NITI Aayog to redefine urban boundaries using economic data to boost growth and infrastructure
Reuters Representative image.
The NITI Aayog is readying a framework for redrawing urban boundaries, with economic parameters and current land use being the key parameters for redefinition.
The move is aimed at helping states better address rapid unplanned urbanisation and focus on targeted infrastructure creation to enable them to unlock their full economic potential, said a senior government official. The government's premier policy think tank will also outline interventions to boost manufacturing and services and lay emphasis on new growth avenues including tourism, real estate, healthcare and agriculture, according to the official.
In India, urban areas consist of statutory towns and census towns based on population and engagement of men in non-agriculture activities. However, the existing census definition is about 65 years old and the existing criteria are believed to be inadequate to serve the exigencies of a modern economy.
The Aayog is working on four pilot city-regions — Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Varanasi, Surat and Visakhapatnam – to develop a standardised process template.
'Based on insights and learnings from these pilots, NITI Aayog will shortly launch a framework to guide the formulation of economic plans across other city-regions,' said the official, who did not wish to be identified. The current definition does not capture the new realities, according to experts.
Vivek Mittal, executive director, Deloitte India, pointed out that as per the existing definition only 31% of the Indian population lived in urban areas in 2011. However, going by the definition followed in France, urban population in India would be 65%, he said.Adil Zaidi, partner and leader — economic development advisory, EY India, said India's urban classification, rooted in the census framework of statutory and census towns, often fails to keep pace with the country's fast-evolving economic geography.According to the Aayog, India is the world's second largest urban system, contributing about 63% to the national gross domestic product, as of 2011, and this is expected to increase to 75% by 2040.
The shift in the urban planning paradigm is envisaged to lead to several positive outcomes, including attracting investment and generating employment through a clear, long-term economic vision tailored to each city-region, said the official cited earlier.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
4 minutes ago
- NDTV
Riot Police, Anti-ICE Protesters Square Off In Los Angeles After Raids
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Protests erupted in downtown Los Angeles following federal immigration raids, leading to a standoff with helmeted police. Officers declared an unlawful assembly as protesters clashed with police, who used tear gas and pepper spray. Los Angeles: Helmeted police in riot gear turned out on Friday evening in a tense confrontation with protesters in downtown Los Angeles, after a day of federal immigration raids in which dozens of people across the city were reported to be taken into custody. Live Reuters video showed Los Angeles Police Department officers lined up on a downtown street wielding batons and what appeared to be tear gas rifles, facing off with demonstrators after authorities had ordered crowds of protesters to disperse around nightfall. Early in the standoff, some protesters hurled chunks of broken concrete toward officers, and police responded by firing volleys of tear gas and pepper spray. Police also fired "flash-bang" concussion rounds. It was not clear whether there were any immediate arrests. An LAPD spokesperson, Drake Madison, told Reuters that police on the scene had declared an unlawful assembly, meaning that those who failed to leave the area were subject to arrest. Television news footage earlier in the day showed caravans of unmarked military-style vehicles and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents targeted several locations, including a Home Depot in the city's Wetlake District, an apparel store in the Fashion District and a clothing warehouse in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles City News Service (CNS). CNS and other local media reported dozens of people were taken into custody during the raids, the latest in a series of such sweeps conducted in a number of cities as part of President Donald Trump's extensive crackdown on illegal immigration. The Republican president has vowed to arrest and deport undocumented migrants in record numbers. The LAPD did not take part in the immigration enforcement action. It was deployed to quell civil unrest after crowds protesting the deportation raids spray-painted anti-ICE slogans on the walls of a federal court building and massed outside a nearby jail where some of the detainees were believed to be held. Impromptu demonstrations had also erupted at some of the raid locations earlier in the day. One organized labor executive, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California, was injured and detained by ICE at one site, according to an SEIU statement. The union said Huerta was arrested "while exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity." No details about the nature or severity of Huerta's injury were given. It was not clear whether he was charged with a crime. ICE did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for information about its enforcement actions or Huerta's detention. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement condemning the immigration raids, saying, "these tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city."
