PMS Ministerial Solved Essays | Local Government is the Basis of a Successful Democratic System
This PMS Ministerial essay is attempted by Umar Khitab on the given pattern, which Sir Syed Kazim Ali teaches to his students, who have consistently been qualifying their CSS, and PMS essays. Sir Syed Kazim Ali has been Pakistan’s top English writing and CSS, PMS essay and precis coach with the highest success rate of his students. The essay is uploaded to help other competitive aspirants learn and practice essay writing techniques and patterns.
How To Attempt 25-Marks PMS Ministerial Essay?
Unlike CSS or PMS essays, the essays asked in the PMS ministerial or any descriptive examinations in Pakistan are of 25-marks. All you need to qualify for the PMS ministerial essay paper is to understand the topic, create an outline displaying the proper plan of your essay and write an introduction precisely carrying the thesis statement. An introductory paragraph of such essays is a 150- to 200-word paragraph that gives your examiner a quick overview of your essay and its organization. It should express your thesis (or central idea) and your key points. Remember, the introductory paragraph is a concise summary of the essay, upon which your success standstill. However, the body of your essay will develop and explain these ideas much more thoroughly. As you will see in the solved essay below, the proportion of your introduction that you dedicate to each kind of information and the sequence of that information might vary, depending on the nature and genre of the essay you select. Nevertheless, in some cases, some of this information is implied rather than stated explicitly. For better preparation, revise my lectures on how to attempt a 20 or 25 marks essay, write its outline and introduction and prove your arguments with relevant evidence in the essay’s body paragraphs.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- Understanding the Role and Importance of Local Government
3- Historical and Constitutional Overview of Local Government in Pakistan
4- How is local government the base of a successful democratic system
- It enhances public participation.
- It ensures decentralization and autonomy
- It brings political awareness
- It provides capacity-building mechanisms
- It strengthens the delivery of goods and services
- It resolves public issues at their doorstep.
5- The Way Forward: Recommendations for Strengthening Local Government
- To improve local participation in local governance
- To compel the political parties to make Local government part of their manifesto
- To include local government in the school curricula
- To project the image of local government through mass media
6- Critical Analysis
7- Conclusion
Local government is the cornerstone of a democratic system. After the first and second tiers, Federal and provincial governments, local government, the third tier of a democratic government, allows the locals to participate in the government at the lower level and resolve their issues themselves. The state provides for the direct involvement of citizens in decision-making at the local level, thus, engendering greater political participation and strengthening democracy. Thomas P. O’Neill, a former American politician, aptly said that all politics is local. However, the democratic system in Pakistan, like many other nations, is deeply rooted in the interplay of various governance tiers. Central to this architecture of democracy is the local government, which serves as a critical link between the populace and the state. Its importance in democratic machinery cannot be overstated, as it facilitates community involvement in governmental affairs and decision-making processes. Moreover, Article 140(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, directs all the provincial governments to devolve administrative, political, and financial authority to the local governments. Furthermore, local government is considered the base of a democratic system because it enhances public participation, ensures decentralization of autonomy, brings political awareness, provides capacity-building mechanisms, strengthens the delivery of goods and services, and allows the public to resolve their issues at their doorstep. Undoubtedly, various shortcomings exist in Pakistan’s local government system, which could be resolved by improving local’s participation, compelling political parties to make local government part of their manifesto, including local government in school curricula, and projecting the image of local government through mass media.
The local government refers to the public administration at the lowest tier, closest to the people. Its functions include executing local laws, ensuring public services like water and sanitation, promoting community development, and maintaining law and order. In Pakistan’s democratic system, local government plays a pivotal role in enhancing democratic participation, offering a platform for political innovation, and encouraging accountability and transparency. Hence, both local government and democracy have an interplay in strengthening the socio-economic and political sectors of the country.
Local governments have existed in the Indian subcontinent since the setting up of the first municipal corporation in Madras in 1688 by the East India Company. The system of local governance in Pakistan has evolved significantly since its inception. After Pakistan’s independence in 1947, a series of reforms were introduced with the aim to democratize and decentralize the administrative system. The introduction of Basic Democracies on 26th October 1959 by the then military ruler is considered the stepping stone toward the local government system in Pakistan. For instance, the local government ordinances of 2001 attempted to devolve power to the grassroots level. Constitutionally, Article 140(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, directs all the provincial governments to devolve administrative, political, and financial authority to the local governments.
