Under the Seventy-Fourth Constitutional Amendment relating to urban local bodies, what fraction of the total number of seats in a Municipality is reserved for women, including the seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes?

Introduction / Context:
The Seventy-Third and Seventy-Fourth Constitutional Amendments introduced major reforms in rural and urban local governance in India. One of the key features of these amendments is the reservation of seats for women in Panchayats and Municipalities. This question asks about the fraction of seats reserved for women in Municipalities under the Seventy-Fourth Amendment, which is important for understanding gender representation in local self government.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question focuses on Municipalities, that is, urban local bodies created under the Seventy-Fourth Amendment.
- It specifically includes seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the overall reservation for women.
- The options provided are 1/5, 1/7, 1/3 and 1/4.
- The learner is expected to know the general rule on reservation for women in local bodies.

Concept / Approach:
The Constitution, through the Seventy-Third and Seventy-Fourth Amendments, mandated that not less than one-third of the total number of seats in Panchayats and Municipalities shall be reserved for women. This one-third quota applies to the total number of seats to be filled by direct election, and includes the seats reserved for women of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The approach is to recall this one-third rule and apply it to the context of Municipalities.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the general provision that in local self government institutions, at least one-third of the total number of seats shall be reserved for women. Step 2: Understand that this rule applies both to rural bodies (Panchayats) under the Seventy-Third Amendment and to urban bodies (Municipalities) under the Seventy-Fourth Amendment. Step 3: Note that the reservation for women is calculated out of the total seats to be filled by direct election and includes seats separately reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Step 4: Among the fractions given, 1/3 matches the constitutional minimum requirement of not less than one-third. Step 5: The other fractions (1/5, 1/7, 1/4) are lower than one-third and do not reflect the constitutional standard. Step 6: Therefore, the correct fraction is 1/3.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by referring to the text of Part IXA of the Constitution, which deals with Municipalities, and to standard polity books that summarise the Seventy-Fourth Amendment. They clearly state that not less than one-third of the total number of seats in Municipalities are reserved for women. Many exam oriented guides repeat this fact because it is a commonly asked question. Since all such references consistently mention the one-third requirement, 1/3 is confirmed as the correct fraction.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, 1/5, is wrong because it represents only twenty percent of the seats, which is significantly less than the constitutional requirement of at least one-third.

Option B, 1/7, is wrong because it would give women a very small share of seats, around fourteen percent, which is far below the mandated minimum.

Option D, 1/4, is wrong because it indicates only twenty five percent reservation, which again does not reach the one-third threshold that the Constitution requires.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to confuse the exact fraction for women's reservation with other numeric provisions in local government, such as the proportion of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, or to mix it up with different proposals for higher reservation percentages. Another mistake is to assume that reservation for women might be lower than one-third due to older municipal practices, without recognising the clear constitutional mandate. To avoid these errors, students should remember that the phrase not less than one-third is central to women's reservation in local bodies.

Final Answer:
In a Municipality, at least 1/3 of the total number of seats are reserved for women, including seats reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.