Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

India is urbanizing at an extraordinary pace, with cities expected to host 600 million people about 40% of the population by 2036. This is not just demographic change but a civilizational shift from a traditional, agrarian, kinship-based society to a more fluid, industrial, and individualistic one.

• As Louis Wirth noted, “urbanism” becomes a distinct way of life, where the city actively reshapes social norms, relationships, and behaviors.

Body:

Reshaping Identities: The Flux of Tradition and Modernity

• Caste: From Ritual to Political
  • Dilution of Ritual: The anonymity of the city (e.g., crowded buses, office canteens) erodes the practice of untouchability and commensality restrictions.
  • Resilience as Identity: Caste does not disappear; it transforms. It evolves into a tool for political mobilization and social networking (e.g., caste-based matrimonial sites, housing cooperatives).
• Gender: Negotiating New Spaces
  • Empowerment: Cities offer women access to education and employment, weakening patriarchal control.
    • The "working woman" identity challenges the traditional domestic role.
  • New Vulnerabilities: This transition creates a "double burden" of work and home. Furthermore, the safety of women in public spaces remains a critical issue, restricting their "right to the city."
• Class vs. Caste:
  • A new class-based identity is emerging, often superseding caste in professional circles.
  • However, in many cases, class and caste overlap (e.g., the correlation between upper castes and the urban middle class), creating a "caste-class" nexus.

Reshaping Social Relations: From Collective to Individual

• Atomization of Family:
  • The joint family structure is giving way to nuclear and neo-local families.
  • Relations are becoming more contractual and less emotional. The care for the elderly, once a family duty, is increasingly being outsourced to institutions (old age homes), signalling a shift in filial values.
• Decline of Neighborhood (Mohalla) Culture:
  • Traditional "Mohalla" life, characterized by high social cohesion and informal control, is being replaced by the impersonality of apartment living ("elevator acquaintances").
  • Social capital is now derived from professional networks rather than kinship or neighborhood ties.
• Voluntary Associations:
  • Social relations are increasingly based on shared interests (clubs, NGOs, unions) rather than shared birth (kinship), marking a shift towards a meritocratic social order.

Spatial Inequalities: The "Dual City" Phenomenon

• Segregation by Design (Gated Communities vs. Slums):
  • Gated Communities: Represents the "secession of the successful." These are islands of globalized living with private security, water, and power, disconnected from the civic grid.
  • Slums/Informal Settlements: Over 17% of urban India lives in slums (Census 2011). Places like Dharavi represent the "service class" that powers the city but is denied formal housing.
• Ghettoization:
  • Disturbingly, Indian cities are witnessing residential segregation based on religion and caste.
    • Studies show that Dalits and Muslims are often pushed into specific enclaves, limiting their access to mainstream civic amenities and schools.
• The Periphery Dilemma:
  • Urban expansion creates a "peri-urban" interface where rural migrants are absorbed into the city's economy but excluded from its society, living in precarious conditions without municipal rights.

Conclusion

To ensure this transformation is progressive, India must move from "unplanned urbanization" to "inclusive urbanization" (SDG 11). This requires urban planning that prioritizes social integration (mixed-income housing) over spatial segregation, ensuring that every resident, from migrant worker to middle class professional, claims an equal stake in the city they help build.