Urbanisation and its Discontents

Valuing water for a smart and sustainable city: Lessons from Kolkata

The issue of valuing water is contentious because of its physical, political and economic dimensions. Yet, it is an important debate, as valuation is key in estimating the benefits and ...

Social protection to mitigate poverty: Examining the neglect of India’s informal workers

Social protection is crucial in tackling extreme poverty and ensuring equitable development, thus catalysing the transition to a more stable and robust economy. About 50 percent of India’s economy hinges ...

Strengthening urban India’s informal economy: The case of street vending

Street vending was illegal in urban India for almost six decades until the passage of the Street Vendors Act in 2014. Despite the law having legalised the activity, however, the ...

Rationalising fares to prevent the financial derailment of Indian Railways

The financial condition of the Indian Railways (IR) is weakening by the day because of mounting losses in the passenger business. This, at a time when it is making efforts ...

SDGs, Indian Cities and Seismic Sustainability

Goal 11 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” Its targets include the promotion of resilience to disasters such ...

24×7 cities: Recommendations for an India playbook

In 2016, the Indian government cleared the Model Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Act, allowing retail establishments to remain open throughout the day and night. ...

The unfinished business of decentralised urban governance in India

Until the early 1990s, India’s urban local bodies (ULBs) were under the complete control of the states, having little functional, financial and administrative autonomy. The 74th Amendment Act of 1992 sought ...

An assessment of the bulk data sharing policy of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

In March 2019, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) rolled out the Bulk Data Sharing Policy for its databases. The policy states that organisations must pay an annual ...

Education, skills, gender parity: An agenda for employment generation in urban India

India's urban challenges: Recommendations for the new government (2019-2024)

India’s urban moment: The pressing need for a new thought architecture

India’s emerging urban moment is caught between two realities: inadequate systems in public transportation, housing, waste management, and access to sanitation and health; and a burgeoning ecosystem of enterprising individuals, ...

Protecting India’s built heritage against natural disasters

India’s built heritage—rich and diverse, an amalgamation of the country’s multi-millennial interactions with different cultures—is managed by governmental agencies at the national, state and local levels. These bodies have their ...

Towards inclusive and sustainable smart cities: The case of Ranchi

Housing poverty in urban India: The failures of past and current strategies and the need for a new blueprint

This paper argues that India’s housing strategy should not be confined to merely creating affordable housing stock to tackle the shortage, as such an approach is myopic. Instead, a sound ...

Slum Tourism: Promoting participatory development or abusing poverty for profit?

Participatory local area planning: A must for robust city growth

The impact of GST on municipal finances in India: A case study of Mumbai

The post-GST Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Budget of 2018–19 was the first to contend with the abolition of octroi, which was previously its largest and most robust source ...

Towards a sustainable smart city: The case of Aizawl

India’s hill cities are unique poles of development. While they have managed to record some degree of economic growth, increasing urban population and unfavourable topography have also made such growth ...