The Wire
5 minutes ago
- The Wire
Nijjar & After: Facing Flak, Canadian PM says Progress in ‘Accountability' Paved Way for Modi G7 Invite
New Delhi: Faced with questions over the invitation to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for G7 summit, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney defended his decision, saying New Delhi had agreed to resume law enforcement dialogue in a way that 'recognises issues of accountability,' even as high-profile criminal investigations remains underway. On the evening of June 6 in Delhi, Modi posted on X about a phone call with Carney, noting that he had accepted the invitation to attend the G7 summit in the course of the call. The invitation came just over a week before the summit is scheduled to begin on June 15. Other non-G7 invitees, such as South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico, were invited at least a month in advance. Carney's office issued a readout, saying there 'was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns.' Following Modi's post, in Ottawa, Carney was pressed by reporters about the optics of inviting Modi, given that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has previously alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in a campaign of ' violent criminal activity ' in Canada and also accused them of orchestrating the June 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India and Canada currently have vacant high commissioner posts in each other's capitals, after the top envoys were forced out last year. 'Won't disrupt process' Carney acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue but maintained that his government would not interfere in the legal process. 'We have now agreed, importantly, to continued law enforcement dialogue. So there's been some progress on that, which recognises issues of accountability,' he said, when asked directly why the Indian leader was being invited despite the allegations . He reiterated that the ongoing investigation would remain fully independent. 'We are a country of the rule of law. The rule of law is proceeding as it should in Canada, and I am not going to disrupt that process,' he said. India, for its part, has firmly rejected the allegations levelled by Canadian security agencies, including broader claims of foreign interference in electoral affairs. Canada had last year even accused Indian home minister Amit Shah of being involved in the alleged plot to target Canadian nationals. New Delhi has insisted that Canada has ' not shared with us any shred of evidence ' regarding the involvement of Indian agents in the Nijjar case so far. However, Indian authorities have cooperated with the United States , which has connected its own attempted assassination case involving a US-based Khalistani separatist to Nijjar's murder. Carney refused to say whether he believed Modi was involved in Nijjar's killing. 'First off, there is a legal process that is literally underway and quite advanced in Canada. It's never appropriate to make comments in any respect with regard to those legal processes,' he said. Carney also laid out the broader rationale for the invitation, pointing to Canada's role as this year's G7 chair and the need to engage India on global strategic and economic issues. 'First, we are in the role, Canada is in the role, of the G7 chair, and in those discussions, as agreed with our G7 colleagues, we're addressing important issues like energy security, the digital future, and critical minerals, among others,' he said. 'Partnerships in building infrastructure in the emerging and developing world are also part of the agenda. There are certain countries that should be at the table for those discussions,' Carney stated. 'In my capacity as G7 chair, and in consultation with others, some of whom also make these determinations, it makes sense to include India, the fifth-largest economy in the world, effectively the most populous country, and central to a number of those supply chains.' 'Won't even get a slap on the wrist' According to Globe and Mail , the decision to invite Modi drew criticism from within Carney's party as well. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal, whose constituency in British Columbia includes the temple where Nijjar was killed, said he did not agree with the government's decision to invite Modi. 'My constituents are telling me the message that we are sending is they can come and kill Canadians on Canadian soil and they won't even get a slap on the wrist,' he said. Opposition leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, said that the invitation was 'necessary', but that conversations on security issues should remain on the table along with economic matters. 'We need to sell our natural gas, our civilian nuclear power technology and other resource projects to India,' he said Friday, as quoted by CBC news , adding, 'We want to see the government work on addressing security issues at the same time when the prime minister has those conversations'. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
The Hindu
15 minutes ago
- The Hindu
'Criminal betrayal of our soldiers': Congress slams Modi Govt over 'failing' to isolate Pakistan
The Congress on Saturday (June 7, 2025) alleged that the Modi government has failed to isolate Pakistan on the global stage after the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it a "criminal betrayal" of Indian soldiers and citizens. Congress' head of media and publicity department, Pawan Khera, said instead of strong action against Pakistan, China armed it with fifth-generation jets and missiles and the World Bank and the ADB gave more aid to the neighbouring country. He claimed that the UN Security Council also named Pakistan Vice-Chair of the Anti-Terrorism Committee, just days after the terror attack on Indian soil. "After the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, we expected strong actions and global isolation of Pakistan, but what has actually happened? "China is arming Pakistan with 40 fifth-generation stealth J-35A fighter jets armed with cutting-edge PL-17 missiles. Azerbaijan is investing $2 billion in purchasing 40 Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets," Mr. Khera said. "The World Bank has pledged USD 40 billion for Pakistan's development. The IMF approved USD 1 billion bailout to Pakistan. Russia has signed a USD 2.6 billion agreement to rebuild a steel plant in Karachi," he said in a post on X. Khera also claimed that Kuwait and the UAE have relaxed visa rules and offered 10 billion-dollar investment deals and Pakistan has joined the China International Mediation Organization, gaining greater influence in Asian diplomacy. "The UN Security Council has named Pakistan Vice-Chair of the Anti-Terrorism Committee, just days after a terror attack on Indian soil! "This is not just a diplomatic failure. It is a criminal betrayal of our soldiers and citizens," Mr. Khera said. Another Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury said in a post that IMF gave $1 billion to Pakistan on May 9, the World Bank decided to give $40 billion to Pakistan soon after Operation Sindoor and ADB gave $800 million to Pakistan on June 3, even though the ADB president met PM Modi on June 1. "Have we failed in our Foreign Policy?" she asked. "Why are the 4 terrorists who indulged in Pahalgam carnage still alive and going around?" she said. "You are able to eliminate Naxals, but not able to eliminate these 4 terrorists, even after a month? Who is responsible for the intelligence failure? "151 tours, 72 countries, many hugs, kisses and gifts. Still no results. India needs answers," Chowdhury said. The Congress leader also said that a special session of Parliament was required to ask questions on US President Donald Trump's claims, more than 11 times, of "brokering a ceasefire" between India and Pakistan. "Why is PM Modi not denying his claim?" she asked.
