URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

The Republic of India is located in the South Asian subcontinent and is the largest country of the South Asian subcontinent. India is bordering with Bangladesh, Burma, the People's Republic of China, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan and other countries, and acrossing the sea with Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Maldives and other countries. Ancient Indians created a shine with great splendor of ancient civilization. As one of the most ancient civilizations, India has brilliant diversity and rich cultural heritage and tourism resources. India is also the birthplace of buddhism——one of the three major world religions. India is one of the world's fastest-growing countries, but also the distribution of social wealth is extremely lopsided developing country. India has become the software industry exit to the overlord, finance, research, technical services will become the important global exporter.

According to a United Nations study (1995), by the year 2015, ten of the world's fifteen largest cities will be in Asia (excluding Japan); three of these will be in India. A country’s level of urbanization (percentage of population living in cities, towns, and settlements defined as urban) is directly correlated with its level of economic development (as measured by per capita gross domestic product [GDP]. Managing rapid urbanization in India will be a major challenge for at least a few decades to come, with far reaching ramifications on sustaining high economic growth rates, reducing urban poverty, improving the quality of life of urban citizens, and improving the environment and reducing carbon emission. Urbanization has been an essential part of most nations’ development. Evidence shows that economic growth, social and political change, technical and scientific advances and progress in various other areas are direct result of the urbanization process. Levels of income and performance on human development indicators are also strongly linked to urbanization. Cities have tremendous potential to combine safe and healthy living conditions and culturally rich and diverse lifestyles with remarkably low levels of energy consumption, resource use and waste. The reforms initiated since the early 1990s have unshackled the economy. The long-term trend rate of growth has steadily increased from an average of 3.5% a year between the 1950s and 1970s, to around 8% in recent years.

The Ministry of Urban Developmen has given its in-principle approval to three regional rapid transit system corridors connecting the national capital Delhi with neighboring cities. Kamal Nath Minister approved the concept proposal of implementing the RRTS in the three corridors connecting Meerut, Panipat and Alwar. It is important to have a balanced urban development in India.