The municipal corporation or other such civic bodies are closest to the public. The municipal corporation provides different kinds of services to the residents of the city. But with an increasing rate of crime, it is not sufficient to depend on the police force alone. The municipal corporations can also partake in such activities to maintain law and order, especially enhancing community security.
National Security
National security is an integral part of any country’s administration, and India’s is no different. Community security is an important step in national security, and municipal corporations have an important role in maintaining national security. Every nation faces its own set of threats, be it social (economic depression or terrorist or anti-social activities), natural (natural calamities such as earthquakes or floods), or even medical (pandemic or epidemic). The fundamental step towards national security is the creation of a safe neighbourhood, and municipal corporations can help to maintain national security by doing so. Recently, COVID-19 hit the world, and once again it became crystal clear how important the role of civic bodies is in urban life. After the pandemic hit, the increasing death toll became a serious threat to national security. Not only were there deaths during this time, many people were forced to close their businesses and the national economy suffered a lot. Because of this, it hit some industries very hard, such as the hospitality industry, and as a result, the rate of unemployment increased. In this part, the municipal corporations played a very huge role. They provided emergency medical aid, set up an emergency medical camp in the slum area, provided rations and other essential items to the needy, old and disabled people and educated the residents about the severity of the pandemic, the use of sanitizers and the importance of physical distancing to tackle the disease. The municipal corporations set up emergency management systems in place and all these small steps contribute to the stability of society, which is an integral part of national security. Though COVID-19 was mostly a naturally occurring pandemic, it is not uncommon in human history to use biological weapons such as anthrax and other such toxins to create artificial pandemics. In this scenario, the local governments, such as municipal corporations and municipalities, can provide training to the health workers, provide funding to improve medical and health infrastructures, and form laws and regulations to prevent the transfer of such hazardous elements (for example, under the disaster management law, it was illegal to gather in numbers in public places, and this helped a lot to prevent the spread of the infection). Cyber-terrorism is another threat to national security. Cyber-terrorism includes cyber-attacks, hacking and stealing people’s data, destroying financial systems and banking systems, thus breaching national security. Municipal corporations can strengthen their cyber security systems to prevent hacking and can provide guidance and spread awareness among the masses on cyber safety, which will be a great contribution towards national security. Climate change is a burning issue nowadays, and with climate change, the chance of severe natural calamities occurring also increases. If a disaster strikes, municipal corporations are the first to respond. They provide immediate relief to the affected people and coordinate with the national disaster management authority to ensure national security.
Economic unity
Municipal governments also play an important role in eradicating poverty, creating job opportunities for youth, and ensuring societal financial stability. In this way, municipal corporations maintain economic unity in the urban areas.
Essential national standard
The occurrence of different transnational crimes is an important threat to national security. In this case, municipal corporations can help to maintain essential national standards. For example, municipal corporations can form some regulations and take precautions to prevent human trafficking at the micro level. Though municipal corporations in India lack the resources and power to intervene in such matters, they can work with the police to raise awareness among the city’s residents.
Conclusion
There is a wide range of threats that affect national security and municipal corporations, like many other civic bodies and local governments, can partake in many activities to keep their citizens safe and build a healthier and safer community for all. Aspirants appearing for different government examinations must have clear concepts regarding all these topics.