Topic Details (Notes format)

74th Amendment: Urban Local Bodies

Subject: Polity

Book: Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth

Explains the constitutional status granted to municipalities—Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Corporations. It mandates regular elections, reservations, State Finance Commissions, and District Planning Committees. Municipalities shoulder responsibilities such as urban planning, water management, fire services, and poverty alleviation. The Act aims to boost self-governance in cities, bridging the gap between the state and local communities. However, municipal bodies often depend on state or central funds, limiting fiscal autonomy. Effective decentralization requires capacity-building, better revenue sources (property tax reforms), and synergy with metropolitan planning. The 74th Amendment is crucial for sustainable, inclusive urbanization in India’s rapidly expanding cities.

Practice Questions

Who appoints the members of the Finance Commission of India?

आपातकाल की घोषणा के लिए प्रत्येक सदन में कितने प्रतिशत मतों की आवश्यकता होती है?

Who is considered the "father of the Indian Constitution"?

Which of the following is the right of a citizen under the Indian Constitution?

Who is responsible for the selection of the judges of the Supreme Court?

Who is the ex-officio Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of India?

Which article of the Indian Constitution deals with the President’s power to dissolve the Lok Sabha?

प्रधानमंत्री का कार्यकाल कितने वर्षों का होता है?

संविधान सभा की बैठकें किस वर्ष प्रारंभ हुई थीं?

किस संविधान संशोधन ने संसद में महिलाओं के आरक्षण का प्रस्ताव रखा?