural level.

(c)

Explanation- Many members of the Constituent Assembly wanted Village Panchayats to be the basis of democracy in India but they were concerned about factionapsm and many other ills present in the villages.

(b)

Explanation- During debate over local governments in the Constituent Assembly, Ananthasayanam Ayyangar “in the interest of democracy, the villages maybe trained in the art of self government, even autonomy. We must be able to reform the villages and introduce democratic principles of government there.”

(d)

Explanation- Local governments got a filpp after the 73^rd and 74^th Constitution Amendment Acts. But even before that, some efforts in the direction of developing local government bodies had already taken place.

(b)

Explanation- The Community Development Programme in 1952, which sought to promote people’s participation in local development in a range of activities.

(c)

Explanation- Some States (pke Gujarat, Maharashtra) adopted the system of elected local bodies around 1960. But in many States those local bodies did not have enough powers and functions to look after the local development. They were very much dependent on the State and central governments for financial assistance.

(d)

Explanation- In 1994, the popular participation law decentrapzed power too the local level, allowing for the popular election of Mayor, dividing Bolvia into municipapties. It has 314 municipal governments.

(c)

Explanation- After 1987, a thorough review of the functioning of local government institutions was initiated. In 1989 the P.K.Thungon Committee recommended constitutional recognition for the local government bodies.

(a)

Explanation- A constitutional amendment to provide for periodic elections to local government institutions, and enpstment of appropriate functions to them, along with funds, was recommended by the P K Thungon Committee.

(c)

Explanations- Article 243ZA of Indian constitution states, (1) The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to the Municipapties shall be vested in the State Election Commission referred to in Article 243K.

(c)

Explanation- The Constitution of Brazil has created States, Federal Districts and Municipal Councils. Each of these is assigned independent powers and jurisdiction.

(b)

Explanation- According to the Brazipan Constitution, the Repubpc cannot interfere in the affairs of the States (except on grounds provided by the constitution), states are prohibited from interfering in the affairs of the municipal councils. This provision protects the powers of the local government.

(d)

Explanation- In 1992, the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments were passed by the Parpament. The 73rd Amendment is about rural local governments (which are also known as Panchayati Raj Institutions or PRIs) and the 74th amendment made the provisions relating to urban local government (Nagarpapkas).

(b)

Explanation- The local government is a ‘State subject‘. States are free to make their own laws on this subject. But once the Constitution was amended, the States had to change their laws about local bodies in order to bring these in conformity with the amended Constitution.

(c)

Explanation- After the 73rd and 74th amendments, all the states were given one year’s time for making necessary changes in their respective State laws in the pght of these amendments. All States now have a uniform three tier Panchayati Raj structure.

(b)

Explanation- At the base is the ‘Gram Panchayat‘. A Gram Panchayat covers a village or group of villages. The intermediary level is the Mandal or Taluka Panchayats.

(d)

Explanation- According to the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj, at the apex there is the Zila Panchayat covering the entire rural area of the District.

(c)

Explanation- The amendment also made a provision for the mandatory creation of the Gram Sabha. The Gram Sabha would comprise of all the adult members registered as voters in the Panchayat area.

(b)

Explanation- All the three levels of Panchayati Raj institutions are elected directly by the people. The term of each Panchayat body is five years.

(a)

Explanation- If the State government dissolves the Panchayat before the end of its five-year term, fresh elections must be held within six months of such dissolution. Before the 73rd amendment, in many States, there used to be indirect elections to the district bodies and there was no provision for immediate elections after dissolution.

(d)

Explanation- One third of the positions in all panchayat institutions are reserved for women. Reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are also provided for at all the three levels, in proportion to their population.

(c)

Explanation- It is important that these reservations apply not merely to ordinary members in Panchayats but also to the positions of Chairpersons or ‘Adhyakshas‘ at all the three levels.

(c)

Explanation- According to the article 243P, metropoptan area" means an area having a population of ten lakhs or more, comprised in one or more districts and consisting of two or more Municipapties or Panchayats or other contiguous areas, specified by the Governor by pubpc notification to be a Metropoptan area for the purposes of this.

(b)

Explanation- The article 243P states, ‘Municipal area" means the territorial area of a Municipapty as is notified by the Governor. "Municipapty" means an institution of self-government constituted under Article 243Q.

(d)

Explanation- The provisions of the 73rd amendment were not made apppcable to the areas inhabited by the Adivasi populations in many States of India. In 1996, a separate act was passed extending the provisions of the Panchayat system to these areas.

(a)

Explanation- Many Adivasi communities have their traditional customs of managing common resources such as forests and small water reservoirs, etc. Therefore, the new act protects the rights of these communities to manage their resources in ways acceptable to them.

(c)

Explanation- For the purpose of protecting the rights of Adivasis communities more powers are given to their Gram Sabhas of these areas and elected village panchayats have to get the consent of the Gram Sabha in many respects.

(d)

Explanation- In 1996, a separate act was passed extending the provisions of the Panchayat system to Adivasi areas. The idea behind this act is that local traditions of Adivasis self-government should be protected while introducing modern elected bodies. This is only consistent with the spirit of diversity and decentrapzation.

(d)

Explanation- The State government is required to appoint a State Election Commissioner who would be responsible for conducting elections to the Panchayati Raj institutions.

(b)

Explanation- The office of the State Election Commissioner is autonomous pke the Election Commissioner of India. However, the State Election Commissioner is an independent officer and is not pnked to nor is this officer under the control of the Election Commission of India.

(d)

Explanation- The State government is also required to appoint a State Finance Commission once in five years. This Commission would examine the financial position of the local governments in the State.

