Assam Rajiv Gandhi University of Cooperative Management

A Govt. of Assam University

Recognised by UGC and member of Association of Indian Universities
Basic Tiniali, Gadadhar Nagar, Joyasar-785665, Sivasagar
Email: info.argucom@gmail.com; Phone: 03772-222144

Syllabus: Local Self Government

LL.M Semester 2: credits:3
Course Code: LL.M -02/A-11

Course Objectives:

With the introduction of the Constitution seventy third and seventy fourth amendments,
India is moving towards the ideal of direct democracy endowing the local bodies with
powers of administration in matters of regional and local importance. This change has
added new vistas of Indian democracy and it offers an opportunity to translate the
Gandhian concept of Gram Swaraj into practice. Necessarily, a person specializing in
administrative law has to be equipped with the knowledge on the working of early
systems, the present constitutional scheme, the legislative powers of the State transferring
responsibility to local bodies and on the increasing regulatory and financial powers of the
local bodies. The nature of the democratic functioning of these elected bodies and the
scope of administrative control as well of the judicial control over them are challenging
areas for students of administrative law to evaluate and analyze the schemes and working
of local self-bodies.

Course Outcome:

1. To Understand the Functioning of the Local self-Bodies

2. To Understand the rules Governing local self-bodies
3. To help formulation of new and pragmatic working methods
4. To produce human resource with adequate knowledge about Local self-bodies.

Unit Topics Classes

Unit 1 Concept of local self-government Total =10
sessions
Characteristics, Importance, kinds, nature and
2+2+2+2+2
Scope of Local Self Government

What is decentralization and forms of decentralization

Objectives of decentralization

Unit 2 Gram Swaraj : The Gandhian concept Total =10

sessions
73rdconstitutional amendment act
1+2+2+3+2
 Elections for local self-government

Features of Assam Panchayat Raj Act

Balwant Rai Mehta Committee Report

Unit 3 Meaning of Rural Local Government Total =10

sessions
Concept of rural self-Government
2+1+4+3
Gram Panchayat: meaning, power, function & source of revenue for
Gram Panchayat
Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad

Unit 4 Urban local self-Government: meaning and significance Total =12

sessions
74th Constitutional Amendment act 2+2+4+4

Powers and functions of municipalities

The Gram Nyalaya Act

Evaluation :
Total Marks: 100
End Term: 60 marks
Internal Assessment: 40 marks
Test: 10marks
Viva : 10 marks
Assignment presentation & Report: 15
Attendance:05

References:
Books:
1. Local self Government, S.R MYNENI, Allhabad Law Agency, 2019
2. Local Government in india, Pradeep Sachdeva, Pearson, 2019
3. Maheshwari, S.R. 2000. State Governments in India. New Delhi: Macmillan.
4. Local Government in Ancient India Paperback, Radhakumud Mukharjee, Nabu Press

Articles/Notes/Online Resources

5. Dutta, A. 1994. Constitutional Status of Local Government in India. The Indian

Journal of Public Administration. Pp. 41–56.
6. Aziz, A. 2000. Democratic Decentralization — Experience of Karnataka. Economic
and Political Weekly. Pp. 3517–3524.
7. The financial sources of local self government in India. - YouTube
8. 31-36_RRIJM17020909.pdf (rrjournals.com)

Case Laws:

9. Harwindra kumar v. Chief engineer, Karmik and others, SC,2005

10. Aleema Beevi v. Kochi corporation Council, kerala high Court, 2010
11. K Krishnamurthy & Others v. UOI, SC,2010
12. Ranga reddy District Sarpanchas v. Government of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra High
Court, 2004,
13. Anurag Narain singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh,1991, Allahabad High Court
14. Kendriya Nagarik Samiti Kanpur v. Jal Sansthan Kanpur, 1982, Allahabad High
Court.