RBI Report: Local governments played a great role in combating the pandemic, but this has now worsened their economic situation. Functional autonomy of civic bodies must increase and governance structures should be strengthened. What steps have been taken for urban governance empowerment in the past? National Commission on Urbanisation with Charles Correa as Chairperson was …
Context: There is a need to reform the 7th Schedule to deliver more powers to local bodies. The 7th Schedule should also incorporate a local body list apart from the Union list, Central list & the concurrent list. Why Seventh Schedule need to be reformed? Obsolete: The principles of 7th schedule were taken from the Government of …
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its annual study of state finances. Findings of Report: On State Finance: States’ gross fiscal deficit breached the 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) mark. Combined revenue deficit of the state governments rose from 0.1% of GDP in 2018-19 to 2% of GDP in 2020-21 because of the pandemic. This was in …
Evolution of Panchayati Raj System During the Ancient period, the Cholas pioneered the formation of local bodies to oversee the implementation of State plans. During the British period, in 1884, the Madras Local Boards Act was passed. After that, unions in both small towns and big cities were formed to ensure better administration. Gram panchayat laws were …
Need to strengthen Panchayati Raj System – UPSC GS2 Read More »
Why should there be a focus on a decentralised approach? The government has launched various programs like Poshan Abhiyan and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. But they have failed to deliver optimum results. International studies show there is a positive correlation between decentralisation and human capital formation. India spends only 4% of its GDP on human capital …
Reforms are suggested by the 15th Finance commission to improve the financial governance of India’s municipalities. Facts: Note: India has 4,500 municipalities out of which approx. 250 municipalities are urban agglomerations with 53 million-plus population. It contains 44 per cent of the total urban population. Whereas, the remaining 4,250-plus municipalities comprise 56 per cent of the total urban …
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a local government, or their agencies. ‘Muni bonds’ are very popular among investors in many developed nations, especially in the U.S., where these have attracted investments totalling over $500 billion and are among preferred avenues for household savings. The Bangalore Municipal Corporation was the first municipal corporation …
Facts: India is on the way to have 69 metropolitan cities by 2025. By 2030, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region will be more populous than Australia and, with its GDP at about $230 billion in 2030, its economy will be bigger than that of Thailand or Hong Kong today Constitutional Provision related to MPC: Article 243 …
Why in news? A private member’s bill was introduced in the parliament to provide for direct election, and empowerment of the office, of mayors in large Indian cities. Why elect mayors directly? Currently multiple civic agencies operate in cities which creates accountability issues. A Mayor is responsible for governance and remains accountable to citizens. He …
What is Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)? Free and Prior informed consent means that the beneficiaries or people affected by a development scheme or a project are aware of the terms and conditions of the benefit and/or the effects it could have on their life and they make an informed choice approving of the …