← 21 September 2026's Current Affairs · Environment GA Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★☆☆☆
Greater Bengaluru Authority collects new 'software charge'
Why in News?
Bengaluru property owners now pay a 'software charge' — count the five corporations behind it
The Greater Bengaluru Authority has begun levying a new software charge on Bengaluru property owners.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
The Greater Bengaluru Authority, which oversees Bengaluru's civic administration through five city corporations formed after the reorganisation of the city's municipal governance, has begun collecting a software charge from property owners along with the annual property tax, prompting objections from residents.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has begun levying a new 'software charge' on Bengaluru property owners
- The charge is collected along with the annual property tax
- GBA oversees Bengaluru's civic administration through five city corporations
- The five corporations were formed after reorganisation of Bengaluru's municipal governance
- The new charge has prompted objections from residents
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) oversees Bengaluru's civic administration through five city corporations.
- These five city corporations were formed after the reorganisation of Bengaluru's municipal governance.
- The GBA has begun collecting a 'software charge' from property owners along with the annual property tax.
Mains
GS Paper II - Local Self-Government & Urban Governance (Karnataka): the shift from a single municipal corporation to the GBA's five-corporation structure raises questions of coordination, transparency and accountability in urban local bodies. Ad hoc levies like the 'software charge', introduced without clear public disclosure, highlight the need for statutory clarity and single-window, transparent billing in reorganised civic bodies.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which has begun levying a 'software charge' on property owners, oversees Bengaluru's civic administration through:
- a single unified municipal corporation
- three metropolitan zones
- seven urban local bodies
- five city corporations
Show answer
Answer: D — Correct: five city corporations — the GBA oversees Bengaluru through these five corporations formed after the civic reorganisation. • A single unified municipal corporation — wrong: the earlier single-corporation model was replaced. • Three metropolitan zones — wrong: not the actual structure. • Seven urban local bodies — wrong: not the actual number.
Convert this topic into marks
Today's 10-MCQ test · instant analysis · Powered by AdaptIQ