Inequality rampant in Indian cities -Governance Now

Inequality rampant in Indian cities

Blaming migrants sustains a negative attitude: UN report

Trithesh Nandan | December 9, 2011

The people have been facing different kinds of deprivation and inequality in the Indian cities, according to a UNESCO study on the India urban policies.

“There are inequality, ghettoisation, apartheid and segregation across the cities in India,” said Miloon Kothari, former UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, while releasing the study in Delhi on Friday. He has also contributed a chapter in the study, entitled ‘Urban Policies and the Right to the City in India: Rights, Responsibilities and Citizenship’.

Kothari added, “Where new projects (gated communities, malls, entertainments complexes) have created a clear demarcation between ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ areas, slums are sprawling, with little access to essential civic services, especially water, electricity and sanitation.”

However, the study does not have data on the percentage or number of people facing inequality in the Indian cities. It clarified, “A rights-based approach in the context of Indian cities has not yet been extensively documented and researched.”

Kothari also took a dig on the government’s policies of not containing the property speculation in cities. “The middle-class people are not able to buy a house in cities as the property mafias have controlled the pricing of houses,” he added.

“The urban planning in India is elitist, not concerned to everybody,” said professor Ram B Bhagat of International Institute for Population Sciences. According to the census 2011, one-third of Indians, close to 377 million out of 1.2 billion, now live in urban areas. “The local governance should be strengthened,” said Bhagat.

The study also noted that in the absence of proper urban planning; migrants are blamed for cities’ woes. “This not only sustains a negative attitude but even incites hatred and violence towards migrants,” said the study.

It said that the 12th five-year plan (2012-17), Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) and city development plans should address the concerns of migrants and their rights.

The study suggested the concept of ‘Right to the City’ to ensure better access and opportunities for everyone living in cities.

Comments

Other News

Before India voted, the framers worried about the referee

“We are making a Constitution forever and not only for today.” Shibban Lal Saksena said this in the Constituent Assembly on June 15, 1949. He was warning that a ruling party might one day choose a loyalist to run India’s elections. Seventy-seven years later, the Supreme Court is wrestli

Delhi moves to real-time traffic management

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, has approved implementation of the ITMS Project by Delhi Police at an estimated cost of Rs.1,789.52 crore, inclusive of taxes. The project will cover 42 identified traffic corridors and will be implemented in three

MDR on UPI: Can sustainability come without weakening the network?

The extraordinary transaction volumes and value (₹29.82 Lakh crore in August 2026 alone) of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have made it not only an Indian success story, but a global one. In 2024, UPI accounted for nearly 49% of the world’s real-time payment transaction volume, with more th

The Xi-Trump summit: The unending rivalry

Diplomacy is akin to an art, wherein the summitry, conflict resolution and negotiations form apt constituents of the entire context of deal making and “playing for keeps” in the international arena. The Xi-Trump summit in Washington last week, in which the American president broke all conside

“Indians, yet treated like outsiders”

Moving to Delhi-NCR for education can be an exciting experience for students from Northeast India. It gives us a chance to meet new people, experience a different culture and become more independent. But living away from home also comes with challenges that people who have not experienced them may not al

Import duty on major edible oils cut

The government has reduced the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on major imported crude edible oils with a view to moderating domestic edible oil prices, providing relief to consumers and mitigating inflationary pressures arising from the sharp increase in international edible oil prices.