ICSE VI CIVICS - Urban Local Self Government

Define metropolitan.
Metropolitan is related with a big and important city of a country.

Name the four metropolitan cities of India.

Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai are the four metropolitan cities of India each having a population of more than one crore. People in these cities work in factories or service sector like banking, teaching, insurance, transport etc

What are the problems faced by the metropolitan cities of India.

Metropolitan cities are highly populated with complex problems and requirements to be dealt with. They require:

1.   Good roads

2.   Proper means of travel and communication

3.   Large hospitals, markets, schools, colleges etc

4.   Large funds for the upkeep

Name the local bodies which look after the upkeep of the urban areas.

The local bodies which look after the upkeep of the urban areas are:

1.   Municipal corporations

2.   Municipalities

3.   Town area committees

4.   Cantonment Boards

5.   Improvement Trusts

6.   Port Trusts

Define Municipal Corporation.

Municipal Corporation is a local self governing body in a large city.

Who is a mayor? What are his functions?

A mayor is the head of Municipal Corporation.                                                                        

The mayor’s function is to preside over the meetings of the corporation.                           

How are the mayor and deputy mayor elected? What is the mayor’s term of office?

The mayor and deputy mayor are elected by the members of the Municipal Corporation from among themselves.                                                                                                                  

The mayor holds office for a term of one year.

Who are aldermen?

Aldermen are members of the municipal corporations and municipalities who are elected among the popular and respected citizens of that city.

Who is the Municipal commissioner? What is his term of office?

The Municipal Commissioner also called the Chief Executive Officer is appointed by the State government. He holds office for a term of 3 to 5 years.

What is term of a Municipal corporation?                                                   

The Municipal Corporation is elected for a term of five years.                                                                              

On what basis does its number of members depend on?

The total number of members in a municipal corporation depends on the population of that city.

Why does the Municipal Corporations set up committees?

The Municipal Corporations set up committees to look after day to day work.                          

E.g. Education committee, the public health committee, the district planning committee

How is the municipal corporation composed? Who are its members?

1.   The members of parliament [MPs] and the Members of the Legislative Assembly [MLAs] of that area

2.   Some seats are reserved for the Schedule castes and Schedule tribes.

3.   A few seats are reserved for women

What are the two categories of functions of the Municipal Corporation?

The Municipal Corporation performs functions which are categorized as:

1.   Compulsory Functions

2.   Optional Functions

List the three groups of compulsory functions of the Municipal Corporation.

The three groups of compulsory functions of the Municipal Corporation are:

1.   Public health and sanitation

2.   Public works and services

3.   Public education

What are the functions under the head of Public health and sanitation?

 The functions under the head of Public health and sanitation are:

1.   establishment of hospitals dispensaries, maternity and child welfare centres

2.    making arrangements for vaccination and inoculation to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases

3.   supply of safe drinking water

4.   clearing and disposal of garbage cleaning roads drains and public toilets

5.   keeping a check on quality of food sold in shops markets or restaurants

What are the functions under the head of Public works and services?

The functions under the head of Public works and services are:

1.   Construction of roads, bridges, public buildings, markets, crematoria and graveyards

2.   Construction and maintenance of water supply system

3.   Arrangements of street lightning

4.   Maintenance of fire brigade

5.   Demolition of dangerous and illegal buildings

6.   Maintaining records of birth and death

What are the functions under the head of Public education?

The functions under the head of Public education are:

1.   Establishment of primary and secondary schools and adult education centres.

What is the criterion of having a municipality?

To have a municipality as an urban local governing body places with a population ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 are eligible.

What are the optional functions of the Municipal Corporation?

The optional functions of the Municipal Corporation are:

1.   Establishment and maintenance of public parks, gardens, picnic resorts, libraries museums, zoos, theatres

2.   Construction of maintenance of old homes, orphanages, night shelters, rest houses

3.   Supply of cooking gas and milk

4.   Organizing cultural events like sports, exhibition, fairs

5.   Maintenance of cheap public transport

What are some of the sources of income of municipalities and municipal corporations?

1.   Taxes on houses and land [Property Tax]

2.   Taxes on goods and animals brought into or taken out of the city

3.   Taxes on vehicles, cars, motorcycles or carriages to maintain and repair roads

4.   Taxes on cinema halls circuses etc [Entertainment tax]

5.   Taxes on houses and organizations which have municipal water taps [Water Tax]

6.   Taxes collected for educational activities [Educational tax]

7.   Taxes on businesses and professions

8.   Taxes on shopkeepers and traders for selling their goods

9.   Taxes for the use of roads and bridges [Toll tax]

10. Grants from the state government for providing specific services to citizens.

With reference to the urban local self-governing bodies what is the role of state government.

1.   The state government and the local bodies work in cooperation with each other to carry out their duties.

2.   The state government supervises the working of local bodies

3.   The state government can take action against any organization which fails to do its work properly

4.   The state government can dissolve these organizations

5.   The state government trains young people and encourages them to be good citizens of the nation.