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Examine with suitable examples the recent trends in the growth of urban settlements in India.10 Marks (UPSC CSE Mains 2024 - Sociology, Paper 2)
Urbanisation is the process of people moving from rural areas (the countryside) to urban areas (towns and cities). This trend has been happening for centuries, but it has accelerated in recent decades. Urbanisation is identified by the United Nations as one of the four demographic mega-trends alongside population growth, ageing, and international migration.
Trends in Urbanisation:
India''s urban population has grown steadily. According to the 2011 Census, urbanisation increased from 27.7% in 2001 to 31.1% in 2011, representing a total of 377.1 million people and an annual growth rate of 2.76%. This trend has shifted focus from large Tier 1 cities (1,00,000 and above) to medium-sized towns, influenced by various push and pull factors such as employment, education, and security.
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According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in terms of the absolute number of persons living in urban areas, Maharashtra continues to lead with 50.8 million persons which comprises 13.5% of the total urban population of the country. Uttar Pradesh accounts for about 44.4 million, followed by Tamil Nadu at 34.9 million.
- Metropolitanization:The expansion of existing large cities into sprawling metropolitan regions, as seen in the National Capital Region around Delhi. This aligns with Indian sociologist Ashis Nandy’s concept of the “unintended city.”
- Smart Cities Initiative:Government-led development of technologically advanced urban centers, such as Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, aiming to improve urban infrastructure and quality of life.
- Peri-urbanization:The blurring of rural-urban boundaries, creating hybrid spaces. For instance, areas surrounding Bengaluru have seen rapid transformation from agricultural to mixed-use landscapes.
- Gentrification:Urban renewal in older city areas, often displacing lower-income residents. Mumbai’s mill areas exemplify this trend.
- Satellite Towns:Development of smaller urban centers around major cities, like Navi Mumbai, to decongest core areas and provide affordable housing.
- Urban Corridors:Emergence of continuous urban stretches along major transportation routes, such as the Mumbai-Pune Expressway corridor.
Urbanization needs to be sustainable in two counts i.e. First, it is need to equally benefit all the people in the society i.e. socially inclusive and secondly, environmentally sustainable.
POSTED ON 14-02-2025 BY ADMIN
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