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GS Paper: GS1

  • Ponniyin Selvan and the Cholas

    In all the buzz around the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan: 1 or PS1, a fictional period drama, a point of focus has been the Chola dynasty that the film is based on.

    Why in news?

    • A notable actor has spoke about the progressiveness of the Chola era.
    • He mentioned the architectural marvels and temples, the social setup of the time, and how cities were named after women.

    Behind the name- PS1

    • The fictional account of the Chola kingdom appeared in a weekly journal in the early 1950s and garnered popularity.
    • These were later compiled into a novel called ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, which became the inspiration for the movie, whose second part is due for release in 2023.

    Who were the Cholas?

    • The Chola kingdom stretched across present-day Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka around 9th to 12th century AD.
    • The dynasty was founded by the king Vijaylaya, described as a “feudatory” of the Pallavas.
    • Despite being a relatively minor player in the region among giants, Vijaylaya laid the foundation for a dynasty that would rule a major part of southern India.

    Might of the Cholas

    (1) Defense

    • One of the biggest achievements of the Chola dynasty was its naval power, allowing them to go as far as Malaysia and the Sumatra islands of Indonesia in their conquests.
    • The domination was such that the Bay of Bengal was converted into a “Chola lake” for some time.

    (2) Economy

    • While the extent of this domination is disputed, the Cholas had strong ties with merchant groups and this allowed them to undertake impressive naval expeditions.
    • In general, even merchant guilds, which had close ties to the court, had to hire their own guards because roads could be dangerous.

    (3) Culture

    • Another feature is how the practice of building grand temples, common to the dynasties of the region around this time, was ramped up in an unprecedented way by the Cholas, according to Kanisetti.
    • The grand Brihadeeswara temple of Thanjavur, built by the Cholas, was the largest building in India in that period.
    • Additionally, artworks and sculptures were commissioned by Chola kings and queens, including the famous bronze Nataraja idols.

    Women under the Cholas

    • The role of women in the royal family is being brought to focus given their impact on public life.
    • But that is not to suggest that ordinary women wielded equal power as men.
    • The royal women’s proximity to male power was valued, rather than women in general.

    Local annexations

    • When the Chola King Rajadhiraja came to power in 1044, he was able to “subdue” Pandyan and Kerala kings, and presumably to celebrate these victories performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice.
    • The Chola rulers sacked and plundered Chalukyan cities including Kalyani and massacred the people, including Brahmans and children.
    • They destroyed Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of the rulers of Sri Lanka.

     

     

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  • 4th October 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).

    GS-2          Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

    GS-3          Indian Economy

    GS-4           Ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.

    Question 1)

    Q.1 What are the important features of footloose industries? What are the factors that influence the location of these industries? (10 Marks)

    Question 2)

    Q.2 In Washington’s first major security assistance to Islamabad in four years, it has approved a military sustenance package for the country’s aging F-16 fleet. What are India’s concerns with the deal? Do you think such a decision from US is justified in the backdrop of strong relations with India? (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What is windfall tax and why is it needed? Highlight the challenges involved in imposing such a tax? (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Do you agree that foreign aid is a form of neo-colonialism? (10 Marks)

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  • 3rd October 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Salient features of world’s physical geography.

    GS-2          Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. 

    GS-3          Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. 

    GS-4        Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 What do you mean by temperature inversion? Highlighting the suitable conditions for temperature inversion, discuss its multidimensional impacts. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Social audit is a good instrument for participatory governance and transparency, but it has limitations. Identify the limitations and suggest measures for increasing the effectiveness and usefulness of social audit. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 The Government’s decision to create the post of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a long-pending demand to bring in tri-service synergy and integration, is touted as one of the biggest top-level military reforms since independence. Highlighting the role of the CDS, evaluate the challenges ahead. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so. Discuss. (10 Marks)

     

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  • 29th September 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

    GS-2          Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

    GS-3          Indian Economy; Changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. 

