Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Municipal Corporation
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Urban local government in India is organised at different levels depending on the size and population of the settlement. Smaller towns, transitional areas between rural and urban, and large metropolitan cities all have different institutional forms. This question checks whether you can match the correct type of local body with a larger urban area. Understanding this hierarchy is important for exams on Indian polity, governance and public administration.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The basic approach is to recall the three common types of urban local bodies in India: Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council (nagar palika or municipality) and Municipal Corporation (mahanagar palika). A Nagar Panchayat is set up for a transitional area (from rural to urban). A municipality governs a medium-sized town. A municipal corporation is created for larger cities with a high population and significant economic importance. Therefore, when the question refers to the institution that controls a larger urban area, the correct answer should be the Municipal Corporation.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that rural local bodies include Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads, whereas urban local bodies include Nagar Panchayats, Municipalities and Municipal Corporations.
Step 2: Understand the hierarchy: Nagar Panchayat is for a small transitional town, a Municipal Council for a medium town, and a Municipal Corporation for a large city or metropolitan area.
Step 3: Compare the options. Nagar Panchayat clearly refers to a smaller transitional area and cannot be for the largest urban areas.
Step 4: The term Municipal Panchayat is not the standard official nomenclature used in the Constitution or the 74th Amendment context; it is likely a distractor.
Step 5: Municipal Corporation is explicitly the body constituted for larger urban areas, often with more than a certain statutory population threshold.
Step 6: Therefore, Municipal Corporation must be the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this from basic civics: the Constitution (74th Amendment) and subsequent municipal laws of states provide for corporations for big cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. These bodies handle complex functions, including water supply, roads, public health and urban planning for large populations. Smaller towns such as transitional areas between rural and urban are usually governed by Nagar Panchayats. Therefore, the hierarchy clearly places Municipal Corporations at the top in terms of city size and importance.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Nagar Panchayat: This is meant for areas in transition from rural to urban, generally smaller and not yet full-scale cities. It does not administer the largest urban areas.
Municipal Panchayat: This is not the standard constitutional term. The usual term is Municipal Council or Municipality for medium towns. Even if someone informally uses Municipal Panchayat, it would not refer to the largest metropolitan cities.
No option is correct: This is wrong because Municipal Corporation is indeed the correct and constitutionally recognised body for large urban areas.
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse Nagar Panchayat with Municipal Council, thinking both are similar. Another mistake is to believe that any body with the word Panchayat in its name is rural, which is not always true; Nagar Panchayat is urban but for smaller areas. Some may also be misled by the phrase Municipal Panchayat even though it is not part of the usual threefold classification. Remember the simple progression: Nagar Panchayat (small), Municipality (medium), Municipal Corporation (large).
Final Answer:
The type of city administration that generally controls and governs a larger metropolitan urban area is the Municipal Corporation.
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