Why India’s urban definition is failing its growing towns, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Registrar General of India (RGI) will retain the 2011 Census definition of urban areas for the 2027 Census.
• An area is considered urban if it's a statutory town or meets criteria like a 5,000 population, 75% male workforce in non-agricultural activities, and 400 persons per sq. km density.
• Many census towns meeting urban criteria remain under rural governance, lacking urban infrastructure and services.
• The current definition may undercount urban populations by 35-57%, as per a 2019 study, due to its narrow framework.

Detailed Insights:

• The existing urban-rural binary fails to recognize settlements evolving between rural and urban, leading to exclusion from urban governance.
• Census towns and peri-urban regions with urban characteristics are deprived of proper planning, services, and resource allocation.
• A significant number of settlements classified as census towns in 2001 remained under rural governance by 2011, especially in West Bengal.
• The 75% male workforce rule is outdated as it doesn't account for the spread of industries, service jobs, and the gig economy in rural areas.
• The current definition overlooks those engaged in both agricultural and non-agricultural work, as well as women's informal or unpaid work.
• Retaining the outdated definition risks misclassifying millions, undercounting urbanized areas, and excluding growing settlements from urban governance.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Statutory Town: An area formally notified as urban by the State government, having urban local bodies.
• Census Town: An area that is administratively rural but meets urban criteria based on population, density, and economic activity.
• Urban Local Bodies: Autonomous bodies like municipal corporations responsible for urban governance and development.