Political Science · Class 11

Active learning ideas

The 74th Constitutional Amendment

Let's investigate the government that manages our streets, parks, and water supply. This lesson explores the 74th Amendment, the constitutional key that unlocked modern governance for India's cities and towns.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• NCERT: Class XI - Political Science - Indian Constitution at Work

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Concept Mapping
• 45 min · Small Groups

Know Your Municipality

Students research their own local municipal body. They identify their ward number, the name of their corporator/councillor, key functions performed by the municipality in their area, and one major local issue.

Compare the provisions of the 74th Amendment with those of the 73rd Amendment.

Facilitation Tip

Provide a simple template or worksheet to guide their research using the official municipal website.

What to look for

A short quiz asking students to match the 18 functions from the Twelfth Schedule to different municipal departments.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Concept Mapping
• 25 min · Pairs

73rd vs 74th: A Comparative Chart

In pairs, students create a Venn diagram or a two-column chart to compare and contrast the key provisions of the 73rd (Panchayati Raj) and 74th (Nagarpalika) Amendments.

Explain the structure and functions of urban local bodies in India.

Facilitation Tip

Prompt them to look for similarities in structure, reservations, and financial provisions.

What to look for

Write an essay on 'The 74th Amendment has strengthened grassroots democracy in urban India. Critically evaluate this statement.'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Concept Mapping
• 40 min · Small Groups

Budget for My Ward

Groups are given a hypothetical budget and a list of civic needs for a ward (e.g., road repair, sanitation, park maintenance). They must allocate funds, justifying their decisions based on priority.

Identify the sources of revenue for municipal bodies.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage debate and consensus-building within the groups to simulate real-world decision-making.

What to look for

Students complete a K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned) chart about their local municipal body before and after the topic is taught.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin by asking students to list five services they expect in their locality, linking these to municipal functions. Use a simple diagram to illustrate the three-tier structure of urban local bodies. Emphasise the parallel nature of the 73rd and 74th Amendments to reinforce the concept of decentralisation as a national policy for both rural and urban areas.

Upon completing this topic, your students will be able to decode the workings of their local municipality and explain how its decisions directly impact their daily lives and neighbourhood.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• The 74th Amendment created municipalities for the first time in India.

  Municipal bodies existed in India even during the British era. The 74th Amendment did not create them, but it granted them a constitutional status, ensuring a uniform structure, regular elections, and greater stability.

• The Mayor is the most powerful person in a Municipal Corporation, like a Prime Minister.

  The Mayor is the political and ceremonial head of the corporation. The executive powers and day-to-day administration are typically handled by the Municipal Commissioner, who is an appointed civil servant (like an IAS officer).

• Municipalities are completely independent of the state government.

  Municipalities are institutions of self-government but function within the framework of state legislation. The state government retains powers of supervision, control, and can even dissolve a municipality under certain conditions, although the amendment mandates re-elections within six months.

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Methods used in this brief

• Concept Mapping