The local government system has a profound influence on the democratic system. Several factors witness that local government is the base of a successful democratic system. First, the local government system has allowed citizens to vote for local representatives and participate in local decision-making processes, deepening democracy at the grassroots level. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) report, “In the recent local bodies elections of 2023, a substantial number of people participated, indicating the system’s potential in promoting democratic culture.”
Second, the local government ensures the decentralization of powers and autonomy of local government institutions. The powers controlled by the provincial government are devolved to the local bodies, strengthening democracy. American politician Robert Coward aptly said, “The citizen’s involvement is a critical factor in community and neighborhood success.” Moreover, for local democracy to be truly effective, citizens must have power over the distribution of locally owned resources within a given community. Local governments can serve as engines of democracy by empowering local communities, encouraging participation, and fostering a sense of ownership among citizens. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated, “Good, democratic local governance is a rallying point for people’s participation and initiatives.” Local governments can alleviate feelings of alienation among citizens by decentralizing power and promoting autonomy.
Third, local governments can build capacity by creating opportunities for individuals to gain political experience, fostering a new generation of leaders. The local government has created a platform for the young generation to be aware of politics, achieve their rights, and participate in political campaigns. Highlighting the importance of local government, American author James Bryce aptly remarks, “Local government is a nursery of democracy…it gives the people the spirit of democracy; it is an education to the democratic sentiment.” Thus, political awareness is made possible by installing a local government system, strengthening democracy.
However, Pakistan’s local government system has faced various shortcomings, which must be reduced by taking pragmatic measures. Primarily, to strengthen local government, maximum participation of people must be ensured. The government should highlight the importance of local government through advertisements, ads, and media. Political parties should play their due role in maximizing public participation in political activities and elections.
Likewise, the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should compel all the political parties to make local government part of their manifesto. Historically, the local government system has become undermined during democratic governments in Pakistan, leaving political parties to fulfil their purposes. Thriving democracy depends on a vital relationship between democratic politics at the local and national levels.
Furthermore, the government should include local government chapters in the school curricula to impart its importance to the country’s youth and encourage them to participate in resolving local issues themselves. Moreover, the Media must play its due role in projecting the true picture of the local government system. Media plays a pivotal role in promoting democracy at both national and local levels. It should inspire people of the concerned locality to participate in elections and elect their desired political figure.
In conclusion, the role of local government as the base for a successful democratic system in Pakistan is evident. Despite facing challenges, the local government has the potential to strengthen democracy by enhancing participation, fostering political awareness, providing capacity-building mechanisms, strengthening the delivery of goods and services, and promoting community development. Mahatma Gandhi, a prominent Indian Political figure of the 20th Century, aptly said, “Independence must begin at the bottom. Thus, every village will be a republic or ‘panchayat’ having full powers.” To address the issues in local government, some pragmatic steps are necessary, such as: improving local participation, compelling political parties towards local government, including local government in the school curricula, and projecting the image of local government through mass media. It is, therefore, essential to continue advocating for reforms that will further empower local governments, making them more responsive, accountable, and democratic, and thus fulfilling the true spirit of democracy in Pakistan.
PMS Ministerial Solved Essays
Are you searching for PMS Ministerial solved essays from 2010 to till date? Click on any of the topics to start reading the solved essays. All essays have been attempted by Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s students who have either qualified for the CSS or PMS examination or scored the highest marks in the essay papers.
| 1- | Good Governance (2010) |
| 2- | Islam and Brotherhood of Mankind (2010) |
| 3- | Literature is the Essence of Life (2010) |
| 4- | Role of Responsible Media (2010) |
| 5- | A Bird in Hand is Worth Two in the Bush (2016) |
| 6- | He Who Opens a School Door, Closes a Prison (2016) |
| 7- | Local Government is the Base of a Successful Democratic System (2016) |
| 8- | Clean Environment is Good Environment (2016) |
| 9- | Human Resource Development is a Key to Progress and Prosperity (2019) |
| 10- | High Growth Rate in Population is Adversely Affecting our Economic Progress (2019) |
| 11- | Public School System in Pakistan (2019) |
| 12- | Importance of Preventive Healthcare (2019) |
| 13- | National Integration (2021) |
| 14- | Of All Forms of Servitude, the Intellectual is the Most Degrading. Expand This Statement by Showing its Complete Significance and also Attempt to Justify or Disprove it. (2021) |
| 15- | Advantages and Disadvantage of Facebook (2021) |
| 16- | Single National Curriculum: Prospects and Problems (2021) |
CSS Solved Past Papers’ Essays
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