Question

Explain the main features of the 74${}^{th}$ Amendment to the Indian constitution, relating to urban local self-government institutions.

Answer 1

The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of Constitution 1992 made the provision of Urban Local Self Government. It consists of three-tier system Municipal Corporation, Municipality(Municipal Council), and Nagar Panchayat.

This Act has added a new Part - IX-A to the Constitution of India with the title "The Municipalities". This Act also added Twelfth schedule which contains eighteen functional items of Municipalities.

1. It provides for the composition of Municipalities. All the members of a municipality shall be elected directly by the people of the Municipal area. For this, the Municipal area is divided into wards.
2. It provided for the Reservation of seats for the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes in the proportion of their population in the Municipal area.
3. Further, it provides for the Reservation of not less than one-third of the total number of seats for women.
4. It provides for the duration of office of every municipality to be five years and state the qualification and disqualification of members.