Structure of Indian Government: Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Topic: Structure of Indian Government
• Example: Comparing family hierarchy to government structure
• Purpose: Understanding the hierarchy from village panchayat to union government

Panchayati Raj System (Rural Areas)

Village Level

• Governing Body: Gram Sabha
  • Members: People aged 18 or above
  • Elected Representatives: Gram Panchayat and Sarpanch (5-year term)
  • Function: Closest to village people, aware of their issues

Block Level

• Governing Body: Panchayat Samiti
  • Officer: Block Development Officer
  • Function: Voice of villages at district level

District Level

• Governing Body: Zila Parishad
  • Members: Block Development Officers, MLAs, and Secretary
  • Position: Topmost in Panchayati Raj system

Urban Areas

Smallest Unit

• Representative: Ward Member (Corporator)
  • Term: 5 years
  • Party with Majority: Elects the Mayor
• Types of Municipalities:
  • Nagar Panchayat: Areas transitioning from rural to urban
  • Municipal Council (Nagar Palika): Cities with population less than 1 lakh
  • Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam): Cities with population over 10 lakhs
  • Metropolitan Municipalities (Mahanagarpalika): Large cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata
• Elections Conducted By: State Election Commissioner
• Major Revenue: Taxes from the public

District Administration

• Governing Body: District Magistrate (IAS Officer)
• Level Above District: Divisions
  • Officer: Divisional Commissioner

State Level

• Current States: 28
• Governing Bodies: Governor, Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha), and in some states, Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad)
  • Governor: Appointed by President
  • Council of Ministers: Elected post state elections

Union Territories

• Current UTs: 8
• Administration: Directly by President
• Special UTs with Legislative Assembly: Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir

Zonal Councils

• Total Zones: 6 (North, South, East, West, Central, North-Eastern)
• Governing Body: Zonal Council
  • Chairman: Union Home Minister
  • Vice-Chairman: Rotational among state ministers, except North-Eastern Zone

National Level

• Head of State: President (First Citizen)
• De facto Head: Prime Minister
  • Assisted by: Council of Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries
• Parliament: Comprises President, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha (Union Government)

Conclusion

• Importance: Helps understand Indian Administration hierarchy
• Questions: Ask viewers about their state and its districts/tehsils
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