RESERVATION FOR WOMEN IN ULBs (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Nagaland Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill seeking to reserve 33% of seats in urban local bodies (ULB) for women, demonstrating a significant step toward gender equality.

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

• About: ULBs are responsible for governing cities or towns with specific population criteria.

o ULBs are delegated numerous functions by state governments, encompassing public health, welfare, regulatory roles, public safety, public infrastructure projects, and developmental activities.

• 74th Constitutional Amendment Act: The constitutionalization of urban local governments took place with the enactment of this Act in 1992, under the leadership of the P.V. Narasimha Rao government. It became effective on June 1, 1993.
• Articles:  243-P to 243-ZG
• Part: IX -A
• Schedule: 12th

Structure

• Municipal Corporation: Typically located in major cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.
• Municipality: Commonly established in smaller cities, also referred to by various names like municipal council, municipal committee, or municipal board.
• Notified Area Committee: Established for rapidly developing towns and areas lacking essential amenities.
• All committee members are nominated by the state government.
• Town Area Committee:Found in small towns and holds limited authority, primarily concerning matters like street lighting, drainage, roads, and sanitation.