The Indian government has asked 20 of the worst-performing cities under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) to complete their projects as the June 2023 deadline approaches. The Smart Cities Mission is an initiative of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry that was launched in 2015 to improve municipal services, make cities more liveable, and promote sustainable environments. The project aims to create smart cities that provide core infrastructure, a clean environment, and application of smart solutions.
Four Pillars of the Smart Cities Mission
The Smart Cities Mission is built on four pillars: social infrastructure, physical infrastructure, institutional infrastructure, and economic infrastructure. The project proposals range from making certain stretches of roads more accessible and pedestrian-friendly to more capital-intensive projects such as laying water pipelines and constructing sewage treatment plants.
Integrated Command and Control Centres
All 100 cities have constructed Integrated Command and Control Centres to monitor security, emergency, and civic services. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these centres were converted into emergency response units by many of the cities.
Deadline for Completion
The projects were supposed to be completed within five years of the selection of the city, but in 2021 the Ministry changed the deadline for all cities to June 2023.
As of March 2023, the 100 cities have issued work orders for 7,799 projects. Out of these, 5,399 projects have been completed, and the rest are ongoing. Only around 20 cities are likely to meet the June deadline, and the rest will need more time. Among the laggards are six cities from the Northeast, five Union Territories, and three state capitals.
Challenges of the Smart Cities Mission
The Smart Cities Mission is a challenging project. Every city has its own set of challenges ranging from infrastructure, city dynamics, behavioral practice, etc. Some of the challenges that come up when large-scale infrastructure development is done include inconsistency in policies and regulatory norms, technical constraints and technological obsoleteness, financing for the project, and transport.
Government Initiatives to Support the Smart Cities Mission
The Indian government has launched several initiatives to support the Smart Cities Mission. These include:
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
It aims to ensure that every household has access to a tap with the assured supply of water and a sewerage connection, increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well-maintained open spaces like parks, and reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport.
National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM)
It creates a shared digital infrastructure for urban India and works across the three pillars of people, process, and platform to provide complete support to cities and towns.
National Urban Learning Platform (NULP)
It aims to propagate solutions and innovations that are underway and act as an enabler of the rapid development of diverse new solutions developed by cities and states.
Ease of Living Index (EoLI)
The EoLI is an assessment tool by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs that evaluates the quality of life and the impact of various initiatives for urban development in the city.
India Smart Cities Awards Contest (ISAC)
It was launched to reward the cities, projects, and innovative ideas promoting ‘smart’ development in cities.
The Urban Learning Internship Programme (TULIP)
TULIP is a program for providing fresh graduates with experiential learning opportunities in the urban sector. It would help enhance the value-to-market of India’s graduates and help create a potential talent pool in diverse fields like urban planning, transport engineering, environment, municipal finance, etc.
MCQs about India’s Smart Cities Mission
-
What are the four pillars on which the Smart Cities Mission is built?
A. Social infrastructure, physical infrastructure, institutional infrastructure, and economic infrastructure
B. Financial infrastructure, environmental infrastructure, political infrastructure, and technical infrastructure
C. Rural infrastructure, urban infrastructure, healthcare infrastructure, and educational infrastructure
D. None of the above
-
What is the June 2023 deadline referred to in the essay?
A. The deadline for the selection of cities under the Smart Cities Mission
B. The deadline for completing all projects under the Smart Cities Mission
C. The deadline for starting construction of projects under the Smart Cities Mission
D. None of the above
-
What is the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)?
A. An initiative to support the Smart Cities Mission by creating a shared digital infrastructure for urban India
B. An assessment tool by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs that evaluates the quality of life and the impact of various initiatives for urban development in the city
C. A program for providing fresh graduates with experiential learning opportunities in the urban sector
D. An initiative to ensure that every household has access to a tap with the assured supply of water and a sewerage connection
Boost up your confidence by appearing our Weekly Current Affairs Multiple Choice Questions
