Viksit Bharat needs a ground-up reset. Bridge the gap between ambition and reality |
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Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story
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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit
ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures
Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story
More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice
Viksit Bharat needs a ground-up reset. Bridge the gap between ambition and reality
Urban India today needs a renewed social contract, one that prioritises reliability, transparency, and responsiveness, and aligns governance structures with everyday needs.
Every morning in India’s metropolises begins with a quiet test of governance — will the tap run? Will the bus arrive? Will the street be cleared? The foundational success of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision will be reinforced by the efficiency of these daily urban touch points. Urban public services form the backbone of a city’s economy and social well-being, directly impacting the health and productivity of millions of residents. These systems, ranging from health and sanitation, define the lived experience of the urban population and serve as the primary interface between the citizens and the state.
India’s cities, now central to economic growth, expose a persistent gap between ambition and everyday reality. As urbanisation accelerates, the question is no longer about scale, but about delivery: are cities getting the basics right? Evidence suggests otherwise. A 2024 multi-city study conducted across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Hyderabad focused on the educated workforce, a key pillar of economic development. These residents represent the “informed and aware” segment with the greatest “capacity to exercise agency”. Findings revealed uneven service delivery even among these primary taxpayers.
The study focused specifically on three core pillars: water supply, public transport, and waste management. Water supply ranks highest in satisfaction, while public transport and waste management lag significantly. Yet the message from these citizens is unambiguous: they are willing to pay........