NCERT Solutions for Class 6th Social Science Chapter 12 Grassroots Democracy Part 3 Local Government In Urban Areas
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
The chapter’s one idea: a city, like a village, should be run by the people who live in it. Chapter 11 looked at the rural side of local government; this chapter looks at the urban side. Cities are “generally more complex and diverse” than villages, “so it is understandable that the urban governance system needs to be more complex too” — but the principle is unchanged. This is participatory democracy : good governance “aims to empower the citizens so they may actively participate in their country’s functioning”. The whole Indian system fits into one pyramid — Fig. 12.2 on page 175. From the top: Union Government at the national level → State Government → Local Government , which then splits into two branches — Rural: Panchayati Raj Institutions on the left (Zila Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti
- Chapter opening
- Introduction
- Fig. 12.2
- Urban Local Bodies
- Indore and the Swachh Survekshan
- Types of urban local body, and how they are funded
- Sameer and Anita
- The chapter in three points
- End-of-chapter exercise
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where it appears in the chapter | Worth remembering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban local body (ULB) | “Local government structures in urban areas” | Page 175 | The urban twin of a Panchayat — the right-hand branch of Fig. 12.2 |
| Decentralised | “Instead of operating under a central authority at the top, the local communities have a direct say on how their areas are managed” | Page 175 | Decisions move down to the people, not up to a distant office |
| Participatory democracy | Governance that “aims to empower the citizens so they may actively participate in their country’s functioning” | Page 174 | It gives citizens duties, not only rights |
| Ward | The “smaller units” into which “cities and towns are divided” | Page 176 | The smallest unit of a city’s government — you vote for the councillor of your own ward |
| Ward Committee | The body at the ward level in Fig. 12.2, which facilitates health camps, campaigns and the reporting of local problems | Pages 175–176 | “The precise functioning of wards differs from State to State” |
| Municipal Corporation | The highest urban body in cities with a population above 10 lakhs, “also called ‘Mahanagar Nigam’” | Page 179; Figs. 12.1, 12.3, 12.4 | Mumbai, Chennai and Indore all have one |
| Municipal Council | The highest body where the population is “between 1 and 10 lakhs”, “also called ‘Nagar Palika’” | Page 179; Fig. 12.2 (as ‘City Council’) | Its head is a Chairperson or President, not a Mayor |
| Nagar Panchayat | The body in “cities and towns with smaller populations” — below about 1 lakh | Page 179; Fig. 12.2 | Do not confuse it with a Gram Panchayat — a Nagar Panchayat is an urban body |
| Mayor | The elected head of a Municipal Corporation, chosen by the elected councillors | Not named in the chapter — general knowledge | Elected. The Municipal Commissioner, who runs the office, is appointed |
| Municipal Commissioner | The chief executive officer of a Municipal Corporation, appointed by the State Government | Not named in the chapter — general knowledge | Appointed, not elected — like the Panchayat Secretary in Chapter 11 |
| Property tax and user charges | The main money an urban local body raises itself — see “PROPERTY TAX” and “WATER CHARGES” in Fig. 12.4 | Page 178 | Urban bodies “collect local taxes and fines” (page 176) |
| Swachh Survekshan | The government cleanliness survey under which Indore was “awarded the cleanest city in India … for seven years in a row” | Page 179 | The award went to a city, but the work was done by its citizens |
| Madras Corporation | Established 29 September 1688, “the oldest municipal institution in India” | Page 177, Fig. 12.3 | Now the Greater Chennai Corporation |
Exercises
- Chapter opening — The Big Questions Page 173
- Introduction — LET’S EXPLORE Page 174
- Fig. 12.2 — LET’S EXPLORE Page 175
- Urban Local Bodies — LET’S EXPLORE Page 177
- Indore and the Swachh Survekshan — THINK ABOUT IT Page 179
- Types of urban local body, and how they are funded — LET’S EXPLORE Page 179
- Sameer and Anita — In-text Questions Page 179–181
- The chapter in three points — Before we move on … Page 181
- End-of-chapter exercise — Questions, activities and projects Page 181–182