With a significant proportion of India's population expected to live in urban areas by 2030, the welfare of the urban poor needs to take centre-stage in public policy. Discuss. (Answer in 250 words)

Shift to urban areas:

1. All job opportunities are clustered near cities. (eg: National Capital Territory)

2. Search for better living conditions: better education, better healthcare in

Current status of urban poor:

1. Improper public space - eg: parks, pathways, streetlamps etc.

2. Sub-standard living conditions in slums, crammed apartments (leads to domestic violence too)

3. Improper amenities: such as running water, electricity, sanitation

3. Improper amenities: such as running water, electricity, sanitation

Need for urban-poor centric policies:

1. Living → provision of housing (PM urban housing scheme) → provision of electricity

conditions → sanitation facilities

access to running water

2. Productive → focused around → skill-upskilling model for industries → need for skilling urban poor

employment → candidate vacancies

3. Infrastructure → need for affordable and well-connected public transport → provision of blue-green architecture: to improve environmental conditions

Thus, provision of basic facilities must also be augmented by the following measures:

1. Food security: such as one nation one nation card for migrants.

2. Social security: such as some unemployment benefits (eg: Rajasthan's urban unemployment guarantee)

3. Gender-sensitive administration: that takes into account student disparity in pay, structural violence perpetrated by women, etc.

Besides this, rural development via self help groups and rural livelihood mission to augment income could curb unnecessary migration to urban areas and promote 'sakha sakha' and 'sakha vikasas'

Thus, provision of basic facilities must also be augmented by the following measures:

1. Food security: such as one nation one nation card for migrants.

2. Social security: such as some unemployment benefit (eg: Rajasthan's urban employment guarantee)

3. Gender-sensitive administration: that takes into account student disparity in pay, structural violence perpetrated by women, etc.

Beside this, rural development via self help groups and rural livelihood mission to augment income could curb unnecessary migration to urban areas and promote 'sakha sakha and sakha vikasas'

— BHAVIKA CHOFRA · AIR 25