Relevance for Banking, SSC & RBI Grade B exams: Polity & Governance
Niti Aayog Member Rajiv Gauba, addressing the second National Urban Conference, underscored the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in urban governance, planning, and financing to unlock India’s growth potential under the ‘Developed India @2047’ vision. Highlighting India’s demographic and urban transition, he noted that the country’s population will peak around 165 crore by 2060, with nearly half residing in urban areas by 2050—rising from 50 crore to 85 crore. This surge demands transformative changes in urban infrastructure, housing, and service delivery, positioning cities as engines of economic growth where talent, capital, and innovation converge. Gauba criticized the historical neglect of cities post-independence, despite India’s legacy of planned urban settlements, and acknowledged recent initiatives like Smart Cities, AMRUT, and the Urban Challenge Fund, which allocated ₹1 lakh crore for city-led growth hubs in 2025-26.
For aspirants preparing for Bank PO, IBPS, SBI, RBI Grade B, and SSC exams, this development holds critical relevance. The emphasis on empowering urban local bodies (ULBs) through direct elections of mayors, functional mayor-in-council systems, and timely municipal elections aligns with the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, testing candidates’ knowledge of decentralization and fiscal federalism. Gauba’s call for increased property tax collection, user fees, and state finance commissions to bolster ULB revenues reflects the financial autonomy challenges in urban governance—a key topic in RBI Grade B’s economic and social issues section. Additionally, the focus on mixed-use zoning, transit-oriented development, and rental housing policies ties into urban planning and infrastructure financing, relevant for SSC’s general studies and banking exams’ socio-economic awareness segments. Understanding these reforms helps aspirants grasp India’s urbanization challenges and policy responses, a recurring theme in competitive exams.
Source: PIB (Press Information Bureau)
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