CUG214 | Urban Governance & Policy

This course seeks to provide a grounded understanding of the systems, practices, and challenges of urban governance in India. As the scale, structure, and form of political and economic power is undergoing major transformations in post-liberalized India, it is important to understand how political authority at the level of the city is constituted, exercised, and contested. The course will unpack the underlying structure and organisation of urban governance, investigate how they operate in practice, examine the challenges they raise for citizens, and explore possible pathways for addressing these challenges.

Indian cities are presently at the cusp of economic and political transformations that are reshaping the form and practice of urban governance. At one level, with the liberalisation and globalisation of the economy, India’s megacities—like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad—are emerging as “engines of growth” driving the country’s economic growth. At another level, since the passage of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, there is a push towards democratic decentralization that aims to make municipal governments work as “institutions of self-government” within India’s federal architecture. This dual process- the rise of cities as key economic powerhouses and the decentralization of powers to municipalities- makes the study of urban governance interesting and instructive.

However, despite economic growth-fuelled urban development and constitutional empowerment of municipal governments, Indian cities often struggle to deliver even the most basic civic functions. In this context, it is important to understand the underlying concerns regarding the institutions, processes, and practices of urban governance and explore possible ways of improving urban governance systems. This course will examine core themes of urban governance like its legal and institutional framework, urban planning, municipal finance, and civic participation. Through an inter-disciplinary approach, drawing from law, political science, urban planning, public finance, and democratic theory, this course will offer students an overview of the key concepts, challenges, and debates on urban governance and policy.