BharatNotes 74th Constitutional Amendment
/ˈsevənti fɔːθ ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃənl əˈmendmənt/The Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992 — which added Part IX-A (Articles 243P to 243ZG) and the Twelfth Schedule (18 subjects) — providing constitutional recognition to Urban Local Bodies (Municipalities), mandating elections every five years, reservation for women (1/3) and SC/ST, District Planning Committees, and Metropolitan Planning Committees for cities above 10 lakh population.
Context & Background
Enacted simultaneously with the 73rd Amendment. The 18 subjects in the Twelfth Schedule include urban planning, land use, construction, economic and social development, roads, bridges, water supply, public health, and slum improvement. Urban devolution has lagged further behind rural devolution — most municipalities remain financially dependent on state grants, with own-source revenue averaging only 40-45% of total municipal income. The 15th Finance Commission recommended a grants framework specifically for urban local bodies.
UPSC Exam Relevance
GS2 Governance — Prelims: Part IX-A; Articles 243P–243ZG; Twelfth Schedule (18 subjects); Ward Committees (Article 243S) for cities above 3 lakh; DPC (Article 243ZD); MPC for metro areas (243ZE); in force 1 June 1993. Mains: urban governance challenges — property tax reform, own-source revenue, smart cities vs municipal bodies, water and sanitation, AMRUT vs JNNURM comparison; DPC functioning gap; need for constitutional status to metropolitan bodies.
