UPSC Mains 2024 · GS II · Q5 · 10 marks · 150 words

Analyse the role of local bodies in providing good governance at local level and bring out the pros and cons merging the rural local bodies with the urban local bodies.

हिन्दी में

स्थानीय स्तर पर सुशासन प्रदान करने में स्थानीय निकायों की भूमिका का विश्लेषण कीजिए और ग्रामीण स्थानीय निकायों को शहरी स्थानीय निकायों में विलय करने के फायदे और नुकसान को स्पष्ट कीजिए ।

Local Government

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “The Indian government has made significant strides in promoting good governance at the local level, especially through Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). However, the performance of these institutions is a complex tapestry of successes and criticisms that warrant thorough examination. Discuss.”

KoshinderAIR 588 · CSE 2023 · 199 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a constitutional or legal provision

74th Constitutional amendment act provided for democratic decentralisation by creating Urban local bodies. These institution created several success and faces some challenges too.

Body · points

Diagram
Need of ULBs: - Grass root democracy - Democratic decentralisation - Effective resources utilisation - Promoting good governance

Benefits of ULB

  1. Promoted democratic decentralisation by allotting near 18 subjects to ULBs like health, primary education, sanitation etc.

  2. Promoted grassroot political awareness among youth, marginalised section, women (33% reservation) etc.

  3. Promoted grass root development by effectively utilising available resources.

  4. Grievance redressal regarding governance at grass root level.

  5. Fulfils constitutional obligation of creating grassroot institutions as mentioned in Art 40.

Challenges

  1. Issues with availability of funds:- Shortage of own financial resources creates issue in its effective functioning of ULBs.

  2. Lack of effective functions allocations :- Various states has not devolved various subjects to ULBs.

  3. Ineffective Capacity building, training of functionaries.

  4. Lack of regular elections of ULBs.

  5. Regular auditing and functional irregularities.

Way forward

  1. ARC 2nd Report highlighted to focus on fund, function and functionaries.

  2. Time bound elections after dissolution.

  3. Regular auditing of records.

  4. Dedicated Cadre of functionaries.

  5. Financial Autonomy of ULBs.

Close · a way forward

Hence, to effectively realise the vision of 74th Constitutional Amendment act, need of the hour is to promote ULBs functioning.

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2024, General Studies Paper II, Q5. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.