25th April 2022 I Governance at State and District Levels-Secretariat and Directorates and their relationships; District Administration-Role of Collector, Institutions of Rural and Urban Governance-Powers and Functions, Systems for delivery of Services; Cooperatives, State Finance Commission

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ommendations related to the Revenue administration that are suggested by the related committees and commissions.

Content: –

Role of District Collector. 

Revenue Administration: –

  • To collect land revenue.
  • To collect other government dues.
  • To maintain land records.
  • To collect rural statistics.
  • To implement land reforms.
  • To look after the welfare of the agriculturists.
  • To make an assessment of losses of crops and recommend relief during natural calamities like fire, drought and flood.
  • To supervise treasury and sub-treasury.
  • To enforce Stamp Act.
  • To pay rehabilitation grant.

Q2: What are the changes incorporated by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act ,1992?

Introduction: –

Define 73rd and 74th CAA and why they have to be incorporated.

Body: –

Write about the changes that were introduced in the constitution after Constitutionalising the rural and urban local self-Governments.

Conclusion: –

  • Explain its importance to promote the grass root level Democracy 
  • It is also important to promote the Participatory Democracy. 
  • Suggest some measures to overcome existing problems such as capacity building, awareness about governance to the people, devolution of funds etc.. 

Content: –

Significance of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act 1992: –

  • This act has added new Part-IX and Part IX-A to the Constitution. 
  • This part is entitled as ‘The Panchayats’ and ‘The Municipalities’ consist of provisions from Articles 243 to 243 O and Articles 243-P to 243-ZG respectively.  
  • In addition, the act has also added new Eleventh Schedule and Twelfth Schedule to the Constitution. 
  • This schedule contains 29 and 18functional items of the panchayats which deals with Article 243-G and 243-W respectively.
  • The act has given a practical shape to A40 of the Directive Principles of State Policy.
  •  The act gives a constitutional status to the panchayati raj institutions and the municipalities.
  • It has brought them under the purview of the justiciable part of the Constitution. 
  • In other words, the state governments are under constitutional obligation to adopt the new panchayati raj system and municipalities in accordance with the provisions of the act. 
  • Consequently, neither the formation of panchayats nor the holding of elections at regular intervals depend on the will of the state government any more.
  • The provisions of the act can be grouped into two categories–compulsory and voluntary. 
  • The compulsory (mandatory or obligatory) provisions of the act have to be included in the state laws creating the new panchayati raj system and urban local bodies. 
  • The voluntary provisions, may be included at the discretion of the states. 
  • Thus the voluntary provisions of the act ensure the right of the states to take local factors like geographical, politico-administrative and others, into consideration while adopting the new panchayati raj system and urban local government.
  • The act is a significant landmark in the evolution of grassroot democratic institutions and revitalising and strengthening the urban local government so that they function effectively as units of local government in the country. 
  • It transfers the representative democracy into participatory democracy. It is a revolutionary concept to build democracy at the grassroot level in the country

Prelims of the day:

1. Whom of the following has the responsibility of the maintaining law and order in the district?

  1. District Collector 
  2. Police Officer 
  3. Panchayati Raj 
  4. Mayor

Answer:-A
Explanation: 

  • The district collector, also known as the district magistrate, is a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). 
  • He/she bears the responsibility of administering a district. 
  • He/she, along with the officials placed under him/her, ensures the efficient management of law and order in the district.

2.Under which Article of the Constitution of India, did the District Planning Committee come into existence?

  1. Article 243 ZD
  2. Article 243 ZE
  3. Article 244 ZD
  4. Article 242 ZD

Answer :-D.

Explanation: –

Art 243 ZD- There shall be constituted in every State at the district level a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the Municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole.

Article 243 ZE says that there shall be constituted in every Metropolitan area a Metropolitan Planning Committee to prepare a draft development plan for the Metropolitan area as a whole.

3.Which of the following units of urban local self-government does not have a constitutional foundation?

  1. Cantonment Boards
  2. Municipal Councils
  3. Municipal Corporations
  4. Nagar Panchayats

Answer: -A.

Explanation: –

Cantonments differ from military stations in that they house both military and civilian residents. Military stations are only used for training and housing the armed forces.

