India
Country overview
The Republic of India is formed of 28 states and seven union territories, and is one the fastest urbanising countries in the world (it already has an urban population of 285 million) and it is estimated that by 2020 50% of the population, or 600 million people in India will live in urban areas. Cities are recognised to be engines of the economy and of wealth generation, however, they face significant challenges, in order to effectively take up this role.
Country theme: Improving governance for decentralisation
The country theme for India is improving governance for decentralisation as there is already a strong tradition and culture of local government. National legislation makes clear provision for decentralisation in the states in India where the scheme has been active in the previous phases of the GPS (Kerala, Gujurat and Maharastra). The challenges which are now faced are linked with rapid urbanisation, with infrastructure and services under pressure due to high demand.
With the objective of strengthening local government to improve services in a sustainable way, the Government of India has launched the New Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) which will focus on improving infrastructure and governance and basic service for the urban poor. Much of this will be linked to improved asset management and levering in resources to support urban regeneration.
The Scheme will directly support the NURM objectives and promote the sharing of good practice in areas which are in line with the goal of improving governance and service delivery to support decentralisation, such as regeneration, wealth creation and public private partnership.
Projects
Title: Municipality/Corporation: Rajkot Municipal Corporation
Partner organisation: Leicester City Council
Project duration: 2 years
Project summary:
The project aims to support Rajkot's efforts to engage in capacity building work with their target communities, so that they can fully participate in the sustainable development of their geographic areas/communities with the understanding and support of corporation officers. A framework will be designed for officers to be able to work with target communities on the ground.
Useful links
All India Institute of Local Self-Government
Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India (JNNURM)
Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi
United Nations Development Programme India (UNDP)