Urban Poor – Citizen Matters

Books in their hand, dreams in their head: Community library project changes kids

August 17, 2018 Kasturika Ramamoorthy

In New Delhi and Gurgaon, The Community Library Project is taking reading to all sections of society with the involvement of the local community. Providing more than just books, the library is a lively space and engages its members through workshops and events.

Whose cities are these and how smart will they be?

July 4, 2018 Himanshu Upadhyaya

A new report from policy think tank, Housing and Land Rights Network, has strongly criticised the Smart Cities Mission for neglecting the rights and concerns of the poor and marginalised. A look at what the report recommends for truly inclusive cities.

Where goes the slum dweller evicted in Indian cities?

May 30, 2018 Navya P K

Slums are increasingly being evacuated in Indian cities, often violently, to make way for city ‘beautification’, smart cities and even book fairs. But no one tracks where the evicted poor go.

1.2 lakh people evicted to make our cities beautiful, slum-free and smart: HLRN

February 24, 2018 News Desk

HLRN report lays out details of forced eviction in Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other Tier I cities in 2017; finds beautification, ‘slum-clearance’ and smart city projects to be the top cause, followed by infrastructure projects.

Rain, chill or heatwave, homeless poor have few places to turn to

December 13, 2017 Navya P K

Even though the National Urban Livelihoods Mission prescribes permanent, 24X7 shelters for the urban homeless, most of our cities can accommodate less than six percent of such population in the official shelter homes.

Subsidised canteens gain ground in Indian cities

August 29, 2017 Navya P K

Across India, a number of state as well as non-governmental initiatives are providing low-cost or free meals to the unemployed, the daily wage earner, migrant labour and other sections of the urban poor. How do these function and do they really help the cause?

New report adds to mounting criticism of India’s Smart Cities Mission

August 22, 2017 Patralekha Chatterjee, Citiscope

A new study by the Housing and Land Rights Network (HRLN) finds the government scheme seriously lacking in inclusivity and social justice. Patralekha Chatterjee reports.

How the Noida incident shows the feudal face of Indian cities

August 17, 2017 Smita Mitra

A riot by domestic workers, protests against gender violence or movements against patriarchal limits are all sporadic but increasing signs of resentment against the feudal codes of conduct that still dominate our cities.

When do you become an insider in your city?

July 24, 2017 Jahnavi Jayanth

Do you really belong in the city where you live? What makes one a true Bengalurean, or a true Mumbaikar? In a journey across global cities, Jahnavi Jayanth finds that often the attitudes and factors that thwart inclusiveness are innate and similar.

Living on the edge: A photo-essay on Bengaluru’s migrant waste pickers

May 10, 2017 Kavya Michael

A vivid picture of the destitution and rights-deprivation that members of the city’s migrant waste-picking community are doomed to.

Voices India needs to hear to reap the urban dividend

April 20, 2017 Malini Gopalakrishnan

Equipping girls from all strata of society with the right set of tools to make informed choices and speak up for themselves will be critical for the progress of urban society and economy, writes Malini Gopalakrishnan.