NCERT Solutions - Local Governments

Q1: Constitution of India visualised village panchayats as units of self-government. Think over the situation described in the following statements and explain how do these situations strengthen or weaken the panchayats in becoming units of self-government.
(a) Government of a State has allowed a big company to establish a huge steel plant. Many villages would be adversely affected by the steel plant. Gram Sabha of one of the affected villages passed a resolution that before establishing any big industries in the region, village people must be consulted and their grievances should be redressed.
(b) The government has decided that 20 % of all its expenditure would be done through the panchayats.
(c) A village panchayat kept on demanding funds for a building for village school, the government officials turned down their proposal saying that funds are allocated for certain other schemes and cannot be spent otherwise.
(d) The government divided a village Dungarpur into two and made a part of village Jamuna and Sohana. Now village Dungarpur has ceased to exist in government's books.
(e) A village panchayat observed that water sources of their region are depleting fast. They decided to mobilise village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds and wells.
Ans:
(a) This strengthens the panchayat as a unit of self-government. The Gram Sabha's resolution shows that village institutions can articulate local interests and demand consultation and redressal before decisions that affect them are taken. Such a right to be consulted and to influence decisions increases local control over resources and outcomes.
(b) This strengthens the panchayats because assigning a fixed share of public expenditure to local bodies increases their financial capacity. With resources channelled through panchayats, they can plan and implement schemes that match local priorities, making them more effective and autonomous.
(c) This weakens the panchayat. When higher-level officials restrict how panchayats may spend funds, it reduces local discretion and undermines the ability of elected local bodies to meet urgent village needs. Dependence on externally dictated allocations limits self-governance.
(d) This weakens the panchayat in practice. Removing a village from official records erases its formal recognition and can deprive residents of entitlements, representation and access to local institutions. Rather than creating a new unit of self-government, such administrative re-organisation can dilute local voice unless accompanied by clear measures to protect representation and services.
(e) This strengthens local self-governance. The panchayat's initiative to mobilise youth and revive water bodies shows local capacity for collective action, resource mobilisation and problem-solving without waiting for state intervention. Such voluntary, locally led work deepens civic engagement and practical autonomy.

Q2: Suppose you are entrusted to evolve a local government plan of a State, what powers would you endow to the village panchayats to function as units of self-government? Mention any five powers and the justification in two lines for each of them for giving those powers.
Ans:

• Power to plan and implement local development works - e.g., construction and maintenance of village roads, irrigation channels and drinking water schemes. Justification: Local bodies are best placed to identify and prioritise infrastructure needs; giving them implementation power ensures timely action and better maintenance through local oversight.
• Control over primary education and school infrastructure - authority to open and manage village primary schools and maintain school buildings. Justification: Panchayats know local schooling problems (attendance, buildings, timings); this power allows them to adapt facilities and arrangements to local conditions and improve learning outcomes.
• Responsibility for basic health and sanitation - powers to run primary health outreach, maintain public toilets, and manage local sanitation drives. Justification: Health and sanitation are local public goods; panchayats can organise preventive measures and quick responses tailored to village needs, improving public well-being.
• Authority to raise and utilise local revenues - power to levy modest local taxes and user charges and to manage discretionary funds. Justification: Financial autonomy gives panchayats ownership of projects and reduces dependence on transfers; local revenues enable quicker and targeted action.
• Powers to identify and implement poverty-alleviation and social welfare measures - keeping records of BPL families, distributing benefits and running skill or livelihood programmes. Justification: Local knowledge helps identify needy households accurately and ensures that welfare programmes are targeted and monitored effectively.

Q3: What are the provisions for the reservations for the socially disadvantaged groups as per the 73rd amendment? Explain how these provisions have changed the profile of the leadership at the village level.
Ans: The 73rd Constitutional Amendment provides reservation of seats in panchayats for the disadvantaged groups in proportion to their population. Specifically, one-third of all seats and chairpersonships at each level are reserved for women, and seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are reserved in proportion to their population in the panchayat area. States may also provide reservations for Other Backward Classes if deemed necessary.
The impact on village leadership has been significant. Reservation has broadened representation by enabling women and members of SC/ST communities to enter local politics and hold decision-making positions. As a result, village councils now reflect a wider social composition, issues affecting marginalised groups receive more attention, and local governance has become more inclusive. Over time this has also encouraged leadership development among groups who earlier had little voice in local affairs.

