Lok Sabha Question No. 381 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-05
Subject: Smart Cities Fellowship
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: PONNUSAMY VENUGOPAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING & URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 381 TO BE ANSWERED ON FEBRUARY 5, 2019

## SMART CITIES FELLOWSHIP

## 381.    DR. P. VENUGOPAL:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  for  Smart  Cities fellowship  and  internship  programmes  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is likely to give digital payment award
- to cities to promote ease of living and if so, the details thereof;
- whether  it  is  true  that  the  focus  is  to  enable  planning  for developing infrastructure in brownfield areas which are already developed and greenfield areas which are the periphery of the
- (c) city prone to haphazard development; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)

(a): The India Smart Cities Fellowship (ISCF) and India Smart Cities Internship (ISCI) programmes were launched on 9 July 2018.

The  India  Smart  Cities  Fellowship Program  seeks  to  engage young  graduates/post-graduates  and  PhDs  in  the  fields  of  urban planning, design, engineering, information and technology, mobility, finance, social sector and environmental issues for a period of one year,  extendable  upto  three  years.  This  Program  is  designed  to provide valuable experience to the youth interested in smart cities specifically,  and  urban  renewal  sector  in  general  to  bring  in  new ideas, passion and energy to the challenging work of implementing

cutting  edge,  high-impact  solutions  to  key  urban  problems.  This programme ultimately aims at cultivating young leaders, strengthening their understanding of Indian urban sector and preparing them for greater leadership roles in future. The first batch of Fellows has already been selected.

The  India  Smart  Cities  Internship  (ISCI)  programme  seeks to engage  students   pursuing   Undergraduate  /  Graduate  /  PostGraduate Degrees from recognized Universities/Institutions from India or abroad, as "Interns" for a period of six to twelve weeks. This programme aims at giving exposure to the interns in various areas of urban  development  like  planning,  design,  engineering,  information and technology, mobility,  finance,  social  sector  and  environmental issues under Smart Cities Mission.

- (b): The Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 is an initiative of  the  Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs  to  promote  ease  of living for India's urban residents. The objective of these awards is to guide, motivate, recognize and reward the Smart Cities for promoting  digital  payments  and  carrying  out  innovative  payment initiatives  in  their  respective  cities  through  a  two-stage  Challenge process. This not only aims to reward Smart Cities at the forefront of digital  payments  but  also  to  encourage  other  cities  to  follow  suit and strengthen their digital payments infrastructure, create awareness  through  promotion  of  digital  payments  amongst  all stakeholders and to provide citizens with multiple options to make digital  transactions.  The  evaluation  process  for  awards  is  at  an advanced stage.
- (c) & (d) : The objective of Smart Cities Mission is to promote cities which provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of 'Smart' solutions.

The Smart Cities Mission has adopted a two pronged strategy for developing Smart City Proposals (SCPs), Area Based Development (ABD) and Pan City Development.  Under ABD, compact areas  are  taken  up  for  comprehensive  development  of  physical, social,  institutional  and  economic  infrastructure,  through  one  or more Greenfield/retrofitting/redevelopment models. Pan City Development envisages application  of  selected  Smart  Solutions  to the existing city-wide infrastructure.

Retrofitting  model  is  for  planning  an  existing  built-up  area  of more than 500 acres, to make the existing area more efficient and liveable.  Since  existing  structures  remain  largely  intact  in  this model,  more  intensive  infrastructure  service  levels  and  a  large number  of  smart  applications  are  packed  into  retrofitted  model. Redevelopment effects replacement of existing built-up area of more than  50  acres  and  enables  co-creation  of  a  new  layout  with enhanced infrastructure using mixed land use and increased density.  Greenfield  development  introduces  Smart  solutions  in  a previously  vacant  area  (more  than  250  acres)  using  innovative planning,  plan  financing  and  plan  implementation  tools.  Cities  are working on retrofitting, redevelopment and greenfield developments as per needs expressed by their citizens as part of their respective Smart City proposals.

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