Smart Cities

Cities and towns in India continue to be the hot spot for the coronavirus infection; at the same time, it is our cities that have the maximum potential to fight this most effectively. Several steps have been taken to utilise the physical and digital infrastructure of the cities creatively to assist in the fight against COVID-19. 

The Congress President’s recent tweet highlights an issue critical to governance of Indian cities: accountable political leadership at the local level. Could a system of directly elected mayors, as promised by Rahul Gandhi, be the answer?

What do the commonest among the common men in our country really want? And what kind of space and acceptance do they find in the cities to which they migrate? A chance conversation with a young director of a National Award-winning film, who has filmed such people extensively, reveals stark urban realities that we often overlook.