[UPPSC-UP Special Syllabus Decoded] Local Self Government: Urban and Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Right related issues in U.P.

1. Local Self Government: Panchayati Raj (Rural)

Trend: Shift from the “73rd Amendment theory” to “Digital Empowerment” and “Own Source Revenue (OSR)” generation.

A. Structure & Functioning

• The 3-Tier System: Gram Panchayat, Kshetra Panchayat, and Zila Panchayat (UP Panchayati Raj Act, 1947).
• Gram Sachivalaya:
  • Concept: Establishing a mini-secretariat in every Gram Panchayat to function as a single-point service delivery center.
  • Panchayat Sahayak: Role of these data entry operators in digitizing village records.
• Gram Sabha: Revitalizing the Gram Sabha as the primary unit of direct democracy; issues of low attendance and “Proxy Pradhans.”

B. New Initiatives & Reforms

• Digital Transformation:
  • SabhaSaar: Introduction of AI-powered tools to record and summarize Gram Sabha minutes (Launched nationally, implemented in UP in 2025).
  • e-Gram Swaraj: Mandatory digital payments and accounting for transparency.
• Financial Autonomy:
  • OSR (Own Source Revenue): Strategies for Panchayats to collect property tax, user charges for water/markets (Haat-Bazaar).
  • Matrubhumi Yojana: Allowing private individuals/diaspora to fund village infrastructure (60% individual, 40% State) in memory of ancestors.
• Svamitva Scheme: Drone survey of rural inhabited lands (Abadi) to issue Property Cards (Gharauni) – Saturation status in UP.

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• SabhaSaar (Aug 2025): UP Panchayats started adopting this AI tool to generate meeting minutes automatically in local dialects, reducing manual errors and manipulation.
• Weather Forecasting (Oct 2024): Launch of “Gram Panchayat Level Weather Forecasting” to provide 5-day localized weather data to farmers in UP.
• Meri Panchayat App: UP’s active adoption of this app, which won the WSIS Prize 2025 (Global recognition), for empowering citizens to track panchayat works.

2. Local Self Government: Urban (ULBs)

Trend: Focus on “Financial Sustainability” (Municipal Bonds) and “Urban Management” (Smart/Safe Cities).

A. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

• Structure:
  • Nagar Nigam (Municipal Corp): 17 in UP (Mayor-in-Council debate).
  • Nagar Palika & Nagar Panchayat: Governance in smaller towns.
• 74th Amendment in UP: Analysis of the devolution of 18 functions (Twelfth Schedule).

B. Urban Reforms & Issues

• Financial Sustainability:
  • Municipal Bonds: Success story of Lucknow (North India’s first) and Ghaziabad (Green Bond) in raising market capital.
  • Credit Rating: Grading of UP cities to attract investment.
• Smart Cities Mission:
  • Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC): Now operational in all 17 Nagar Nigams; used for traffic, crime, and disaster management.
  • Extension: Mission timeline extended to March 2025 to complete pending projects in cities like Aligarh and Bareilly.
• Safe City Project:
  • Expansion: Extending surveillance (CCTV network) from Nagar Nigams to Nagar Palikas in 2024-25.

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• OBC Reservation (Triple Test): The State Election Commission and OBC Commission cleared the legal hurdles for ULB elections, ensuring the “Triple Test” compliance for fair reservation.
• Model Solar Cities: Ayodhya and Varanasi are being developed as “Model Solar Cities” with solar streetlights and rooftop saturation (PM Surya Ghar).

3. Public Policy in Uttar Pradesh

Trend: Shift from “Welfare” to “Policy-Driven Investment” and “Saturation Approach”.

A. Industrial & Sectoral Policies

• UP Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2024:
  • Objective: Attracting MNCs to set up GCCs (R&D, IT support) in Noida/Lucknow.
  • SOP 2025: Standard Operating Procedure approved in Jan 2026 to streamline incentives.
• UP Semiconductor Policy 2024: Capital subsidies to attract Fab units (Yamuna Expressway).
• Green Hydrogen Policy: Incentives for producing clean energy.
• FDI Policy: Front-end land subsidies for Fortune 500 companies.

B. Social & Governance Policies

• Family ID (Ek Parivar Ek Pahchan):
  • Concept: A unique 12-digit ID for every family to map benefits.
  • Goal: “One Family, One Job” – Identifying families with zero government benefits.
• Population Policy (2021-30): Focus on stabilizing population growth through incentives.
• Child Labour Eradication: New campaign launched with a target to make UP “Child Labour Free by 2027”.

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• GCC Policy SOP (Jan 7, 2026): The UP Cabinet approved the operational rules for the GCC policy, designating Invest UP as the nodal agency to process claims, signaling a professional approach to policy implementation.
• Digital Attendance (2025): A major policy shift mandating digital attendance for teachers and government employees to ensure accountability.

4. Rights Related Issues in Uttar Pradesh

Trend: “Right to Service” (Time-bound delivery) and “Digital Rights”.

A. Right to Public Services

• UP Janhit Guarantee Act:
  • Mandate: Time-bound delivery of essential services (Caste cert, Income cert, Ration card).
  • Implementation: e-District Portal and Seva Kendra network.
• Grievance Redressal:
  • IGRS (Jansunwai): The integrated portal where citizens can file complaints; officers are ranked monthly on disposal quality.
  • CM Helpline 1076: Direct access for citizens to the CM’s office.

B. Women & Child Rights

• Mission Shakti (Phase 5):
  • Focus: Moving from “Safety” to “Empowerment” (Livelihood via SHGs).
  • Pink Booths: Rights to safe public spaces.
• Right to Education (RTE): Status of 25% reservation in private schools for EWS children in UP.

C. Land & Digital Rights

• Land Rights:
  • Gharauni: Issuing property cards to villagers (under Svamitva) giving them legal right to their residential land for the first time.
• Digital Rights:
  • Data Protection: Implication of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules 2025 on state data handling (Family ID, Health records).

 Current Affairs Linkage :

• Vantangiya Rights: The formal declaration of Vantangiya villages as revenue villages  granted land and voting rights to forest-dwelling communities in Gorakhpur/Gonda after decades of exclusion.
• Human Rights Commission: The UPSHRC has been active in taking suo-motu cognizance of custodial deaths, emphasizing the “Right to Life” (Article 21).