Urbanisation in India: Smart Cities, AMRUT, PMAY, Census Definitions & Slum Statistics

Urbanisation is an increasingly important topic for Kerala PSC exams. Questions focus on government schemes, census definitions, and urban statistics. This note covers all key aspects with exam-ready tables.

1. Census Definition of Urban Area

Statutory Towns

Towns notified under a statute (municipality, corporation, cantonment board, etc.) — regardless of population characteristics.

Census Towns

Criterion	Requirement
Minimum population	5,000 or more
Population density	At least 400 persons per sq km
Non-agricultural workers	At least 75% of male working population in non-agricultural activities

All three criteria must be satisfied simultaneously.

2. Urbanisation in India — Key Statistics (Census 2011)

Statistic	Value
Total urban population	37.7 crore (377 million)
Urban percentage of total population	31.16%
Number of statutory towns	4,041
Number of census towns	3,894
Total towns	7,935
Number of million-plus cities	53 (population exceeding 1 million)
Most urbanised state	Goa (62.2%)
Most urbanised UT	Delhi (97.5%)
Least urbanised state	Himachal Pradesh (10.04%)
Kerala urban percentage	47.7% (one of the most urbanised states)
Decadal growth of urban population (2001-2011)	31.8%

Largest Cities by Population (Census 2011)

Rank	City (Urban Agglomeration)	Population (Approx.)
1	Mumbai	1.84 crore
2	Delhi	1.63 crore
3	Kolkata	1.41 crore
4	Chennai	0.87 crore
5	Bangalore	0.85 crore
6	Hyderabad	0.77 crore

3. Smart Cities Mission

Feature	Detail
Launched	25 June 2015
Ministry	Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Cities selected	100 cities across India
Selection method	City Challenge Competition (cities competed with proposals)
Funding	Centre: Rs 48,000 crore over 5 years; matched by states/ULBs
Key components	Area-Based Development (retrofit, redevelop, greenfield) + Pan-city solutions (technology)
SPV model	Each Smart City has a Special Purpose Vehicle (company) for implementation
Kerala cities selected	Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram

Smart City Features

Component	Examples
Adequate water supply	24x7 water, smart metering
Assured electricity	Underground cabling, smart grids
Sanitation	Solid waste management, stormwater drainage
Efficient urban mobility	Public transport, non-motorised transport, intelligent traffic management
e-Governance	Citizen services online, public data transparency
Safety and security	CCTV, emergency response systems

4. AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation)

Feature	Detail
Launched	June 2015 (replaced JNNURM)
Ministry	Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Cities covered	500 cities (all cities with population above 1 lakh + state/UT capitals + HRIDAY cities + cities on main rivers)
Focus areas	Water supply, sewerage, stormwater drainage, urban transport, green spaces
AMRUT 2.0	Launched October 2021; target: universal water supply coverage in all statutory towns
Key difference from Smart Cities	AMRUT covers more cities with basic infrastructure focus; Smart Cities focus on technology-driven solutions in fewer cities

5. PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana)

PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U)

Feature	Detail
Launched	25 June 2015
Objective	”Housing for All” in urban areas
Target group	EWS (Economically Weaker Section), LIG (Low Income Group), MIG (Middle Income Group)
Components	In-situ Slum Redevelopment, Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC)
CLSS subsidy	Interest subsidy on home loans: 6.5% for EWS/LIG, 4% for MIG-I, 3% for MIG-II

PMAY-Gramin (PMAY-G)

Feature	Detail
Launched	20 November 2016 (replaced Indira Awaas Yojana)
Target	”Housing for All” in rural areas
Assistance	Rs 1.20 lakh (plain areas), Rs 1.30 lakh (hilly/difficult areas)
Beneficiary identification	Through SECC (Socio-Economic Caste Census) data

6. Slum Population

Statistic (Census 2011)	Value
Total slum population	6.55 crore (65.5 million)
Percentage of urban population in slums	17.4%
States with highest slum population	Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal
City with largest slum population	Mumbai (Dharavi is one of Asia’s largest slums)
Notified slums	Slums notified by state/local government under any statute
Recognised slums	Recognised by local bodies but not formally notified
Identified slums	Neither notified nor recognised but have 60-70 poorly built tenements

7. Other Urban Development Schemes

Scheme	Year	Focus
JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission)	2005-2014	Urban infrastructure and governance reform (predecessor of Smart Cities and AMRUT)
HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana)	2015	Heritage conservation in 12 cities (Varanasi, Amritsar, Ajmer, etc.)
Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)	2014	Open defecation free, solid waste management
National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)	2013	Skill training and self-employment for urban poor
Metro Rail Policy	2017	Framework for metro rail in cities with population above 20 lakh

8. Urban Local Bodies in India

Type	Applicable To
Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam)	Large cities (population above 10 lakh approximately)
Municipality (Nagar Palika)	Smaller cities and towns
Nagar Panchayat (Town Panchayat)	Areas transitioning from rural to urban
Cantonment Board	Military stations (under Central Government)
Port Trust	Port areas

Constitutional Provisions

Provision	Detail
74th Amendment Act (1992)	Constitutional status to urban local bodies
12th Schedule	Lists 18 functions of municipalities
State Election Commission	Conducts elections to ULBs
State Finance Commission	Recommends financial devolution to ULBs

9. PSC Quick Revision — One-Liners

• Census 2011: 31.16% of India’s population is urban
• Census town requires: 5,000+ population, 400+ density, 75%+ non-agricultural male workers
• Smart Cities Mission: 100 cities; Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram from Kerala
• AMRUT covers 500 cities; focuses on basic urban infrastructure
• PMAY-U launched in 2015 for “Housing for All” in urban areas
• Slum population (2011): 6.55 crore (17.4% of urban population)
• 74th Amendment (1992) gave constitutional status to urban local bodies
• Most urbanised state: Goa (62.2%); least: Himachal Pradesh (10.04%)
• Mumbai is the largest urban agglomeration in India
• 53 million-plus cities in India (Census 2011)
• JNNURM (2005-2014) was replaced by Smart Cities and AMRUT