Q4: What were the main differences between the local governments before 73rd amendment and after that amendment?
Ans: The main differences between the local governments before the 73rd Amendment and after it are:

• Uniform three-tier structure: After the 73rd Amendment, a three-tier Panchayati Raj system (village, intermediate/block and district levels) became the standard across states that adopted it, giving greater institutional clarity than the varied arrangements earlier.
• Regular, constitutionalised elections: Earlier, state governments managed panchayat elections in diverse ways; after the amendment, independent State Election Commissions were made responsible for conducting regular elections to local bodies.
• Fixed terms and timely elections: Panchayats now have a five-year tenure, and if dissolved before term, fresh elections must be held within six months - a change that strengthened democratic continuity compared with earlier ad hoc arrangements.
• Financial devolution and State Finance Commissions: The amendment required states to set up State Finance Commissions at regular intervals to recommend the distribution of financial resources between the state and panchayats. This improved the fiscal basis of local governments compared with the earlier situation.
• Reservation for marginalised groups: Constitutional reservations for women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (and provision for OBCs if states choose) ensured wider social representation in local bodies, changing the social profile of local leadership.
• Subjects in the Eleventh Schedule: The amendment listed 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule (such as agriculture, water management, rural roads, health and sanitation) on which panchayats may function, thereby clarifying the scope of local responsibilities.

Q5: Read the following conversation. Write in two hundred words your opinion about the issues raised in this conversation.
Alok: Our Constitution guarantees equality between men and women. Reservations in local bodies for women ensure their equal share in power.
Neha: But it is not enough that women should be in positions of power. It is necessary that the budget of local bodies should have separate provision for women.
Jayesh: I don't like this reservations business. A local body must take care of all people in the village and that would automatically take care of women and their interests.
Ans: The three views raise important and complementary points about women's empowerment in local governance. Alok is correct that constitutional reservation has been crucial to bring many women into elected office; without reservations, social barriers and patriarchal norms would have kept their visible presence low. Neha rightly emphasises that descriptive presence alone is insufficient: to translate representation into outcomes, budgets must include specific allocations for women-centred programmes such as maternal and child health, sanitation, safe drinking water, women's livelihood schemes and education. Dedicated budget lines make it easier to plan, monitor and evaluate policies that address women's needs.
Jayesh's argument that general public spending will automatically help women is optimistic but incomplete. Universal programmes can help, yet they often fail to reach women equally because of social norms, time burdens and mobility constraints. Therefore, a combination of reservation, gender-sensitive budgeting and capacity building of women representatives is necessary. Reservations open political space, dedicated budgets provide resources, and active support through training and administrative backing enables women leaders to use those resources effectively. Together these measures enhance both representation and substantive outcomes for women in villages.

Q6: Read the provisions of the 73rdAmendment. Which of the following concerns does this amendment address?
(a) Fear of replacement makes representatives accountable to the people.
(b) The dominant castes and feudal landlords dominate the local bodies.
(c) Rural illiteracy is very high. Illiterate people cannot take decisions about the development of the village.
(d)  To be effective the village panchayats need resources and powers to make plans for the village development.
Ans: (d)
Explanation: The 73rd Amendment focuses on strengthening local institutions by providing them with constitutional status, a list of subjects, regular elections and mechanisms (such as State Finance Commissions) to recommend resources. Its central concern is to equip panchayats with the powers and financial means needed to prepare and implement plans for village development, thereby making them effective units of self-government.

Q7: The following are different justifications given in favour of local government. Give them ranking and explain why you attach greater significance to a particular rationale than the others. According to you, on which of these rationales the decision of the Gram panchayat of Vengaivasal village was based? How?
(a) Government can complete the projects with lesser cost with the involvement of the local community.
(b) The development plans made by the local people will have greater acceptability than those made by the government officers.
(c) People know their area, needs, problems and priorities. By collective participation they should discuss and take decisions about their life.
(d) It is difficult for the common people to contact their representatives of the State or the national legislature.
Ans:
1st Rank: c. People know their area, needs, problems and priorities. Collective participation enables better diagnosis and locally relevant solutions; this local knowledge is the strongest rationale for decentralisation.
2nd Rank: b. Plans made by local people have greater acceptability because they reflect lived realities; this increases chances of success and local ownership of projects.
3rd Rank: d. Local bodies reduce the distance between citizens and decision-makers, making it easier for people to communicate concerns and seek redress compared with state or national representatives.
4th Rank: a. Community involvement can lower costs and increase supervision, but cost savings are a secondary benefit compared with the need for locally appropriate and participatory decision-making.
The Gram Panchayat of Vengaivasal appears to have acted primarily on rationale (c): the decision was based on local knowledge and participation, since villagers themselves understood the problem and collectively decided what should be done rather than waiting for a distant authority to act.

