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Despite constitutional safeguards, ULBs across India are increasingly being hollowed out by centralising tendencies, undermining the spirit of democra

As India’s middle class grows, so does its appetite for wheels—from bikes to SUVs, car ownership is set to reshape economic mobility

PMAY-U अंतर्गत भारतातील "In-Situ" झोपडपट्टी पुनर्विकास योजनेला क�

India’s “In-Situ” Slum Redevelopment scheme under PMAY-U struggled with low occupancy and stalled projects. Can new policy strategies bridge the

भारतीय शहरातील नागरिकांमध्ये शहरी स्थानिक स्वराज्य संस

Citizens in India’s cities are increasingly frustrated with their urban local bodies, and this problem calls for significant municipal governance re

भारताच्या नागरी भागात महिलांचे नेतृत्व हळूहळू वाढत असल�

The central and state governments must step up efforts at creating pathways for effective urban self-governance

The Indian government will have to comprehensively rethink its approach and empower ULBs if India is to achieve its promise of becoming an economic po

Women’s leadership in India’s urban governance has steadily increased but they continue to face barriers such as limited experience, social stigma

शहरांचा विस्तार होत आहे आणि अधिकाधिक लोकांना सामावून घे�

As cities expand and indulge in construction to accommodate more people, the question of dealing with construction and demolition waste becomes increa

शहरांचे ऑटोमोबाईल धोरणावर थोडे नियंत्रण असल्याने, त्या�

Since cities have little control over automobile policy, they must accommodate more automobiles within their geographical limits by employing better p

There are concerns about how well the newly merged cantonments will be governed under the ULBs

Since climate change will impact cities worldwide, ULBs will play a crucial role in addressing the climate-related challenges

A rising trend of voter apathy in municipal elections has been witnessed across the country

Caring for street dogs is misplaced kindness that comes at the cost of citizen safety

A shortage of staff and funds and an outdated municipal governance system weigh the ULBs down, disabling them from properly executing their duties

Complications are arising over the need to establish special planning authorities (SPAs) within the physical boundaries of urban local bodies (ULBs).

Although the Budget pushes for urban planning, will the architecture of Indian federalism continue to limit its execution?

The façade of federalism is apparent as none of the government levels want to part with their authority

There is a need to move beyond empowerment towards improving the ability of urban women to join and remain in the workforce

At the current rate of urbanisation, India would have taken two and a half centuries to urbanise to the current US levels, as against two centuries fo

The budget has made some enhanced provisions for the physical and social infrastructure of cities. These will directly contribute to the expansion and

The Indian municipal financial pie is woefully narrow, and a large unfunded mandate is the city’s sad fate.

Improving the fiscal state of cities will need a holistic push from all tiers of the government.

BRTS cities are now struggling with a surfeit of public transport systems — the normal bus service, BRTS and the Metro.

Unlike the ‘area sabha’ of the Nagar Raj Bill, the decisions of the ‘jan sabha’ were to be binding on the wards committee in regard to local w

‘Urbanised’ rural areas must migrate to regulations that would get urbanisation right.

There have been various factors that have limited the growth of the municipal bond market, but importantly it reflects the state of finances in the in

The BRTS falls between two stools. It monopolises rare road space and heavily congests non-BRTS lanes.

Contract clauses of penalties and liquidated damages are bound to be pressed, leading to arbitration and legal battles.

The role of the State Finance Commissions between States and local bodies is supposed to mimic the role of Finance Commissions between the Centre and

This brief discusses the challenges faced by urban local bodies (ULBs) in India in accessing urban climate finance (UCF), and proposes solutions based on successful strategies used by some of them. The hurdles include institutional barriers and limited capacity. The brief finds that ULBs that have met with success in accessing UCF overcame the obstacles through early sensitisation programmes and global network connections. It offers plausible sol

Birds provide multiple benefits to the world’s ecosystems. In recent years, experts have raised the alarm about deteriorating bird populations, with some species becoming extinct and others threatened to dangerous levels. This decline in avian populations is primarily attributed to urbanisation. Concerted efforts are required to conserve birds and their habitats in cities. The Government of India, state governments, urban local bodies, non-gove

As global and urban populations continue to grow, and climate change threatens food security, it is imperative that cities—often the largest food consumers—contribute to its production through urban agriculture. Urban agriculture comprises food and non-food products grown for self-consumption or sale. Entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, and citizens worldwide are adopting new technologies to optimise production amid space c

Across India, existing systems for the collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste are mired in chaos. The problem is more acute in the urban areas, where rapidly growing populations generate increasingly larger quantities of solid waste that urban local bodies (ULBs) are unable to manage effectively. Improper management of solid waste poses risks to the environment and public health. This paper dissects the state of solid waste manage

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 of revenue. One year after the introduction of the General Services Tax (GST) by the central government, the MCGM has been forced to find new financing sources. While the state government of Maharashtra has assured that the loss of octroi will be compensated,

Women’s representation in local governance is a crucial indicator of gender inclusivity. Since 1993, the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act has reserved one-third of seats in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to women. Multiple states have since granted 50 percent reservation of seats for women in urban and rural local self-government bodies. Today, women have become a crucial political constituency, both as voters and as electoral candidates. This pape

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 to make ULBs self-governing institutions. Many salutary provisions were made in the Act and there have been certain positive outcomes since it came into effect in April 1993. However, many key issues have remained unresolved and at present,

शहरी स्थानिक संस्थांमध्ये नव्याने विलीन झालेल्या लष्करी छावण्यांचा कारभार किती चांगल्या प्रकारे होईल, याविषयी चिंता आहे.