“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.
Approach · directive: “critically examine”
What it asks · Weigh the achievements of Panchayats and municipalities after the 73rd and 74th Amendments against their weaknesses in functions, funds and functionaries, then propose reforms.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Critically examine: how far local bodies have succeeded or failed as instruments of governance — achievements against weaknesses, with a verdict
- Give views to improve the situation: specific reforms in functions, funds and functionaries
Open with · The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992) gave local bodies constitutional status, but their working as instruments of governance remains uneven.
Cover
- Achievements: regular elections, reservation for women, SCs and STs, and wider political participation, with women now present in large numbers among elected representatives.
- Functions: the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules list 29 and 18 subjects, but many States have not devolved them, and parallel agencies and line departments hold the real powers.
- Finances: weak own-source revenue, dependence on tied grants, and irregular State Finance Commissions and action on their reports.
- Functionaries and capacity: shortage of staff and technical skills; proxy representation by husbands and relatives (‘sarpanch-pati’), elite capture and weak gram sabhas.
- Planning and coordination: District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees often exist only on paper; urban bodies are overshadowed by development authorities.
- Reforms: activity mapping, untied funds and stronger own taxes, timely SFC cycles, capacity building, social audit, and e-governance.
Close with · Local bodies have widened participation but not yet delivered effective governance; genuine devolution of functions, funds and functionaries is the way forward.
Add value (verified)
- Article 243I requires the Governor to constitute a State Finance Commission every five years to review the finances of Panchayats, a constitutional check on their fiscal health. The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2024), Article 243I - Legislative Department ↗“thereafter at the expiration of every fifth year, constitute a Finance Commission to review the financial position of the Panchayats and to make recommendations to the Governor”
- Article 243G leaves it to each State legislature to decide what powers Panchayats get, which is why devolution differs so widely across States. The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2024), Article 243G - Legislative Department ↗“the Legislature of a State may, by law, endow the Panchayats with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2017, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 226 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992) gave Panchayats and municipalities constitutional status, but Article 243G leaves each State to decide what powers they receive, so their record as instruments of governance is mixed.
What has worked
- Regular elections and reservation for women, SCs and STs have brought lakhs of new representatives into public office.
- Gram sabhas give citizens a nearby forum, and State Finance Commissions (Article 243I) review local finances every five years.
Where the statement holds
- Functions: the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules list 29 and 18 subjects, yet many States have devolved few; line departments and parallel agencies keep the real work.
- Funds: own revenue is thin, grants are tied, and SFCs are constituted late or their reports ignored.
- Functionaries: staff and technical skills are short; proxy control by relatives ('sarpanch-pati') and elite capture hollow out gram sabhas.
- Planning: District and Metropolitan Planning Committees often exist only on paper, and development authorities overshadow municipalities.
Views to improve the situation
- Activity mapping that fixes which tier does what, with staff transferred along with functions.
- Untied grants, wider property-tax and user-charge powers, and timely action on SFC reports.
- Capacity building, e-governance and social audit against capture and proxy rule.
Local bodies have widened participation but not yet delivered governance; the gap lies in devolution, not design, and closes only when States transfer functions, funds and functionaries together.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.