  • A cantonment board is formed to oversee municipal administration for the civilian population living in the cantonment area.
  • It operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.
  • In contrast to othertypes of urban local bodieswhich are created and administered by the state government, a cantonment board is created and administered by the central government.
  • The Cantonments Act of 2006 was enacted to consolidate and amend the law relating to cantonment administration in order to provide greater democratisation, improve their financial base, and make provisions for developmental activities and matters related to them.
  • The Cantonments Act of 1924 was repealed by this Act.
  • The country currently has 62 cantonment boards.
  • They are classified into four groups based on their civil population.

4.Nagar Palika bill was first introduced in Parliament, during which Prime Ministership? 

  1. V.P. Singh
  2. Chandrasekhar
  3. Rajiv Gandhi
  4. Narasimha Rao

Answer: – C

Explanation: –

  • In 1989, the Rajiv Gandhi government introduced the 65th Constitutional Amendment Bill (Nagarpalika bill) in the Lok Sabha. The bill aimed at strengthening and revamping the municipal bodies by conferring constitutional status on them. 
  • Although the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, it was defeated in the Rajya Sabha in October 1989 and, hence, lapsed. 
  • The National Front Government under V P Singh introduced the revised Nagarpalika Bill in the Lok Sabha again in September 1990. However, the bill was not passed and finally lapsed due to the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. 
  • P V Narasimha Rao’s Government also introduced the modified Municipalities Bill in the Lok Sabha in September 1991. It finally emerged as the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 and came into force on 1 June 1993. 

5. Who notifies the Municipalities in the State Administration? 

  1. Governor
  2. Municipal Commissioner
  3. Municipal Council
  4. Council of Ministers

Answer: -A

Explanation:

Municipality

  • It is established for administration of smaller towns and cities notified by the Governor.
  • They are established by an act of state legislatures and in the case of UTs, it is by an act of Parliament
  • It also has three authorities- council, standing committees and chief executive officer
  • The council is the deliberative and legislative body. It is headed by a chairperson.
  • Unlike the mayor in a municipal corporation, chairperson here has executive powers
  • The CEO is responsible for day-to-day administration

6.Who among the following is hailed as the father of local self-government in India?

  1. Lord Mayo
  2. Lord Rippon
  3. Jawaharlal Nehru
  4. Mahatma Gandhi

Answer: -B 

Explanation: –

Lord Ripon was known as the Father of Local self-government. He had introduced local self-governance in the year 1882.

7.According to the Constitution of India, it is obligatory to constitute ‘Ward Committees’ in the area of a municipality. The population of such municipality should be:

  1. One lakh or more
  2. Two lakhs or more
  3. Three lakhs or more
  4. Five lakhs or more

Answer: -C

Explanation: –

A ward committee shall be formed of two or more wards having population of 3 lakh or more. State govt can specify how these ward committees shall be filled. State govt can also make other committees.

8. Part IX A of the Constitution of India pertaining to the Municipalities. Which one of the following is not correct in this context?

  1. That grants-in-aid be made to the Municipalities from the Consolidated Fund of the State
  2. For setting up a separate Finance Commission for the Municipalities
  3. For setting up Committee for District Planning
  4. For setting up Committee for Metropolitan Planning

Answer: -B

Explanation: – 

For setting up a separate Finance Commission for the Municipalities not mentioned in the part-9A of the constitution.

9.Who consolidates the plans prepared by the Panchayats and Municipalities in the district?

  1. State Planning Commission
  2. Public Accounts Committee
  3. District Planning Committee
  4. District Planning and Development Council

Answer: -C

Explanation: –

District Planning Committee: –

Every state shall establish a district planning committee at the district level to consolidate the plans prepared by panchayats and municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole.

The state legislature has the authority to make the following provisions:

  • the composition of such committees;
  • the manner in which such committee members are elected;
  • the functions of such committees in relation to district planning;
  • the procedure for selecting the chairpersons of such committees

10. Which of the following is the first municipal corporation that was established in India?

  1. Madras
  2. Delhi
  3. Bombay
  4. Hyderabad

Answer: -A 

Explanation:

  • In 1687-88, the first municipal corporation in India was set up at Madras.
  • In 1726, the municipal corporations were set up in Bombay and Calcutta.

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