    GS-4         Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions;

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Cultural pluralism of the society is a manifestation of diverse religious issues. However, it is secular values that sustains it. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 In the recent past, the India Japan relationship has transformed to a partnership of great substance and purpose. Discuss. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 The Dharamshala Declaration aims to recognise India’s potential in supporting global tourism and also promote domestic tourism. Highlighting the importance of tourism sector in India, mention some government efforts to give it a boost. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 The moral fibre and ethical conduct of public officials not only influence the standard of governance but also their own interests and performance. Elaborate. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

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  • 28th September 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

    GS-2          Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

    GS-3          Changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. 

    GS-4         Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Urban flooding has become a recurrent phenomenon that poses a severe risk to the urban ecosystem and critical infrastructure in India. Discuss. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 India’s Higher education institutions (HEIs) are plagued with many administrative and operational issues, Discuss. Suggest ways to overcome them and improve the state of HEIs. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Semiconductors are the building blocks of almost every modern electronic device. Highlighting the challenges that the Indian semiconductor industry faces, mention the government efforts to give it a push. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity; it is an act of justice.” – Nelson Mandela. What does this quote mean to you? (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

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  • Urban planning can change the future of cities to happy cities

    Urban planningContext

    • In the recent few years, the growth of the economy and urbanization have accelerated. Rapid unplanned urbanization has put extreme pressure on natural resources.
    • Unplanned urbanization, however, exerts great strain on our cities. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the dire need for the planning and management of our cities.

    What does urban planning mean?

    • Urban planning, also known as regional planning, town planning, city planning is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportation, communications, and distribution networks and their accessibility.

    What are ‘Happy Cities’?

    • A term that follows the Green City, Sustainable City, Liveable City, in the lingo of urban planning

    What is a smart city?

    • A smart city is one that uses information and communication technologies to enhance citizen engagement. It is a neo-vision which seeks to improve the delivery of services in urban areas. The following story maps out the steps being taken by India to explore this concept in practice.

    What is the Smart Cities Mission?

    • Sustainable cities: The Smart Cities Mission aims at developing 100 cities, which were shortlisted, into self-sustainable urban settlements.
    • Chronology: The mission was launched on June 25, 2015 and was projected as one aimed at transforming the process of urban development in the country.
    • Comprehensive revamp: Among its strategic components is ‘area-based development’, which includes city improvement (retrofitting), city renewal (redevelopment) and city extension (Greenfield development), plus a pan-city initiative in which ‘smart solutions’ are applied covering larger parts of the city.

    Fast Facts – Urbanization in India

    • Most Urbanized States: Tamil Nadu 43.9%; Maharashtra 4%; Gujarat  37.4%
    • 3 out of world’s 21 mega cities: Mumbai (19 mill); Delhi (15 mill); Kolkata (14 mill)

    Urban planningUrban planning challenges

    Planning

    • Many urban governments lack a modern planning framework
    • The multiplicity of local bodies obstructs efficient planning and land use
    • Rigid master plans and restrictive zoning regulations limit the land available for building, constricting cities’ abilities to grow in accordance with changing needs.

    Housing

    • Building regulations that limit urban density – such as floor space indexes – reduce the number of houses available, thereby pushing up property prices
    • Outdated rent control regulations reduce the number of houses available on rent – a critical option for the poor
    • Policy, planning, and regulation deficiencies lead to a proliferation of slums

    Service delivery

    • There is a strong bias towards adding physical infrastructure rather than providing financially and environmentally sustainable services

    Infrastructure

    • Most urban bodies do not generate the revenues needed to renew infrastructure, nor do they have the creditworthiness to access capital markets for funds
    • Urban transport planning needs to be more holistic – there is a focus on moving vehicles rather than meeting the needs of the large numbers of people who walk or ride bicycles in India’s towns and cities.

    Environment:

    • The deteriorating urban environment is taking a toll on people’s health and productivity and diminishing their quality of life.

