The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) recently announced the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC) 2023 under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM). The contest celebrates the accomplishments of 66 winners across various categories. Among the top performers were Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and Chandigarh, recognized for their exceptional efforts in urban development.
Major Highlights of ISAC 2022
Indore earned the National Smart City Award for its remarkable advancements in urban development, followed by Surat and Agra. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh received the State Award, and Chandigarh was awarded the Union Territory (UT) Award. The other notable achievements included Coimbatore’s recognition for built environment, Ahmedabad’s for culture and Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), Jabalpur’s for economy, Chandigarh’s for governance and mobility, and Indore’s for sanitation, water, and urban environment.
Understanding the ISAC
The ISAC was designed to recognize cities, projects, and innovative ideas that promote sustainable development across the Indian smart cities. Its aim is to stimulate inclusive, safe, healthy, and collaborative cities to enhance the quality of life for all citizens. As of now, there have been four editions of ISAC, with the recent one launched in April 2022.
The Concept of Smart Cities Mission
The Smart Cities Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme rolled out in June 2015 to transform 100 cities into smart cities. It seeks to provide the necessary infrastructure and clean, sustainable environment to enhance the quality of life of the citizens through the application of “Smart Solutions”. With strategic components like ‘area-based development’, the scheme focuses on city improvement, city renewal, and city extension.
Key Achievements of the Smart Cities Mission
The Smart Cities Mission has led to notable achievements, including the establishment of Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) in all the 100 smart cities. These centers serve as operational hubs for urban management, utilizing technology to enhance various aspects of city operations. Notably, ICCCs have contributed to improvements in crime tracking, citizen safety, transport management, waste management, water supply, and disaster preparedness.
What Makes a City Smart?
Though there is no standardized definition of a smart city, it generally revolves around six principle concepts: sustainability, inclusivity, responsiveness, self-reliance, self-sustainability, and quality of life.
Other Similar Urban Development Initiatives
In addition to the Smart Cities Mission, other schemes targeted at urban development include the Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework 2.0, and TULIP-The Urban Learning Internship Program.
