Grassroots Democracy Part 3: Local Government in Urban Areas
NCERT Class 6th SST Chapter 12: Questions and Answers
The Big Questions (Page 173)
1. What are urban local bodies and what are their functions?
Answer:
Urban local bodies are the government structures that manage cities and towns. They work to solve problems and provide services for people living in urban areas. Depending on the size and population of the city, there are different types of urban local bodies:
- Municipal Corporation: For large cities with populations above 10 lakhs.
- Municipal Council: For medium-sized cities with populations between 1 lakh and 10 lakhs.
- Nagar Panchayat: For smaller towns with populations below 1 lakh.
These bodies are responsible for things like building and maintaining infrastructure, managing garbage collection, providing water, running schools and healthcare services, collecting taxes, and other important community services.
2. Why are urban local bodies important for governance and democracy?
Answer:
Urban local bodies help in managing daily services in cities, like water, garbage collection, and maintaining public spaces. They involve local people in decision-making, which makes governance more democratic. With women being given one-third of the seats, these bodies ensure more people, including women, participate in governance. They reduce the burden on the central government by focusing on local needs.
Let’s Explore
1. Why are cities like Kolkata, Chennai, or Mumbai more complex and diverse than villages or towns?
Answer:
Cities like Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai are more complex because they have a large and diverse population. People from different states, religions, cultures, and backgrounds live in these cities. These cities also have better infrastructure, such as buses, trains, and metro services. The mix of different languages, food, festivals, and traditions makes these cities more diverse and complex than villages or smaller towns.
2. Make a list of diverse communities living in your city. How many can you list? What do you observe about the list?
Answer:
For example, in Delhi, people come from various states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. There are also people from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Britain.
Observation: Delhi is a cosmopolitan city with people from many different backgrounds. This diversity makes it culturally rich and full of different traditions, food, and languages.
3. In Fig. 12.2 (Page 175), what similarities and differences do you notice between the Panchayati Raj system and urban local government?
Answer:
Similarities:
- Both the Panchayati Raj system (for villages) and urban local bodies (for cities) are forms of local government.
- Both are elected by the people every five years.
- One-third of the seats in both systems are reserved for women.
Differences:
- Panchayati Raj works at three levels (village, block, and district), while urban local bodies are usually one or two levels (city/town level).
- Panchayats generally have fewer resources compared to urban local bodies.
4. What are some actions that responsible citizens can take to help their area of the city?
Answer:
Responsible citizens can do the following to help their city:
- Plant and take care of trees.
- Use public transport instead of private vehicles.
- Avoid using plastic bags and use eco-friendly bags like cotton or jute.
- Help poor children by teaching them or donating.
- Switch to energy-efficient LED lights and use solar energy.
- Save water and reuse it for activities like watering plants or cleaning cars.
5. How can you find out if a city has a Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, or Municipal Corporation?
Answer:
You can check by looking at the city’s population size and the local government structure:
- Cities with populations above 10 lakhs have a Municipal Corporation.
- Cities with populations between 1 lakh and 10 lakhs have a Municipal Council.
- Towns with populations below 1 lakh have a Nagar Panchayat.
Example:
- Gangtok (Sikkim): Municipal Corporation
- Belgaum (Karnataka): Municipal Council
- Shimoga (Karnataka): Nagar Panchayat
6. How do urban local bodies fund their activities? Are some of these paid services?
Answer:
Urban local bodies get money from:
- Property taxes
- Water charges
- Fees for waste management
- Trade licenses
- Grants from the state government
Some paid services include renting water tankers, renting out auditoriums, and septic tanker services.
Think About It
1. Indore has been awarded the cleanest city in India for seven years. What role did the citizens of Indore play in this achievement?
Answer:
The citizens of Indore played a key role by following rules for garbage collection and disposal. They avoided littering, used public transport, and reduced plastic use. They also participated in campaigns to keep the city clean and encouraged others to do the same. Their active involvement in keeping their city clean helped Indore win this award for seven years.
Questions, Activities, and Projects (Pages 181-182)
1. You and your friends notice a water pipe leaking on your way to school. What would you do?
Answer:
Here’s what we would do:
- Report the leak to elders or teachers.
- Contact local authorities using a helpline.
- Encourage people to use the water wisely and save it.
- Take pictures of the leak and share them with local leaders through social media or messaging apps.
2. Invite a member of an urban local body to your class. Discuss their role and responsibilities. Prepare a set of questions for them.
Answer:
Here’s a set of questions you could ask a local councillor:
- Can you tell us about your role in the urban local body?
- What are your main responsibilities?
- What do you enjoy most about your work?
- What challenges do you face while doing your job?
- How do you plan to make your area better?
- How do you involve local citizens in decision-making?
- What can students do to help their local body?
- How can we stop littering in our area?
- What are your future plans in politics?
3. What are the expectations people have from urban local bodies?
Answer:
Some common expectations from urban local bodies are:
- Regular supply of clean drinking water.
- Well-maintained parks and recreational areas.
- Efficient waste management, including separating wet and dry garbage.
- Trained staff to clear dangerous hanging wires.
- Organizing cultural events and activities for children.
4. What are the characteristics of a good urban local body?
Answer:
A good urban local body should be:
- Citizen-friendly: Listens to the people and solves their problems.
- Responsive: Reacts quickly to the needs of the people.
- Transparent: Has clear duties and responsibilities, often shown in a citizen charter.
- Tech-savvy: Uses technology like mobile apps for better service delivery.
- Efficient grievance redressal: Solves complaints quickly.
- Inclusive: Encourages the community to participate in decision-making.
5. What are the similarities and differences between Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies?
Answer:
Similarities:
- Both systems are forms of decentralized government.
- Both are responsible for providing basic services to people.
- Both are elected by the people every five years.
- Both have one-third of seats reserved for women.
Differences:
- Panchayati Raj operates at three levels (village, block, district), while urban local bodies are mostly at the city or town level.
- Panchayats usually have fewer resources than urban local bodies.
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