Praja Foundation

Delhi has been ranked 24th out of 31 Indian cities in the Urban Governance Index (UGI), according to a report released by the NGO Praja Foundation on Thursday. Despite retaining its rank from 2022, Delhi’s score dropped from 33.8 to 32.11 on a scale of 1 to 100, signaling a decline in its urban governance performance. The biennial analysis attributed Delhi’s poor ranking to policy paralysis, non-formation of key municipal committees, and one of the least empowered mayoral positions among major cities. The city’s rank fell largely due to the non-formation of standing, subject, and zonal committees, as well as a lack of human resource data. Furthermore, other cities improved their scores, contributing to Delhi’s relatively lower ranking. The report is based on research conducted in 43 cities across 28 states and three Union territories, with 2,213 key stakeholders including elected representatives, administrators, academics, and civil society members participating. The UGI measures governance based on four pillars: empowered elected representatives, city administration, citizen involvement, and fiscal autonomy. These are further divided into 13 sub-themes and 42 indicators. The Praja Foundation report pointed out that despite municipal elections in December 2022, Delhi’s governance issues have persisted due to legal and political tussles. The city’s mayor, whose term lasts just one year, lacks executive power over the municipal commissioner and cannot appoint key committee chairpersons. Additionally, Delhi does not provide adequate training or salaries for councillors, and most mid- and senior-level positions in the civic body are filled through external appointments, limiting local authority. The report recommended the devolution of all 18 functions listed under the 12th Schedule of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to empower the city administration. Currently, the civic body handles only four of these functions independently.