    Urban planningSolution offered by NITI ayog committee report on urban planning

    • Demystifying Planning and Involving Citizens: While it is important to maintain the master plans’ technical rigour, it is equally important to demystify them for enabling citizens’ participation at relevant stages. Therefore, the committee strongly recommends a ‘Citizen Outreach Campaign’ for demystifying urban planning.
    • Steps for Enhancing the Role of Private Sector: The report recommends that concerted measures must be taken at multiple levels to strengthen the role of the private sector to improve the overall planning capacity in the country.
    • Revision of Town and Country Planning Acts: Most States have enacted the Town and Country Planning acts, that enable them to prepare and notify master plans for implementation. However, many need to be reviewed and upgraded.
    • Revision of Town and Country Planning Acts: Most States have enacted the Town and Country Planning Acts, that enable them to prepare and notify master plans for implementation. However, many need to be reviewed and upgraded.

    Interesting fact

    India is home to 11% of the total global urban population.

    Government initiatives

    • Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT);
    • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) – Housing for all (Urban),
    • Smart Cities Mission (SCM),
    • Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM),
    • Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY);
    • Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).

    Conclusion

    • What is now increasingly understood, is that urban planning and design can be a powerful contributor to the happiness of citizens. The structure and layout of our streets, the availability of green spaces, the possibility of using urban spaces freely, the inclusion of beauty in public space.
    • It is safe to assume that when there are avenues for a community to come together in a pleasant environment, which is accessible to everyone, it can only increase well-being.

    Mains question

    Q. Can urban planning and design change Indian cities to be happy cities? Express your views by addressing the roadblocks in the same.

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  • 27th September 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Population and associated issues

    GS-2          Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

    GS-3          Government Budgeting

    GS-4         Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world.

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 ‘Population disincentives are necessary to save India from losing its demographic dividend’. Examine. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Highlighting the weaknesses shown by UN-led multilateralism, give arguments in support of a ‘reformed multilateralism.’ (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act has become outdated; the economic dynamism of the day requires new approaches. Discuss.(10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Introduce by mentioning the Gandhi’s engagement with social issues. List the relevant lesson that are useful in contemporary times, along with example from Gandhiji’s life. Conclude with summarizing your arguments. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

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  • Process of sustainable tourism should be holistic and inclusive

    “To other Country, I may go as a tourist. But to India I come as a pilgrim”, the words of Martin Luther King says a lot about India’s wisdom and tourism potential.

    Context

    • The three-day National Conference of State Tourism Minister was held at Dharamshala , a first of its kind meeting aimed  to discuss, debate and deliberate on modes and mechanisms to develop tourism in India .
    • The three-day National Conference concluded with the adoption of “Dharamshala Declaration” which affirms commitment toward developing “sustainable and responsible tourism” and positions India as a “global leader in the tourism sector by 2047”.

    What is tourism?

    • Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours.

    Types of tourism

    • Domestic tourism: Refers to activities of a visitor within their country of residence and outside of their home (e.g. a Indian visiting other parts of India)
    • Inbound tourism: Refers to the activities of a visitor from outside of country of residence (e.g. a Spaniard visiting Britain).
    • Outbound tourism: Refers to the activities of a resident visitor outside of their country of residence (e.g. an Indian visiting an overseas country).

    tourismWhat does sustainable tourism mean?

    • Sustainable tourism is defined by the UN Environment Program and UN World Tourism Organization as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

    What is the main importance of tourism?

    • Tourism boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructures of a country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.

    tourismWhy tourism is needed?

    • Tourism is not a fad. It is a compulsion driven by the urge to discover new places. Because we have this compulsion to venture into the unknown, we need each other. When humans travel, meet and exchange ideas, civilization flourishes.

    What is “The Dharamshala Declaration” is all about?

