GS Paper 2 10 marks · 150w 9 min Hard

“The local self-government system in India has not proved to be effective instrument of governance.” Critically examine the statement and give your views to improve the situation.

Subtopic: Constitution & Polity · local self-government

Model answer outline

How to structure your answer

Introduction: 73rd/74th Amendments as the constitutional promise → grounds supporting the statement: incomplete devolution of funds, functions, functionaries → counter-evidence: democratic deepening and delivery successes → views to improve: fiscal empowerment, activity mapping, capacity building → Conclusion

Full model answer

Detailed model answer

199 words · target 150 words · 9 min

Introduction

The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992) constitutionalised local self-government, creating nearly 2.6 lakh panchayats and municipalities with over 32 lakh elected representatives. Yet effectiveness has lagged the promise.

Why the criticism holds

Incomplete devolution of the three Fs: most states have not genuinely transferred the 29 and 18 subjects of the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules; line departments retain control.
Fiscal dependence: panchayats raise barely any own revenue and municipal own revenue remains around 1 per cent of GDP equivalent terms, leaving bodies grant-dependent; State Finance Commissions are constituted late and their reports ignored.
Capacity and accountability gaps: staff shortages, proxy politics such as sarpanch-pati, parallel bodies and delayed local elections in some states.

Why it is not wholly true

Local democracy has deepened — about 46 per cent of panchayat representatives are women, with 50 per cent reservation in over 20 states.
Kerala's People's Plan Campaign, participatory budgeting in Pune, and digital platforms like e-GramSwaraj and SVAMITVA show real delivery capability.

Way forward

Time-bound activity mapping, untied fiscal transfers building on the 15th Finance Commission's local-body grants, property tax reform, regular SFCs, and capacity building under RGSA with empowered Gram Sabhas.

Conclusion

The institutions are sound; their enfeeblement is a political choice. Genuine devolution can turn local bodies into effective instruments of governance.

Key points

What an examiner expects to see

Constitutional basis: 73rd/74th Amendments (1992), Parts IX and IX-A, Eleventh Schedule (29 subjects) and Twelfth Schedule (18 subjects).
Core weakness — incomplete devolution of funds, functions and functionaries; line departments and parallel bodies bypass elected local governments.
Fiscal infirmity: negligible own-source revenue, delayed and ignored State Finance Commissions, grant dependence undermining autonomy.
Capacity deficits: staff vacancies, weak planning capability, proxy representation (sarpanch-pati), and postponed local elections in some states.
Counter-evidence: 32 lakh+ elected representatives, about 46% women, 50% reservation in 20+ states — deepest democratisation anywhere.
Success stories: Kerala People's Plan Campaign, participatory budgeting, e-GramSwaraj, SVAMITVA property records.
Reforms: activity mapping, untied 15th FC local grants (Rs 4.36 lakh crore for 2021-26), property tax modernisation, regular SFCs, RGSA capacity building, empowered Gram Sabhas.

Examples to use

Concrete cases, schemes and judgments

Kerala's People's Plan Campaign devolving about a third of plan funds to local bodies
15th Finance Commission grant of Rs 4.36 lakh crore to local governments for 2021-26
RBI Report on Municipal Finances highlighting weak own-revenue base of urban local bodies
e-GramSwaraj and SVAMITVA scheme digitising panchayat planning and property records
50% reservation for women in panchayats adopted by over 20 states

Keywords / terms

Terminology to weave into the answer

73rd and 74th Amendmentsthree Fs devolutionState Finance Commissionown-source revenueGram Sabha empowermentparticipatory planning