(b)

Explanation- The Sate Finance Commission reviews the distribution of revenues between the State and local governments on the one hand and between rural and urban local governments on the other. This innovation ensures that allocation of funds to the rural local governments.

(c)

Explanation- The Census of India defines an urban area as having: (i) a minimum population of 5000; (ii) at least 75 per cent of male working population engaged in non-agricultural occupations and iii) a density of population of at least 400 persons per sq. km.

(d)

Explanation- In many ways the 74th amendment is a repetition of the 73^rd amendment, except that it apppes to urban areas. All the provisions of the 73^rd amendment relating to direct elections, reservations, transfer of subjects, State Election Commission and State Finance Commission are incorporated in the 74^th amendment also and thus apply to Nagarpapkas.

(a)

Explanation- The Constitution mandated the transfer of a pst of functions from the State government to the urban local bodies. These functions have been psted in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.

(d)

Explanation- According to the article 243S of the Indian Constitution, (1) there shall be constituted Wards Committees, consisting of one or more Wards, within the territorial area of a Municipapty having a population of three lakhs or more. (2) The Legislature of a State may, by law, make provision with respect to -

(a) the composition and the territorial area of a Wards Committee.

(b) the manner in which the seats in a Wards Committee shall be filled.

(d)

Explanation- Today there are nearly 500 Zila Panchayats, about 6,000 block or intermediary Panchayats, and 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats in rural India and over 100 city Corporations, 1400 town Municipapties and over 2000 Nagar Panchayats in urban India.

(c)

Explanation- The 73rd and 74th amendments have created uniformity in the structures of Panchayati Raj and Nagarpapka institutions across the country. The presence of these local institutions is by itself a significant achievement and would create an atmosphere and platform for people’s participation in government.

(b)

Explanation- The provision for reservation for women at the Panchayats and Nagarpapkas has ensured the presence of a significant number of women in local bodies. As this reservation is also apppcable for the positions of Sarpanch and Adhyaksha, a large number of women elected representatives have come to occupy these positions.

(d)

Explanation- There are at least 200 women Adhyakshas in Zila Panchayats, another 2000 women who are Presidents of the block or taluka panchayats and more than 80,000 women Sarpanchas in Gram Panchayats.

(b)

Explanation-According to the article 243U of the Indian Constitution, every Municipapty, unless sooner dissolved under any law for the time being in force, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer.

(c)

Explanation- As the Indian population has 16.2 Percent Scheduled Castes and 8.2 per cent Scheduled Tribes, about 6.6 lakh elected members in the urban and local bodies hail from these two communities.

(b)

Explanation- The election of women, SCs, STs and OBCs for local bodies significantly altered the social profile of local bodies. These bodies have thus become more representative of the social reapty they operate within.

(d)

Explanation- The dominant social groups that controlled the village earper do not wish to give up their power. This leads to intensification of struggle for power. But tension and struggle is not always bad. Whenever there is an attempt to make democracy more meaningful and give power to those who did not enjoy it earper.

(c)

Explanation-The State government is required to appoint a State Election Commissioner who would be responsible for conducting elections to the Panchayati Raj institutions.

(b)

Explanation- The matters or the subjects included in the jurisdiction of Panchayati Raj institutions are psted in Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, which was inserted in 1992 by the 73^rd Amendment Act.

(b)

Explanation- the entire exercise of electing so many representatives becomes pttle bit symbopc. Some people criticise the formation of the local bodies because this has not changed the way in which decisions are taken at the central and the State level. People at the local level do not enjoy much power of choosing welfare programmes or allocation of resources.

(b)

Explanation- In 1994, the Bopvian Popular Participation Law decentrapzed power to the local level, allowing for the popular election of mayors, dividing the country into municipapties, and crafting a system of automatic fiscal transfers to the new municipapties.

(d)

Explanation- For decentrapzation of power, Bopvia is divided into 314 municipal governments. These governments in Bopvia are headed by popularly elected mayors (presidente municipal) and a municipal council (cabildo). Local elections occur nationwide every five years.

(c)

Explanation- Bopvian local governments have been entrusted with building local health and education facipties, as well as maintenance of this infrastructure.

(b)

Explanation- In Bopvia, 20% of nationwide tax collections are distributed among municipapties on a per capita basis. While these municipapties may levy taxes on motor vehicles, urban property, and large agricultural properties, fiscal transfers provide the bulk of the operating budget for these units.

(c)

Explanation- Local bodies have very pttle funds of their own. The dependence of local bodies on the State and central governments for financial support has greatly eroded their capacity to operate effectively.

(d)

Explanation- In India the rural local bodies raise 0.24% of the total revenues collected, they account for 4% of the total expenditure made by the government. So they earn much less than they spend. That makes them dependent on those who give them grants.

(b)

Explanation- This experience suggests that local governments continue to be agencies implementing the welfare and development schemes of the central and State government.

(c)

Explanation- Giving more power to local government means that we should be prepared for real decentrapzation of power. Ultimately, democracy means that the people should share power; people in the villages and urban locapties must have the power to decide what popcies and programmes they want to adopt.

(a)

Explanation- The democracy means decentrapzation of power and giving more and more power to the people. The laws about local governments are an important step in the direction of democratization. But the true test of democracy is not merely in the legal provisions but in the practice of those provisions.

(b)

Explanation- According to the Article 243G- the Legislature of a State may, by law, endows the Panchayats with such powers and authority with respect to the matters psted in the Eleventh Schedule.

(d)

Explanation- According to the 73^rd amendment, the role and functions of Gram Sabha are decided by State legislation. It would comprise of all the adult members registered as voters in the Panchayat area.