India : Urbanization (Demography) Part-III

Total Questions: 40

21. Assertion (A): In India, the increase in crime has gone up with an increase in urbanization and industrialization. [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2002]

Reason (R): Industrial-urban economy causes family and cultural disorganization.

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Codes:

Correct Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Solution:Increase in urbanization and industrialization and rapid increase in urban population leads to various types of social crimes, because inadequate facilities leads to relative deprivation. It is also a reason for the disintegration of cultural and traditional family values. Hence, both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

22. Increasing Urbanization generates: [U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2001]

1. Increase in slum population of metropolitan cities.

2. Increasing concentration of population in large urban centers.

3. Rapid decline in quantity and quality of services in urban areas.

4. Fast upgradation of infrastructure facilities.

Select the correct answer from the codes give below:

Codes:

Correct Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3
Solution:Increasing urbanization is responsible for the population concentration in the cities as a result of the rapid increase of population in the cities. Due to the rapid growth of population in large cities, the urban settlements outside the cities tends to occur. Again, due to the rapid growth of population in the cities, there is a decline in the quantity and quality of services available here.

23. Consider the following statements and select the correct answer from the codes given below: [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]

1. Maharashtra is the most urbanized State in the country.

2. Urban growth is transforming coastal area into concrete forest.

3. The country's largest city is being built between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

4. Cities are full of slums and highly polluted.

Codes:

Correct Answer: (c) 2, 3 and 4
Solution:According to the Census 2001 and 2011, Goa was the most urbanized State (in percentage) in the country, while Maharashtra had the highest urban population among all States. The remaining statements are true. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Several factors lead to urbanization in India, including

  • Economic factors: Urban areas offer more job opportunities and higher wages. For example, the growth of the IT industry in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad has led to an influx of people seeking employment in these sectors.
  • Social factors: Urban areas offer a wider range of social and cultural opportunities. For example, access to quality education and healthcare facilities in cities like Mumbai and Delhi attracts people from rural areas.
  • Political factors: Government policies have encouraged urbanization. For example, the government's "Smart City" initiative, which aims to develop 100 cities across India, is expected to drive urbanization.
  • Environmental factors: Natural disasters have driven people from rural to urban areas in search of safety and stability. For example, Cyclone Fani, which hit coastal Odisha in 2019, displaced many people, and they migrated to nearby urban areas.
  • Infrastructure development: Improved transportation and communication systems such as metro rail have made it easier for people to move to and from urban areas, and also improved the quality of life in urban areas.
  • Demographic factors: India's population has been growing rapidly in recent years, contributing to the growth of urban areas as more people seek out housing and other services.

24. Assertion (A): Roots of urban poverty in India lie in rural areas. [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2010]

Reason (R): Rural areas have low level of literacy.

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Codes:

Correct Answer: (a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Solution:Due to low level of education in rural areas, the most migrant villagers do low quality work in cities and live a life of deprivation. These migrant villagers have the largest share in urban poverty. Hence, both the statement (A) and reason (R) are true and the reason is clearly explaining the statement.
  • As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, 65% of India's population lives in the rural areas and 47% of the population is dependent on agriculture for livelihood.
  • Contrary to the common perception about predominance of agriculture in the rural economy, about two thirds of rural income is now generated in nonagricultural activities.
  • According to the Economic Survey, the agriculture sector has grown at an average annual growth rate of 4.6% in the past six years. However, agriculture and rural incomes are under stress for several reasons.

25. The percentage of population living in slums is highest in: [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2002]

Correct Answer: (d) Mumbai
Solution:As per the question period, Mumbai had the highest propor- tion of slum dwellers in total population. As per Census 2011 also, slums constitute 41.3 percent of the total urban house- holds in Mumbai, which is the highest in India. The total slum population (Census 2011) in India is 65494604, which is about 5.4 percent of India's total population and 17.4 percent of the total urban population.

26. Which one of the following cities has the largest slum population? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2011]

Correct Answer: (c) Delhi
Solution:According to the Census 2001, among all Indian cities the largest slum population was in Greater Mumbai (6.5 million), followed by Delhi (1.9 million), Kolkata (1.5 million) and Chennai (0.8 million). The proportion of slum households in metro cities, according to the 2011 census, is as follows: Greater Mumbai-41.3%, Kolkata-29.6%, Chennai-28.5% and Delhi-14.6%.

27. Arrange the following States of India in descending order of their slum population. Use the codes given below to select the correct answer: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2009]

1. Andhra Pradesh

2. Maharashtra

3. Uttar Pradesh

4. West Bengal

Codes:

Correct Answer: (a) 2, 1, 4, 3
Solution:According to the Census 2011, the descending order of the five States/UTs with the largest share in total slum population is: Maharashtra (18.1%), Andhra Pradesh (15.6%), West Bengal (9.8%), Uttar Pradesh (9.5%) and Tamil Nadu (8.9%).

28. In India, maximum number of cities reporting slums are found in: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2007]

Correct Answer: (c) Tamil Nadu
Solution:According to the Census 2011, the descending order of the top five States/UTs in terms of the number of the slum reporting cities are: Tamil Nadu (507), Madhya Pradesh (303), Uttar Pradesh (293), Karnataka (206) and Maharashtra (189).

Slum is a contiguous settlement where the inhabitants are characterized as having inadequate housing and basic services. Cities Alliance Action Plan describes slums as neglected parts of cities where housing and living conditions are appallingly poor.

Census of India 2011 explained slums as residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation by reasons of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangements and design of such buildings, narrowness or faulty arrangement of street, lack of ventilation, light, or sanitation facilities or any combination of these factors which are detrimental to the safety and health.

The slum is an inevitable part of modern urbanization and the urban poor are active agents serving the non-slum dwellers and contribute to economic growth.

29. India Urban Observatory is situated at which one of the following place? [U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2021]

Correct Answer: (b) New Delhi
Solution:Urbanization is happening at a fast pace. To enable sustainable growth in cities and make them more livable, it is essential to focus on evidence-based planning and policy formulation. As a step towards this, India Urban Observatory (IUO) has been established at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs office in New Delhi. IUO acts as a data analysis and management hub.

It brings together people and institutions to work collaboratively with a common vision to use data for empowering communities. IUO serves as a repository of insights derived from on-ground knowledge available in the urban ecosystem from fields vis. mobility, water, wastewater, sanitation, solid waste management, housing, environment, education and health.

30. Consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2022]

1. The India Sanitation Coalition is a platform to promote sustainable sanitation and is funded by the Beat Government of India and the World Health Organization.

2. The National Institute of Urban Affairs is an apex body of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Government of India and provides innovative solutions to address the challenges of Urban India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only
Solution:The India Sanitation Coalition (ISC) was launched on June 25, 2015, at FICCI, New Delhi. ISC is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together the private sector, government, financial institutions, civil society groups, media, donors/bi-lateral/multilateral, experts, etc. to work in the sanitation space to drive sustainable sanitation through a partnership model. It is not funded by the Government of India or the WHO. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is India's leading national think tank on urban planning and development. NIUA is a permier institute for research, capacity building and dissemination of knowledge for the urban sector in India.

In 1976, NIUA was appointed as an apex body to support and guide the Government of India in its urban development plans. Since then, it has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, alongside other government and civil sectors, to identify key areas of re- search, and address the lacunae in urban policy and planning. Hence, statement 2 is correct.