26th September 2025 (13 Topics)

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Redefining Urban India

Context:

The Registrar General of India (RGI) announced that the Census 2027 will retain the 2011 definition of urban areas, raising concerns about its adequacy in capturing India’s evolving settlement patterns.

Current Definition of Urban (Census 2011)

Statutory Towns: Notified by state governments, governed by urban local bodies (municipal corporations, councils, nagar panchayats).
Census Towns: Meet three criteria —
- Population ? 5,000,
- ? 75% of male main working population engaged in non-agricultural activities,
- Population density ? 400 persons per sq. km.
Limitation: Census towns remain administratively rural despite having urban characteristics.

Limitations of Current Framework

Outdated Workforce Criterion: Ignores women’s work and mixed livelihoods where individuals engage in both agricultural and non-agricultural activities.
Underestimation of Urbanisation: Many peri-urban and transitional settlements are excluded. Studies suggest India’s urban population in 2011 may have been 35–57%, not the official 31%.
Governance Gap: Census towns remain under Panchayati Raj Institutions with limited powers, unlike urban local bodies with greater financial and administrative autonomy.
Case Study – West Bengal: Despite 526 new census towns in 2011, 251 census towns from 2001 were still not municipalised by 2011, showing governance delays.

Implications of Retaining Old Definition

Service Delivery Deficit: Settlements with urban needs lack infrastructure (sewage, roads, water supply) due to rural classification.
Planning Challenges: Misclassification disrupts urban planning, investment priorities, and housing policies.
Economic Misrepresentation: Expanding gig economy, service jobs, and industrial work in semi-rural areas remain invisible in statistics.
Policy Inefficiency: Undercounting urbanisation skews resource allocation for Smart Cities, AMRUT, and Jal Jeevan Mission.

Fact Box:

Statutory vs. Census Towns:

Statutory Towns: Notified by state laws, governed by urban local bodies.
Census Towns: Identified by Census criteria but governed as rural areas.

Peri-Urban Areas:

Settlements on the urban-rural fringe, showing mixed land-use patterns and livelihoods.
Lack clear governance status ? excluded from urban planning.

Ladakh&Sixth Schedule

Polity & Governance

Saudi-Pakistan Pact

International Relations

Northeast Trade Imbalance

Economy

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)

Polity & Governance

National Co-operative Exports Limited

Economy

Provincial Citizenship in India

Polity & Governance

FCRA Cancellation in Ladakh

Polity & Governance

India’s Defence Diplomacy in Africa

International Relations

Mahi Banswara Nuclear Project

Economy Infrastructure

Dragonfly Biodiversity Survey

Ecology and Environment Biodiversity

Cancer Cases Rising in India

Science & Technology

Rail-Based Agni-P Launch

Science & Technology Defence

GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Redefining Urban India