Loading…
A series of fatal 2026 urban disasters — including the Aliganj (Lucknow) fire that killed 15 people and the Malviya Nagar (Delhi) fire — has exposed a deepening urban governance crisis in India, tied to illegal construction and weak enforcement.
The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 sought to empower Urban Local Bodies via Article 243W and the Twelfth Schedule (18 municipal functions), but urban governance remains fragmented, centralised, and weakly accountable.
NITI Aayog's 'Moving Towards Effective City Government' (2026) report identifies institutional fragmentation among municipal corporations, development authorities, and utility boards as a major challenge.
Cities contribute nearly two-thirds of India's GDP, with urban population projected to approach 50% by 2047 — making governance reform central to the Viksit Bharat vision.
Article 243W empowers state legislatures to endow municipalities with powers for self-government, while the Twelfth Schedule lists 18 functions (including urban planning, fire services, and building regulation) intended for devolution to Urban Local Bodies.
Simple Analogy: The constitutional blueprint for city self-rule exists, but in practice many of those 18 functions remain controlled by state-level agencies rather than city governments.
GS Paper II > Local Government, Urban Governance
Local self-government can be best explained as an exercise in
Answer: Democratic decentralisation
Lists 18 functions intended for devolution to municipalities under the 74th Constitutional Amendment