GS Paper 1 15 marks · 250w 14 min Hard
Does urbanization lead to more segregation and/or marginalization of the poor in Indian metropolises?
Subtopic: Indian Society · Urbanization and the urban poor
How to structure your answer
Introduction (urbanisation and the poor) → evidence of spatial segregation (slums, peripheralisation) → economic and social marginalisation → counter-view (opportunity, anonymity) → inclusive-city measures → Conclusion (planning determines outcomes).
Written within the word limit
191 words · target 250 words · 14 min
Urbanisation, segregation and the poor
Indian metropolises concentrate opportunity and wealth, yet their pattern of growth has often deepened the spatial and social exclusion of the poor.
Evidence of segregation and marginalisation
- Spatial: around 65 million people lived in slums (Census 2011); gated enclaves coexist with informal settlements, while “world-class city” and beautification projects push the poor to the periphery through evictions and demolitions.
- Economic: the urban poor are concentrated in informal, insecure work with poor tenure and inadequate water, sanitation, transport and health services.
- Social: caste and religious ghettoisation persists in cities, with studies documenting the residential segregation of Muslims and Dalits into distinct neighbourhoods.
- Exclusionary planning: master plans and real-estate-led development frequently ignore affordable housing, crowding the poor into ever-denser pockets.
The other side
- Cities also offer anonymity that can weaken caste in public life, greater social and economic mobility, and access to jobs, education and services.
Way forward
- In-situ slum upgrading, secure tenure, affordable housing (PMAY-Urban), inclusive master plans and universal basic services.
On balance, urbanisation does tend to segregate and marginalise the poor in Indian metropolises — but whether it liberates or excludes them depends decisively on how inclusively cities are planned and governed.
What an examiner expects to see
- Around 65 million Indians lived in slums (Census 2011), reflecting large-scale spatial exclusion.
- “World-class city” and beautification projects and evictions push the poor to peripheries, deepening spatial segregation.
- The urban poor concentrate in informal, insecure work with poor tenure and inadequate basic services.
- Caste and religious ghettoisation persists; residential segregation of Muslims and Dalits documented in studies.
- Exclusionary, real-estate-led master plans often neglect affordable housing.
- Counter-view: cities offer anonymity, mobility and jobs that can weaken caste in public life.
- Inclusive measures: in-situ upgrading, tenure security, PMAY-Urban housing and universal basic services.
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Dharavi (Mumbai) as an emblem of dense informal settlement amid a prosperous metropolis.
- Census 2011 recording roughly 65 million people living in urban slums.
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) targeting affordable housing for the urban poor.
- Studies on residential segregation of religious minorities in Indian cities.
Terminology to weave into the answer
slums and informalityspatial segregationghettoisationperipheralisationinclusive urban planning