Class 6 Social Science Chapter 12 Grassroots Democracy — Part 3: Local Government in Urban Areas Practice Paper 1

Class: VI Subject: Social Science Session: 2025-26 Chapter: 12 - Local Government in Urban Areas Time: 1½ Hours Max. Marks: 40

General Instructions:

1. All questions are compulsory.

2. This question paper contains 20 questions divided into five sections A, B, C, D and E.

3. Section A contains 10 MCQs of 1 mark each.

4. Section B contains 4 questions of 2 marks each.

5. Section C contains 3 questions of 3 marks each.

6. Section D contains 1 question of 5 marks.

7. Section E contains 2 Case Study Based questions of 4 marks each.

SECTION A - Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)

Q1. Which of the following is the oldest municipal institution in India?
(a) Mumbai Municipal Corporation
(b) Kolkata Municipal Corporation
(c) Chennai Corporation
(d) Delhi Municipal Corporation

Q2. What is the minimum population required for a city to have a Municipal Corporation?
(a) 5 lakhs
(b) 10 lakhs
(c) 15 lakhs
(d) 20 lakhs

Q3. The smallest unit into which cities and towns are divided for local governance is called:
(a) Block
(b) Ward
(c) Tehsil
(d) District

Q4. Which constitutional amendment gave constitutional status to urban local bodies?
(a) 72nd Amendment
(b) 73rd Amendment
(c) 74th Amendment
(d) 75th Amendment

Q5. Municipal Council is also known as:
(a) Mahanagar Nigam
(b) Nagar Panchayat
(c) Nagar Palika
(d) Gram Panchayat

Q6. Which city has been awarded the cleanest city in India for seven consecutive years?
(a) Bhopal
(b) Surat
(c) Indore
(d) Mysore

Q7. 'Participatory democracy' means:
(a) Only elected leaders take decisions
(b) Citizens actively participate in governance
(c) Only government officials run the administration
(d) Democracy without any participation

Q8. In which year was the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (originally Bombay Municipal Corporation) created?
(a) 1765
(b) 1792
(c) 1865
(d) 1947

Q9. What type of urban local body governs cities with population between 1 and 10 lakhs?
(a) Municipal Corporation
(b) Municipal Council
(c) Nagar Panchayat
(d) Cantonment Board

Q10. CRM in the context of municipal services stands for:
(a) Central Resource Management
(b) Citizen Relationship Management
(c) City Revenue Management
(d) Civil Rights Movement

SECTION B - Short Answer Questions (2 marks each)

Q11. What are urban local bodies? Why are they called 'decentralised'?

Q12. List any four services provided by the Indore Municipal Corporation.

Q13. What is a ward? What functions do ward committees perform?

Q14. Differentiate between Municipal Corporation and Municipal Council based on population criteria.

SECTION C - Short Answer Questions (3 marks each)

Q15. Explain the role of citizens in ensuring efficient functioning of urban local bodies. Give three examples.

Q16. Describe the hierarchy of governance in India from the national level to the local level for urban areas.

Q17. Why is urban governance generally more complex than rural governance? Explain with reasons.

SECTION D - Long Answer Question (5 marks)

Q18. What are the main functions performed by urban local bodies? Explain any five functions with examples.

SECTION E - Case Study Based Questions (4 marks each)

Q19. Read the following case study and answer the questions: The Madras Corporation (now Greater Chennai Corporation), established on 29 September 1688, is the oldest municipal institution in India. The East India Company issued a charter the previous year constituting the town of 'Fort St. George' and all territories within 16 km from the Fort into a corporation. A Parliamentary Act of 1792 gave the Madras Corporation power to levy municipal taxes in the city, which is when the municipal administration properly began.

(a) In which year was the Madras Corporation established? (1 mark)
(b) Who issued the charter for creating the Madras Corporation? (1 mark)
(c) What was the original name of the town that became a corporation? (1 mark)
(d) What power did the Parliamentary Act of 1792 give to the Madras Corporation? (1 mark)

Q20. Read the following case study and answer the questions: Sameer from a village and Anita from a city were discussing about governance. Sameer mentioned that in his village, everyone knows each other and works together. He shared an incident where some children noticed a dangerously low electricity wire touching a building's roof. They reported it to a Gram Sabha member, and the electric post was shifted. Anita compared this to city governance where local bodies and elected representatives manage similar issues, though on a larger and more complex scale.

(a) What problem did the village children identify? (1 mark)
(b) To whom did they report the problem? (1 mark)
(c) What does this incident teach us about participatory democracy? (1 mark)
(d) How is the village governance system similar to urban local bodies? (1 mark) DETAILED ANSWER KEY - PAPER 01

SECTION A - Answers to MCQs

Ans 1.
(c) Chennai Corporation The Madras Corporation (now Greater Chennai Corporation), established on 29 September 1688, is the oldest municipal institution in India. Ans 2.
(b) 10 lakhs Only cities with a population above 10 lakhs have a Municipal Corporation (Mahanagar Nigam) as their highest body. Ans 3.
(b) Ward Cities and towns are divided into smaller units called 'wards', and ward committees facilitate various local activities. Ans 4.
(c) 74th Amendment The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 gave constitutional status to urban local bodies and made their formation mandatory.

Ans 5.
(c) Nagar Palika Municipal Council is also called 'Nagar Palika' and governs cities with population between 1 and 10 lakhs. Ans 6.
(c) Indore Indore in Madhya Pradesh has been awarded the cleanest city in India under the Swachh Survekshan government scheme for seven years in a row. Ans 7.
(b) Citizens actively participate in governance Participatory democracy is the broader concept where good governance aims to empower citizens so they may actively participate in their country's functioning.