    • Aim of the declaration: The Dharamshala Declaration aims to recognise India’s role in contributing towards global tourism as well as focusing on recovery by also promoting domestic tourism.
    • Action plan: In the declaration, the Tourism Ministry has come up with a with a action plan to encourage more Indians to travel domestically and explore India’s natural, cultural, and spiritual beauty while simultaneously reaching the goal of an ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ (interaction and mutual understanding).
    • Strategy: The Tourism Ministry has also been working with the Ministry of External Affairs to identify 20 Indian missions abroad with the highest tourist footfalls to India and build country-specific strategies to attract foreign tourists.
    • Plan according to G-20: The Dharamshala Declaration affirms the plan to position India as a major tourism destination during its presidency of G-20 next year. India’s age-old dictum of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ will come to the fore as it welcomes delegates from the 20 countries/European Union.
    • Necessary steps: The Ministry of Tourism also plans to work with other Ministries to bring in necessary interventions such as visa reforms, ease of travel, travel-friendly and improved immigration facilities at airports.
    • National Tourism policy: Drafted with a holistic vision and strategy to revive India’s tourism and targets to contribute USD 1 trillion to the GDP by 2047.

    tourismA draft on National Tourism Policy 2022

    • Framework:
    • Draft on National Tourism Policy 2022 aims at improving the framework conditions for tourism development in the country.
    • Supporting tourism industries, strengthening tourism support functions and developing tourism sub-sectors.
    • Impetus to digitalisation, innovation and technology through the National Digital Tourism Mission and skilling through the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Mission.
    • The policy also gives a special impetus to private sector participation through public-private-partnerships (PPP)
    • Guiding Principles :
    • Promoting sustainable, responsible and inclusive tourism in line with our civilisational ethos From Gautama to Gandhi, India has always spoken about the inherent need to live harmoniously with nature and within our means.
    • The National Green Tourism Mission aims at institutionalising green approach.

    tourismTourism Potential in India

    • Employement generation: India has huge tourism potential. If capitalised properly it can emerge as one of the leading sectors to contribute to GDP and also has the potential to augment employment.
    • The Pandemic cost and recovery: The pandemic has caused conspicuous losses for this sector but over the past few months, all the major tourism indices such as domestic air passenger traffic, hotel occupancy and tourist footfalls have shown signs of recovery and are going back to pre-pandemic levels.
    • Short term estimate: By 2024, in short term the country is estimated to contribute USD 150 billion to the GDP from tourism, USD 30 billion in Foreign Exchange earnings and can get 15 million foreign tourist arrivals..
    • Medium term by 2030: It is estimated to grow at seven to nine per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate in the coming decade. In the medium term, that is 2030, the tourism-related goals are USD 250 billion GDP contribution; 137 million jobs, 56 million foreign tourist arrivals and USD 56 billion in foreign exchange earnings.
    • Visionary schemes: The visionary schemes like Swadesh Darshan or Dekho Apna Desh have the potential to increase tourism value while maintaining cultural integrity and ecological sustainability of the places.
    • Dekho Apna Desh: Dekho apna desh rolled out in 2020 envisages encouraging domestic tourism, urging people to visit places in India. India is a land of rich cultural heritage.

    Conclusion

    • If the goal of positioning of India as one of the world’s best tourism destinations by 2047, there is need to integrate various schemes of different ministries. Need to involve various stakeholders, and local communities; necessary interventions at urban and rural level should be a priority.

    Mains Question

    Q.Since the positive and negative outcomes of tourism depend on human factors, including the attitude and behavior of both tourists and hosts, in this context discuss India’s potential to become a global leader in tourism sector.

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  • SC takes up pleas against Places of Worship Act

    The Supreme Court has set the ball rolling on a series of petitions challenging the validity of the Places of Worship Act of 1991, a parliamentary law that protects the identity and character of religious places as on August 15, 1947.

    What are the petitions about?