Q8: Which of the following according to you involves decentralisation?
Why are other options not sufficient for decentralisation?
(a) To hold election of the Gram Panchayat.
(b) Decision by the villagers themselves about what policies and programmes are useful for the village.
(c) Power to call meeting of Gram Sabha.
(d) A Gram Panchayat receiving the report from the Block Development Officer about the progress of a project started by the State government.
Ans: (b)
Explanation: Decentralisation is principally about shifting decision-making authority closer to the people affected by those decisions. Option (b) directly involves villagers deciding on policies and programmes, which is true decentralisation. Options (a), (c) and (d) are important democratic features or administrative actions, but they do not by themselves transfer substantive decision-making powers: elections, calling meetings or receiving reports can take place in a centralised system where real authority remains with higher levels.

Q9: A student of Delhi University, Raghavendra Parpanna, wanted to study the role of decentralisation in decision-making about primary education. He asked some questions to the villagers. These questions are given below. If you were among those villagers, what answer would you give to each of these questions?
A meeting of the Gram Sabha is to be called to discuss what steps should be taken to ensure that every child of the village goes to the school.
(a) How would you decide the suitable day for the meeting? Think who would be able to attend / not attend the meeting because of your choice.
(i) A day specified by the BDO or the collector
(ii) Day of the village haat
(iii) Sunday
(iv) Naag panchami / sankranti
(b) What is a suitable venue for the meeting? Why?
(i) Venue suggested by the circular of the district collector.
(ii) Religious place in the village.
(iii) Dalit Mohalla
(iv) Upper caste Tola
(v) Village school
(c) In the Gram Sabha meeting firstly a circular sent by the district collector was read. It suggested what steps should be taken to organise an education rally and what should be its route. The meeting did not discuss about the children who never come to school or about girls' education, or the condition of the school building and the timing of the school. No women teacher attended the meeting as it was held on Sunday.
What do you think about these proceedings as an instance of people's participation?
(d) Imagine your class as the Gram Sabha. Discuss the agenda of the meeting and suggest some steps to realise the goal.
Ans:
(a) The most appropriate choice is the day of the village haat, because many villagers (shopkeepers, buyers and casual labourers) are already present and can attend without taking extra time off. However, care must be taken for those who may be absent at the haat (for example, seasonal migrant workers) and for women who may be occupied with household work; their convenience should be considered by consulting representative groups before fixing the final date.
(b) The village school is the most suitable venue: it is neutral, public and accessible to all social groups, including children and teachers, and symbolically linked to the subject under discussion. Other venues (religious places, caste-based localities) may exclude or discourage attendance by some groups and thus reduce inclusiveness.
(c) These proceedings show weak people's participation. Reading and following an external circular without local discussion prevents the Gram Sabha from addressing the real, local problems such as out-of-school children, girls' access and school infrastructure. Holding the meeting at a time when women teachers could not attend also limited representation and the ability to consider gendered barriers to education. True participation would involve discussing local causes of non-attendance and planning practical measures together.
(d) If the class is the Gram Sabha, the agenda could include:

• Identify children not attending school and reasons for absence (work, distance, safety, early marriage).
• Discuss girls' education barriers and possible remedies (female teachers, safe routes, separate toilets).
• Assess school infrastructure and required improvements (repair, drinking water, benches).
• Plan community actions: home visits, awareness drives, local monitoring of attendance.
• Allocate responsibilities and a simple timeline; decide on modest local resources or labour contribution.
• Follow up: Schedule the next meeting to review progress and adjust actions.

These steps combine local diagnosis, inclusive discussion and concrete follow-up to make sure every child attends school.