India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, a Mayor heads a

municipal corporation A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally ...

which governs respective Indian towns and cities. The

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of a city is the first citizen of that city. Municipal corporation mechanisms in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of municipal corporation in Madras (

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

) in 1688, later followed by municipal corporations in Bombay (

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

) and Calcutta (

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

) by 1762. However the process of introduction for an elected President in the municipalities was made in Lord Mayo's Resolution of 1870. Since then the current form and structure of municipal bodies followed is similar to Lord Ripon's Resolution adopted in 1882 on local self-governance. The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 was introduced providing for the transfer of 18 different powers to urban local bodies, including the election of a mayor and to recognise them which included Municipal Corporations,

Nagar Panchayats Nagar (-nagar) can refer to: Places Bangladesh *Nagar, Rajshahi Division, a village * Nagar, Barisal Division, a settlement India * Nagar taluka, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra State * Nagar, Murshidabad, a village in West Bengal * Nagar, Rajasthan, a ...

, Municipal Councils.

History and Administration

Many Municipal Corporations which are headed by Mayors, till early 1990s were under the full control of the local governments with little functional, financial and administrative autonomy to the mayors. However with the introduction of The 74th Amendment Act of 1992 made provision for the urban local bodies (ULB) as self-governing institutions. Since it came into operation in April 1993, many salutary provisions were made in the Act with positive outcomes. However steps are being taken to dilute the powers of the local governments and heads of corporations or Mayors to have complete control of urban local bodies. A mayor of a city though formally elected from amongst the corporators holds a ceremonial post and Municipal commissioner of Corporation and his staff who are drawn from the IAS cadre and appointed by the state government controls The executive, financial and administrative powers in the corporation.

Election and Tenure

The method of electing mayor and their tenure varies for each city in India. In Bengaluru (Karnataka) the election process is indirect with a tenure being for one year, in Mumbai (Maharashtra) it follows indirect elections with tenure for 2.5 years and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) follows a directly elected mayor with a term for five years. Indian States of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Uttarakhand and Odisha had created respective provisions in the Acts governing Municipalities for the direct election of Mayors by citizens of cities. Tenure of Mayors of cities in India varies from 1 year to 5 years.

Roles and Responsibilities

Role of the mayor. 1) Governs the local civic body. 2) Fixed tenure varying in different towns. 3) First citizen of city. 4) Has two varied roles — Representation and upholding of the dignity of the city during ceremonial times and a presiding over discussions of the civic house with elected representatives in functional capacity. 5) The Mayor’s role is confined to the corporation hall of presiding authority at various meetings relating to corporation. 6) The Mayor’s role extends much beyond the local city and country as the presiding authority at corporation meetings during visits of a foreign dignitary to the city as he is invited by the state government to receive and represent the citizens to the guest of honour. 7) At government, civic and other social functions he is given prominence.

Important Actions

1. In 2021, All-India Mayor’s Council held its 111th Convocation in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh,India with where the council head and mayors of different states of India demanded rule of one nation and one election.

References

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External links