Ans 8.
(c) 1865 The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (originally 'Bombay Municipal Corporation') was created in 1865. Ans 9.
(b) Municipal Council Between 1 and 10 lakhs population, the highest urban local body is a Municipal Council (Nagar Palika). Ans 10.
(b) Citizen Relationship Management CRM stands for Citizen Relationship Management, which is a system used by municipal corporations to manage various citizen services.

SECTION B - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 11. Urban Local Bodies: Local government structures in urban areas are called 'urban local bodies'. They are responsible for managing civic administration in cities and towns. Why 'Decentralised': They are called decentralised because instead of operating under a central authority at the top, the local communities have a direct say on how their areas are managed. Citizens can come together and take decisions about what is best for them at the local level. Ans 12. Four services provided by Indore Municipal Corporation are:

1. Property Tax collection

2. Water Charges and supply

3. Solid Waste Management

4. Marriage Certificate issuance (Other acceptable answers: Fire Services, Various Licenses, Water Tanker, Debris Clearance, Grievance handling, Tree Cutting permits) Ans 13. Ward: A ward is the smallest unit into which cities and towns are divided for local governance purposes. Functions of Ward Committees: • Conducting health camps • Organising campaigns (e.g., against single-use plastics) • Monitoring problems like water leaks, blocked drains, damaged roads • Reporting issues to authorities Ans 14.

Difference based on Population: Municipal Corporation (Mahanagar Nigam): Governs cities with population above 10 lakhs. Examples: Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Indore. Municipal Council (Nagar Palika): Governs cities with population between 1 lakh and 10 lakhs. These are medium-sized urban areas.

SECTION C - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 15. Role of Citizens in Urban Local Bodies: For urban local bodies to perform their functions efficiently, people living in the city must also perform their duties showing care and concern for their area (participatory democracy). Three Examples:

1. Waste Segregation: If people carefully follow instructions regarding waste segregation, garbage collection becomes easier for municipal workers.

2. Reporting Problems: If they notice a water leakage in a street, reporting it promptly will prevent further wastage of precious water.

3. Active Participation: Attending ward committee meetings, participating in campaigns against single-use plastics, and informing authorities about blocked drains or damaged roads. Ans 16. Hierarchy of Governance (National to Local for Urban Areas):

1. Union Government: At the national level - handles matters of national importance

2. State Government: Governs at the state level - handles state matters

3. Local Government (Urban): Urban Local Bodies - handles local urban matters

4. Municipal Corporation/Municipal Council/Nagar Panchayat: Depending on population size

5. Ward Committee: Manages individual wards

6. People of the Ward: The base of the pyramid - citizens who participate in governance This pyramid structure shows that the base is closer to the people (local level) while the top represents the national level. Ans 17. Reasons for Urban Governance Being More Complex:

1. Population Density: Cities have much larger and denser populations compared to villages, requiring more extensive infrastructure and services.

2. Diversity: Urban areas are more diverse with people from different backgrounds, communities, religions, and economic levels living together.

3. Service Demands: Cities require more complex services like traffic management, public transport, multiple water supply zones, waste management at large scale, etc.

4. Anonymity: Unlike villages where everyone knows each other, in cities people are more independent and often don't know their neighbours, making community coordination more challenging.

5. Infrastructure Complexity: Multi-storied buildings, underground utilities, metro systems, and other modern infrastructure require sophisticated management.

SECTION D - Answer to Long Answer Question

Ans 18. Main Functions of Urban Local Bodies: Urban local bodies are responsible for a range of functions affecting citizens' daily lives:

1. Infrastructure Maintenance: Taking care of roads, bridges, streetlights, and public buildings. This includes repairing damaged roads, maintaining drainage systems, and ensuring proper street lighting.

2. Sanitation and Waste Management: Garbage collection and disposal is a major responsibility. This includes maintaining burial grounds/cremation grounds, clearing debris, and ensuring cleanliness of public spaces. Example: Indore Municipal Corporation's solid waste management has made it India's cleanest city.

3. Water Supply and Sewerage: Providing clean drinking water to residents, maintaining water pipelines, managing water tanker services, and operating sewage treatment facilities.

4. Tax Collection and Revenue: Collecting local taxes like property tax, water charges, and various fees. Issuing trade licenses, hoarding permissions, and other business-related licenses.

5. Implementation of Government Schemes: Checking and ensuring proper implementation of various central and state government schemes in the urban area.

6. Public Health and Safety Services: Operating fire services, ambulance services, conducting health camps, and issuing birth/death/marriage certificates.

7. Urban Planning and Development: Planning for the area's economic and social development, regulating building construction, and managing urban growth.

SECTION E - Answers to Case Study Based Questions

Ans 19.
(a) Year of Establishment: The Madras Corporation was established on 29 September 1688.
(b) Charter Issuer: The East India Company issued the charter for creating the Madras Corporation in 1687.
(c) Original Name: The original name of the town was 'Fort St. George' and all territories within 16 km from the Fort.
(d) Power from 1792 Act: The Parliamentary Act of 1792 gave the Madras Corporation power to levy municipal taxes in the city, which marked the proper beginning of municipal administration.

Ans 20.
(a) Problem Identified: The village children identified that an electricity wire was hanging dangerously low, almost touching the roof of a building.
(b) Reported To: They reported the problem to one of the Gram Sabha members.
(c) Lesson about Participatory Democracy: This incident teaches us that in a participatory democracy, everyone's voice matters - even children can participate and contribute to local governance. When citizens actively report problems and suggest solutions, the system works effectively.

(d) Similarity with Urban Local Bodies: Both village governance (Panchayati Raj) and urban local bodies have elected members who represent local citizens. Both systems allow people to come together, discuss issues, and take decisions about what is best for their area. The basic idea is the same - everyone's voice matters.