Local Government
Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies for UPSC: 73rd and 74th Amendments, Parts IX and IXA, PESA 1996, State Election and Finance Commissions, and devolution issues.
SyllabusGS II · Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein
The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992) gave India a third tier of government: panchayats in villages and municipalities in towns and cities, each with constitutional status, fixed terms, reserved seats and its own election and finance commissions. Three decades on, the question UPSC keeps asking is not whether this tier exists but whether it has real funds, functions and functionaries.
What UPSC asks
- Prelims: article numbers in Parts IX (243–243O) and IXA (243P–243ZG), compulsory vs voluntary provisions, the Eleventh (29 subjects) and Twelfth (18 subjects) Schedules, PESA 1996, and the committees that shaped Panchayati Raj.
- Mains GS II: devolution and its challenges, State Election Commissions, women’s representation and proxy leadership, urban governance, and local bodies in Scheduled Areas.
Key sub-topics
| Sub-topic | Core source |
|---|---|
| Evolution of Panchayati Raj | Balwant Rai Mehta (1957), Ashok Mehta (1977), L.M. Singhvi (1986) |
| Panchayats | 73rd Amendment; Part IX; Eleventh Schedule |
| Municipalities | 74th Amendment; Part IXA; Twelfth Schedule |
| Scheduled Areas | PESA, 1996; Article 243M |
| Finances and elections | Articles 243-I, 243K, 243Y, 243ZA |
| District and metropolitan planning | Articles 243ZD, 243ZE |
Read the main note, Panchayats and Municipalities, then the quick revision sheet and the practice questions.