{"id":57439,"date":"2025-10-24T18:40:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T13:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=57439"},"modified":"2025-10-25T16:02:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T10:32:56","slug":"india-urban-crisis-city-governance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/24-10-2025\/india-urban-crisis-city-governance","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Urban Crisis Deepens as States Choke City-Level Governance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Urban India is buckling under the weight of rapid, unplanned growth, with dysfunctions ranging from clogged drains and toxic air to flooded streets and crumbling infrastructure \u2014 highlighting the urgent need for empowered city-level governance, often stifled by state control.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About India\u2019s Urban Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s urban landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, shaped by rapid population growth, infrastructure expansion, and evolving governance frameworks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Currently, <strong>over 30% of the population resides in cities in India<\/strong> and contributes nearly 70% of India\u2019s GDP, and projections suggest that the population aims to rise to <strong>nearly 50% by 2050.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Governance Crisis in Urban India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Unfulfilled Promise of Constitutional Framework:<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>The <strong>74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA)<\/strong> of 1992 granted constitutional status to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), envisioning them as self-governing institutions responsible for urban development and service delivery.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The<strong> 12th Schedule of the Constitution<\/strong> assigned <strong>18 functions<\/strong> to these bodies, including urban planning, sanitation, solid waste management, and poverty alleviation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, a <strong>CAG Audit in 2024 <\/strong>exposes that on average, only <strong>4 out of 18 functions<\/strong> are under their full control, with state governments and parastatal agencies frequently intervening in local governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Administrative Autonomy: <\/strong>ULBs often cannot recruit their own staff \u2014 personnel assessments are conducted by state authorities, leading to severe staff shortages.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For example, the <strong>Shimla Municipal Corporation<\/strong> required 720 personnel but was sanctioned only 20 new posts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Across 18 states, <strong>one-third of all sanctioned positions remain vacant<\/strong>, crippling ULBs\u2019 capacity to perform essential functions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Democratic Deficit and Institutional Neglect: <\/strong>The 74th Amendment mandated institutional mechanisms like <strong>State Election Commissions (SECs)<\/strong>, <strong>District Planning Committees (DPCs)<\/strong>, and <strong>Metropolitan Planning Committees (MPCs)<\/strong> to ensure accountability and coordinated planning.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>But, the CAG audit in 2024 found <strong>widespread neglect<\/strong> of these provisions:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>61% (1,600 of 2,625)<\/strong> ULBs in 17 states lack an elected council.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only <strong>five states<\/strong> appoint mayors through direct elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Just <strong>10 states<\/strong> have constituted DPCs, and only <strong>three<\/strong> have prepared annual district plans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Of the nine states required to form MPCs, only <strong>three<\/strong> have functional committees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial Distress and Fiscal Dependence: <\/strong>Many states have failed to <strong>regularly constitute State Finance Commissions (SFCs)<\/strong>, delaying fiscal transfers and weakening local finances.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the CAG, across 15 states, ULBs faced an <strong>average shortfall of \u20b91,606 crore<\/strong> due to partial release of recommended funds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Furthermore, despite being empowered to collect property taxes, ULBs <strong>cannot fix or revise tax rates<\/strong> independently, with many taxes still pegged at outdated values.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It leads to a <strong>42% expenditure\u2013revenue gap<\/strong> across 11 states, forcing ULBs to allocate just <strong>29% of their funds<\/strong> to development activities \u2014 far below what is needed for sustainable infrastructure and service delivery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Efforts &amp; Initiatives in Urban Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM):<\/strong> It was launched to create a digital backbone for urban India;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It enables citizen-centric governance through platforms like:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX)<\/strong> for secure data sharing;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SmartCode<\/strong> for collaborative urban tech development;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geospatial Management Information System (GMIS)<\/strong> for project monitoring;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Smart Cities Mission:<\/strong> Aims to develop 100 cities with smart infrastructure, e-governance, and sustainable urban planning;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Focuses on integrated command centers, intelligent traffic systems, and digital citizen services;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation):<\/strong> Targets improvement in basic urban infrastructure: water supply, sewerage, stormwater drainage, and non-motorized transport;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourages reforms in urban planning and municipal finance;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compendium of Urban Reforms (NIUA):<\/strong> It is the best practices in financial management, e-governance, and pro-poor reforms.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promotes peer learning through the PEARL initiative under JnNURM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-10-2024\/10-years-of-swachh-bharat-mission\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-10-2024\/10-years-of-swachh-bharat-mission\">Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)<\/a>: <\/strong>Focuses on sanitation, waste management, and behavioral change;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Introduced star rating protocols for garbage-free cities;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ease of Living Index &amp; Municipal Performance Index:<\/strong> Benchmarks cities on governance, quality of life, and sustainability;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourages data-driven decision-making and citizen feedback loops<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Annual Survey of India\u2019s City-Systems (ASICS):<\/strong> Tracks municipal performance and governance quality across cities.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Strengthening Urban Governance in India: Pathways to Reform<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Administrative Autonomy:<\/strong> ULBs need to have full control over staff recruitment and management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Democratic Strengthening:<\/strong> State governments must ensure <strong>regular municipal elections<\/strong> through empowered SECs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Functional DPCs and MPCs:<\/strong> These bodies should be operationalized for integrated regional planning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fiscal Empowerment:<\/strong> SFCs should be constituted and implemented on time, ensuring predictable fiscal transfers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Local Tax Reforms:<\/strong> Grant ULBs authority to assess and revise local taxes, improving revenue generation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s urban future depends on revitalizing its <strong>Urban Local Bodies<\/strong>. Without real autonomy, both administrative and fiscal, cities will continue to struggle under weak governance and inadequate planning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Empowering ULBs through the faithful implementation of the <strong>74th Constitutional Amendment<\/strong> is not merely a constitutional mandate \u2014 it is a developmental necessity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Through strong, accountable, and financially independent local institutions can India\u2019s cities reclaim their promise as vibrant, productive, and livable spaces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Examine how the centralization of power by state governments has contributed to the deepening urban crisis in India. Discuss the implications for city-level governance and suggest measures to strengthen urban local bodies.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/opinion\/columns\/india-s-urban-crisis-deepens-as-states-choke-city-level-governance-125102200921_1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: BS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-24-October-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Urban India is buckling under the weight of rapid, unplanned growth, with dysfunctions ranging from clogged drains and toxic air to flooded streets and crumbling infrastructure \u2014 highlighting the urgent need for empowered city-level governance, often stifled by state control.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57439"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57521,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57439\/revisions\/57521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}