How does smart city in India, address the issues of urban poverty and distributive justice?
Approach · directive: “how”
What it asks · Assess how the Smart Cities Mission's design and projects help (or fail to help) the urban poor and spread the gains of urban development fairly.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- How (urban poverty): show how the mission's services, mobility, livelihoods and digital delivery reach the urban poor
- How (distributive justice): weigh who gains and who is left out, and what would make the gains fairer
Open with · Launched in June 2015 for 100 cities, the Smart Cities Mission sought cities that are economically vibrant, inclusive and environment friendly; about 94% of projects were complete by 2025, with ₹1.64 lakh crore invested.
Cover
- Poverty: water, sewerage, solid-waste and lighting upgrades ease life for low-income households.
- Poverty: buses, footpaths and cycle tracks; vending zones, skill and health centres; Integrated Command and Control Centres in all 100 cities.
- Justice gains: Placemaking Marathons and Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge targeted vulnerable groups' access to public spaces.
- Justice gaps: area-based funds in small pockets; SPVs sidelined councils empowered by the 74th Amendment; evictions; digital divide.
- Hub: services, mobility, livelihoods, housing, voice as the dimensions of an inclusive smart city.
- Way forward: converge with PMAY-Urban and DAY-NULM, plan through ward committees, judge by outcomes for the poorest.
Close with · A smart city becomes a just city only when elected councils own the plan and its dashboards track the slum as closely as the traffic signal, in the spirit of Article 38.
Add value (verified)
- A PIB note on ten years of the mission records that about 94% of 8,067 projects were completed by May 2025, and that some challenges targeted vulnerable groups' access to public spaces.10 Years of Smart Cities Mission — PIB backgrounder (2025) ↗“To ensure inclusive access to public spaces, initiatives such as the ‘Placemaking Marathons’ and ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ focused on vulnerable groups”
- The mission's ten-year review reports about 94% of projects complete and ₹1.64 lakh crore invested.10 Years of Smart Cities Mission — PIB Explainer (MoHUA), 24 June 2025 ↗“94% of projects completed, ₹1.64 lakh crore invested”
- All 100 smart cities have Integrated Command and Control Centres.10 Years of Smart Cities Mission — PIB Explainer (MoHUA), 24 June 2025 ↗“All 100 cities have Integrated Command and Control Centres using tech like Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things for better city management”
- The mission's stated goal is economically vibrant, inclusive and environment-friendly cities.10 Years of Smart Cities Mission — PIB Explainer (MoHUA), 24 June 2025 ↗“Its goal is to create cities that are economically vibrant, inclusive and environment friendly”
- Projects were implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structure.10 Years of Smart Cities Mission — PIB Explainer (MoHUA), 24 June 2025 ↗“creating a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structure for programme implementation”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2025, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 16 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 221words · Minimalist IAS
Launched in June 2015, the Smart Cities Mission sought cities that are economically vibrant, inclusive and environment friendly; about 94% of projects were complete by 2025, with ₹1.64 lakh crore invested. Its test is whether the poor share these gains.
Addressing urban poverty
- Basic services: water, sewerage, solid-waste and street-lighting upgrades ease daily life for low-income households.
- Mobility: buses, footpaths and cycle tracks serve those who walk, cycle or ride.
- Livelihoods: vending zones, skill centres and health centres.
- Digital delivery: all 100 cities run Integrated Command and Control Centres, speeding grievance redress and cutting out middlemen.
Inclusive smart city: services; mobility; livelihoods; housing; voice
Distributive justice: gains and gaps
- Inclusion drives: the Placemaking Marathons and Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge targeted vulnerable groups' access to public spaces.
- Area bias: area-based development concentrated funds in small, often better-off pockets.
- Democratic deficit: SPVs ran projects, sidelining councils empowered by the 74th Amendment.
- Displacement: slum and hawker evictions in some cities shifted, rather than shared, the cost of 'smartness'.
Way forward
- Convergence and voice: link with PMAY-Urban and DAY-NULM, plan through ward committees, and judge success by outcomes for the poorest.
A smart city becomes a just city only when elected councils own the plan and its dashboards track the slum as closely as the traffic signal, honouring Article 38's promise of social and economic justice.
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.
