GS Paper I 2016 · Q11
12½ marks · 200 words Women, population, poverty & urbanisation X-Ray · Core #5With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme’.
Approach · directive: “introduce”
What it asks · Give a short picture of urban living conditions, then state the aims of the Smart Cities Mission and how it plans to reach them.
It asks 3 things — answer each
- Brief background: the quality of urban life in India
- Introduce: the objectives of the Smart Cities Mission
- Introduce: its strategy for reaching those objectives
Open with · Census 2011 found 31.16 per cent of Indians in towns, a share growing faster than the rural one while civic services lag; the Smart Cities Mission (25 June 2015) set out to close that gap.
Cover
- Background: patchy water, sewage and waste services, slums without tenure, congestion and polluted air.
- Weak municipalities short of funds and staff, though the 74th Amendment made them constitutional bodies.
- Objectives: core infrastructure, decent quality of life and a clean, sustainable environment through smart solutions.
- Lighthouse aim: replicable models in 100 cities for other aspiring cities to follow.
- Strategy: area-based development (retrofitting, redevelopment, greenfield) plus pan-city technology solutions.
- Delivery: two-stage competition on Smart City Proposals; a Special Purpose Vehicle in each city converges funds.
- Progress: all 100 cities run command and control centres; 94% of projects complete by May 2025.
Close with · The Mission's test is spread, not showcase: model areas must lift whole cities through empowered municipalities, the route to SDG 11's inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.
Add value (verified)
- The Mission's official strategy combines area-based development with technology-led solutions across the whole city.Smart City: Enhancing Urban Life — PIB backgrounder (June 2024) ↗“The strategy includes transforming existing areas (through retrofitting and redevelopment), developing new areas (greenfield development), and applying smart solutions city-wide (Pan-city initiatives).”
- The Mission was launched on 25 June 2015 and 100 cities were picked by a two-stage competition, as replicable 'lighthouse' models.Smart City: Enhancing Urban Life — PIB backgrounder (June 2024) ↗“The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development through the creation of replicable models that act as lighthouses to other aspiring cities. 100 cities have been selected to be developed as Smart Cities through a two-stage competition.”
- By May 2025, 94% of the Mission's projects were complete (latest official progress, after the 2016 exam).10 Years of Smart Cities Mission — PIB press note (2025) ↗“As of May 9, 2025, a total of 7,555 projects — 94% of the total 8,067 projects—have been completed , amounting to ₹ 1,51,361 crore .”
- Every one of the 100 Smart Cities now runs an Integrated Command and Control Centre.10 Years of Smart Cities Mission — PIB press note (2025) ↗“Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC): All 100 Smart Cities have operational ICCCs, which utilize data for making informed decisions.”
- SDG 11 aims at inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.UN DESA — Sustainable Development Goal 11 ↗“Better urban planning and management are needed to make the world’s urban spaces more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2016, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 16 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 301words · Minimalist IAS
Census 2011 counted 31.16 per cent of Indians in towns; the share is still low but grows faster than the rural population. Civic services have not kept pace, and the Smart Cities Mission, launched on 25 June 2015, was designed to close that gap.
Quality of urban life: the background
- Basic services: intermittent piped water, untreated sewage and unmanaged solid waste remain common in many towns.
- Housing: slums and informal settlements shelter much of the urban poor, often without secure tenure or toilets.
- Mobility and environment: weak public transport, congestion and polluted air raise the daily cost of city life.
- Weak local government: municipalities lack funds, staff and planning powers, though the 74th Amendment made them constitutional bodies.
Objectives of the Smart Cities Mission
- Liveability: core infrastructure, a decent quality of life and a clean, sustainable environment through 'smart solutions'.
- Core elements: assured water and power, sanitation, efficient mobility, affordable housing, IT connectivity, e-governance, safety, health and education.
- Lighthouse models: replicable, inclusive models in 100 cities that guide other aspiring cities.
Strategy of the Mission
| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| Retrofitting | upgrades an existing built-up area |
| Redevelopment | rebuilds a dilapidated area at higher density |
| Greenfield | develops a new area on vacant land |
| Pan-city | applies technology across the whole city |
- Competitive selection: cities won a place through a two-stage competition on Smart City Proposals drafted after citizen consultation.
- Delivery: a Special Purpose Vehicle in each city executes projects, converging other Central schemes with private and PPP funds.
- Data-led governance: since then, all 100 cities have run Integrated Command and Control Centres, and by May 2025, 7,555 of 8,067 projects (94%) were complete.
The Mission's real test is spread, not showcase: model areas must lift the whole city, which needs empowered municipalities and the inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities that SDG 11 seeks.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 16 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
