Local Self-Government Institutions in Kerala

Local self-government institutions function with the objectives of decentralization and people-centered planning. Rural areas are divided into three-tier panchayats and urban areas are divided into municipalities or corporations. Local self-government institutions are divided into wards and the governing bodies are formed through elections held once every five years on the basis of adult suffrage.

Local Bodies (1200)

■ Grama Panchayats (941)

■ Block Panchayats (152)

■ District Panchayats (14)

■ Municipalities (87)

■ Municipal Corporations (6)

Departments under LSG Department

■ Principal Directorate

■ Panchayat Directorate

■ Rural Development Department

■ Department of Urban Affairs

■ Engineering Wing

■ Town and Country Planning

■ Performance Audit Wing

Institutions under LSG Department

■ Kerala State Planning Board

■ Information Kerala Mission

■ Local Government Commission

■ Kudumbashree

■ Kerala Institute of Local Administration

■ Suchitwa Mission

■ Kerala Rural Employment and Welfare Society

■ Ombudsman for LSGI

■ Clean Kerala Company

■ Tribunal for Local Bodies

■ Kerala State Election Commission

■ Literacy Mission Authority

PSC Questions

■ Panchayat Day is observed - 24th April

■ of the Panchayat Term - 5 years

■ Minimum age to vote in Panchayat elections - 18

■ Minimum age to become a member of Panchayat - 23

■ Committee formed to prevent corruption in local self-government institutions - Local Self-Government Ombudsman

■ How many years is the term of the Ombudsman - 3

■ Full form of KILA - Kerala Institute of Local Administration

■ Headquarters of KILA - Mulankunnathukavu (Thrissur)

■ Year Panchayat Raj was implemented in Kerala - 23 April 1994

■ Year Three-tier Panchayat system was implemented in Kerala - 1995

■ Year People's Planning was implemented in Kerala - 1996

■ First in India State that implemented Panchayat Raj system - Rajasthan

■ Year Panchayat Raj was implemented in Rajasthan - 1959

■ First state in South India to implement Panchayat Raj - Andhra Pradesh

■ District with the most number of Gram Panchayats - Malappuram

■ District with the least number of Gram Panchayats - Wayanad

■ District with the most number of Block Panchayats - Thrissur

■ In which district was Akshaya Yojana first established - Malappuram

■ District with the most number of Revenue Villages - Palakkad

■ Largest Gram Panchayat in Kerala - Kumily, Idukki

■ Smallest Gram Panchayat - Valapattanam, Kannur

■ Panchayat with the highest population growth - Munnar, Idukki

■ Panchayat with the lowest population growth - Vattavada, Idukki

■ Panchayat with the lowest literacy rate - Puthur, Palakkad

■ The most Panchayat with the highest population - Kannan Devan Hills, Idukki

■ Village with the lowest population - Neelappa, Idukki

■ Village with the highest literacy rate - Nedumudi, Alappuzha

■ Village with the lowest literacy rate - Padavayal, Palakkad

■ Municipality with the highest literacy rate - Chengannur

■ First Labour Bank in Kerala - is in Akathethara Panchayat

■ India's first computerized Taluk Office - Ottapalam

■ First e-districts - Palakkad, Kannur

■ First Indian state to hold elections under the Panchayat Raj Act - Madhya Pradesh

■ Year observed as Gram Sabha Year in India - 1999-2000

■ Under which constitutional amendment was Panchayat Raj implemented - 73

■ What type of governance is Panchayat Raj - Three-tier

■ "The soul of India lies in the villages" - Gandhiji

■ Father of Panchayat Raj in India - Balwant Rai Mehta

■ Father of Local Self-Government Institutions in India - Ripon Prabhu

■ Auditing of the accounts of municipalities - Local Fund Audit Department

■ Training institution for representatives and officials of local self-government institutions - KILA

■ Award given to the best Panchayat - Swaraj Trophy

■ Award amount of Swaraj Trophy - 25 lakhs

■ Schedule to the Constitution that deals with the powers and rights of Panchayats - 11

■ Who has the power to dissolve and extend the term of Panchayat Samiti - State Government

■ Government employees Employment tax Provided by - Local Self-Government Institution

■ Ruler who implemented the Gram Panchayat system in Travancore - Rani Sethulakshmi Bai

■ Year in which Kudumbashree started its operations - 1 April 1999

■ First Local Self-Government Minister - P. K. Chathan Master

■ Former Local Self-Government Minister of Travancore - C. Kesavan

■ Corporations in Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur

First winners of Swaraj Trophy

■ Grama Panchayat (1995-1996) - Kanjikuzhi (Alappuzha district)

■ Block Panchayat (2000-2001) - Perumkadavila (Thiruvananthapuram district)

■ District Panchayat (2000-01) - Alappuzha

■ Municipality (1999-2000) - Manjeri (Malappuram district)