Whether it is a farmer from rural Bihar seeking a stable income in Delhi, or a young graduate from a small town aspiring to join Bengaluru’s tech ecosystem, the magnetism of urban centres lies in their perceived ability to transform lives.
The story so far: In 2015, the NDA government positioned urban development as a key pillar of its growth strategy as cities contribute nearly 67% to the GDP. However, in the government’s vision for a “Viksit Bharat,” cities seem to be conspicuously absent.
Almost a decade has passed since the Indian government announced the concept of “smart cities” as the new lighthouses of urbanisation. The June 2015 announcement of 100 smart cities aimed to create models of urban development. However, these lighthouses of urbanity have now been relegated to the annals of India’s urbanisation history.
Recent plans to incinerate this waste at Pithampur, around 250 kilometres from Bhopal, have met with significant opposition, reigniting debates over accountability, environmental justice, and public trust.
Tikender Panwar A decade ago, during a conversation with Park Won-soon, the Metropolitan Mayor of Seoul, we shared a light moment at a conference in South Korea. I was then Deputy Mayor of Shimla, and we were discussing urban challenges.…
The International Labour Organization
estimates that around 92% of India’s workforce is employed informally, without formal contracts or limited job security.