    • A slew of petitions has been filed against the Act.
    • The Act has fixed a retrospective cut-off date illegally barring Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs from approaching courts to re-claim their places of worship which were invaded and encroached.
    • The main objective of these petitions is to set right a historical wrong committed by barbaric invaders.

    Places of Worship Act, 1991

    • It was passed in 1991 by the P V Narasimha Rao-led government.
    • The law seeks to maintain the “religious character” of places of worship as it was in 1947 — except in the case of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, which was already in court.
    • The law was brought in at the peak of the Ram Mandir movement, exactly a year before the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
    • Introducing the law, then Home Minister S B Chavan said in Parliament that it was adopted to curb communal tension.

    What are its provisions?

    What are its provisions?

    • Anti-conversion: Section 3 of the Act bars the conversion, in full or part, of a place of worship of any religious denomination into a place of worship of a different religious denomination — or even a different segment of the same religious denomination.
    • Holiness of a place: Section 4(1) declares that the religious character of a place of worship “shall continue to be the same as it existed” on August 15, 1947.
    • Litigation: Section 4(2) says any suit or legal proceeding with respect to the conversion of the religious character of any place existing on August 15, 1947, pending before any court, shall abate — and no fresh suit or legal proceedings shall be instituted.
    • Exception for Ayodhya: Section 5 stipulates that the Act shall not apply to the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, and to any suit, appeal or proceeding relating to it.

    Why is the law under challenge?

    • The cut-off date of August 15, 1947, is “arbitrary, irrational and retrospective” and prohibits Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs from approaching courts to “reclaim” their places of worship.
    • Such places, he argued, were “invaded” and “encroached” upon by “fundamentalist barbaric invaders”.
    • The right-wing politicians have opposed the law even when it was introduced, arguing that the Centre has no power to legislate on “pilgrimages” or “burial grounds” which is under the state list.
    • Another criticism against the law is that the cut-off is the date of Independence, which means that the status quo determined by a colonial power is considered final.

     

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  • Why our urban centres need to be better planned

    urban centres Context

    • Indian urban centres need to plan for migration, climate change. Healthcare, affordable housing, sustainability and inclusion hold the key reimagining them.

    What does urban planning mean?

    • Urban planning encompasses the preparation of plans for and the regulation and management of towns, cities, and metropolitan regions. It attempts to organize socio-spatial relations across different scales of government and governance.

    What are ‘Happy Cities’?

    • A term that follows the Green City, Sustainable City, Liveable City, in the lingo of urban planning

    urban centres What is a smart city?

    • A smart city is one that uses information and communication technologies to enhance citizen engagement. It is a neo-vision which seeks to improve the delivery of services in urban areas. The following story maps out the steps being taken by India to explore this concept in practice.

    Fast Facts -Urbanization in India

    Most Urbanized States: Tamil Nadu 43.9%; Maharashtra 4%; Gujarat  37.4%.

    3 out of world’s 21 mega cities: Mumbai (19 mill); Delhi (15 mill); Kolkata (14 mill)

    Global best practices in urban planning

    • The Garden City movement: In the West, the Garden City movement (initiated by Ebenezer Howard in 1898) sought to decentralise the working environment in the city centre with a push for providing healthier living spaces for factory workers. The ideal garden city was planned on a concentric pattern with open spaces, public parks and boulevards, housing 32,000 people on 6,000 acres, linked to a central city with over 50,000 people. Once a garden city reached maximum capacity, another city would be developed nearby.
    • Neighbourhood concept: In the US, the garden city movement evolved into the neighbourhood concept, where residential houses and streets were organised around a local school or community centre, with a push for lowering traffic and providing safe roads. London has a metropolitan green belt around the city, covering 5,13,860 hectares of land, to offset pollution and congestion and maintain biodiversity. Why can’t Indian cities have something similar, instead of ring roads and urban sprawls?
    • La ville du quart d’heure: Paris has taken this forward with the “15-minute city” (‘la ville du quart d’heure’). The idea is rather simple, every Parisian should be able to do their shopping, work, and recreational activities and fulfil their cultural needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride this means that the number of vehicular trips gets reduced significantly.
    • Investment in pedestrian infrastructure and non-motorised transport zones: A city would then be planned for pedestrians, instead of cars and motors. This requires an extensive usage of mixed-use developments, along with investment in pedestrian infrastructure and non-motorised transport zones. Instead of widening highways, this approach would push for widening pedestrian walkways.

    urban centres

    What should be adopted for India?

