STATUS OF SMART CITIES MISSION

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Context: The Indian Government's Smart Cities Mission has extended its deadline to 2024, providing cities with more time to complete their projects. As part of their efforts to display their accomplishments, the 100 cities involved in the initiative are implementing a "labelling strategy." The cities have been asked to implement this strategy by August 31.

Details

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced that the deadline for the completion of the Smart Cities Mission has been extended to 2024. The decision was taken in view of the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the need for more time to achieve the desired outcomes.
• The Smart Cities Mission, launched in 2015, aims to transform 100 urban centres into smart, sustainable and livable cities with the help of technology, innovation and citizen participation. The mission covers various aspects such as urban mobility, water supply, sanitation, waste management, energy efficiency, digital governance, health care, education and culture.

 Present Status

• As of July 20, 2023, according to data provided by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry to the Lok Sabha, the Smart Cities Mission has seen significant progress, with 74% of the nearly 8,000 projects for which work orders have been issued being completed.
• The Mission's deadline was extended from 2022 to 2024, in consideration of the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, giving cities more time to achieve their goals.
• Recently, the government announced the "labelling strategy," which involves using logos to mark completed projects and create awareness in all 100 cities. Options such as bespoke logos and the Mission logo were provided, and materials like stickers, boards, and signage were designed for installation on completed projects, including smart roads, lights, and preserved heritage sites.
  • The labelling exercise is intended to provide information and raise awareness among stakeholders about the projects and is not for marketing purposes.

Must Read Articles:

SMART CITIES MISSION: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/smart-cities-mission-26#:~:text=The%20objective%20of%20the%20smart,%2C%20intelligent%20lighting%20systems%2C%20etc.

SMART CITIES MISSION: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/smart-cities-mission-24

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/deadline-pushed-to-2024-smart-cities-working-hard-to-showcase-achievements-8856529/#:~:text=In%20May%2C%20when%20the%20Ministry,all%20100%20cities%20in%20June.