For twenty-one years, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 gave every rural household a legal entitlement to 100 days of unskilled work a year. Its funding was generous to states: the Centre covered full unskilled wages and 75% of material costs, leaving states only a quarter of materials, plus administration and unemployment allowance.
The Urban Spatial 3D City Model (Digital Twin) Project is a key initiative of Varanasi Smart City Limited (VSCL). The project aims to use geospatial technologies to improve urban planning, urban governance and public engagement. The city of Varanasi was selected due to its unique combination of historical and cultural value, its dense urban development including narrow streets, busy markets, heritage and religious places and an influx of tourists and pilgrims.
Recently, there has been a renewed interest in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), not only in India but around the world. When one talks of IKS, one immediately thinks of classical Sanskrit texts and elite academies.
Recently the Supreme Court of India has recognized the Right to Walk on Footpaths as a Fundamental Right under Part III Article (19)(1)(d) along with Article 21 of the Constitution. The decision was delivered by a division bench composed of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice A.S. Chandurkar. The apex court has urged the government to introduce a new law that declares this right. This ruling is considered a landmark judgement in India's existing urban policy space as it placed the pedestrian rights above the motorised vehicular traffic.
Back in August 1996, the government put two connected laws on the books: the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, and alongside it, the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act.
India's urban population is expected to reach nearly 600 million by 2030, accounting for about 40% of the country's total population (Observer Research Foundation [ORF], 2025; OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation [OECD-OPSI], 2024). This rapid growth is putting pressure on the municipal governance system originally designed for much smaller cities. Most of India's 4,800+ statutory towns and cities continue to depend on paper records or fragmented digital systems, with meaningful e-governance progress confined to a small number of well-funded cities (OECD-OPSI, 2024).
India’s traditional industries have often been viewed not only as a form of economic activity but also as a symbol of craftsmanship and cultural heritage, providing millions of artisans with livelihoods and financial support across rural and urban areas. However, the rapid rise of modern industrialization, evolving consumer preferences, and scattered production systems have diluted the competitive value of these sectors. To address structural issues, the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) introduced the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) as a cluster development program, which aims to strengthen traditional industries and create livelihood opportunities for artisans and people working in the informal sector.