    • Every Indian city should ideally have a Master Plan: A strategic urban planning document which would be updated every decade or two. The document would entail how a city is supposed to grow, vertically and horizontally, across zones, while offering a high quality of life in a sustainable manner. Such plans would also consider poverty mitigation, affordable housing and liveability for urban migrants.
    • Urban land use needs to be better: One look at satellite map imagery will show that India’s urban growth is increasingly haphazard, with informal, unplanned and sprawling neighbourhoods developing in paddy fields and along linear infrastructure (arterial roads, open spaces). India’s hidden urbanisation, driven partly by our stringent definition of the word, along with weak enforcement of building codes, has meant that the local government is often playing catch-up, unable to provide urban services and infrastructure to keep up with growth.
    • Public land availability: Meanwhile, in places where there are formally recognised towns and urban neighbourhoods, outdated planning practices have meant that land utilisation is poor. Consider the case of Mumbai, where almost 1/4th of the land is open public space while over half of it is the underutilised space around buildings, which is enclosed by walls and hived off from public access. Such open spaces, if available, would help cities like Mumbai achieve similar ratios as globally benchmarked cities (Amsterdam, Barcelona) in public land availability (typically above 40 per cent).
    • India’s urban density will also need to be thought through: Dense construction on the peripheries of our major cities (for instance, dense construction in Delhi’s suburbs, like Noida and Gurugram) will inevitably mean that public services are stretched and emissions (due to transportation to the main city) remain high. Such urbanisation will unavoidably lock India into a high emissions future while making our cities prone to extreme heat and flooding.
    • Then there is climate change: According to the World Bank, climate change may reduce India’s GDP by 3 per cent, while depressing the living standards of its citizens by 2050. Many urban experts cite technological solutions that may save our cities a chain of sea walls, river embankments and reclamations, for instance from such potential calamities. However, structural engineering simply may not be an economically and environmentally feasible option everywhere instead, our focus must be on conservation.
    • Climate resilience perspective Bengaluru, with its network of interconnected lakes, could have considered Bangkok-style ferries instead of draining out its lakes. All ongoing and upcoming urban infrastructure projects must be reconsidered from a future climate resilience perspective does the ongoing sea reclamation for the upcoming coastal road in Mumbai make sense if sea levels are rising?
    • Establishing a sense of cityhood: By making a push for a city as a co-created space will also require building up institutional capacity.
    • Addressing lack of town planning education: India would ideally require 3,00,000 town and country planners by 2031 (there are just 5,000 town planners currently). Much of this problem is fundamentally due to a lack of town planning education in the country there are just 26 institutes that provide this course, producing 700 town planners each year. We already have a shortage of 1.1 million planners. More schools are needed, with a push for local IITs and NITs to have a standalone planning department. With over 8,000 towns and cities, there is a clear unmet need.

    urban centresConclusion

    • Our policymakers also need to be cognisant of the historical context of our urban development a push for glass buildings or utilising granite may not always be suitable for our cities. Why can’t our cities look distinctly Indian, inspired by our historical architecture? Renewing our cities will require us to rethink various urban topics, including urban design, urban healthcare, affordable housing, sustainability and inclusion among others. Our urban future depends on getting this right.

    Mains question 

    Q. Renewing our cities will require us to rethink various urban topics, including urban design, urban healthcare, affordable housing, sustainability and inclusion among others. Elaborate.

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