CEPT University Hosts Conference on Urban Governance to Shape India’s Future Cities

BILKULONLINE

Ahmedabad, March 2: CEPT University hosted a conference under the aegis of ICCSR under Viksit Bharat @2047, with focus on “Urban Governance & Managing Future Growth of Indian Cities”.

The research study sponsored the ICSSR focus on Municipalities of Gujarat- to understand the fiscal health and citizen satisfaction level as an aid in strategic decision making for cities to move towards Viksit Bharat. The event brought together distinguished practitioners, academicians, policymakers, municipal officials and thought leaders from across the globe to discuss the transformative potential of data-driven approaches in urban governance and the future of growth of Indian cities.

During the day-long conference renowned experts in the urban governance domain, who explored key themes such as the impact of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, revenue generation strategies, expenditure management, capacity building, transparency, and fostering citizen participation to help promote financial independence, governance efficiency, and technological innovations in urban management, which align with India’s larger vision for Viksit Bharat@2047 and SDGs chalked out for urban governance and sustainable development.

Prof Barjor Mehta, President, CEPT University delivered the opening address. Prof Pranavant, Dean, Faculty of Management, CEPT University delivered the welcoming address and said, “These deliberations are aligned with the broader objectives of the Viksit Bharat initiative, emphasizing actionable pathways to empower Indian cities as growth engines for a developed nation. This conference aspires to chart a forward-looking roadmap for empowering ULBs as pillars of urban resilience and engines of sustainable growth.”

Welcoming all participants, Prof Mercy Samuel, Sr. Associate Professor, CEPT University, the driving force behind the Conference, set context for the deliberations that were to follow and said, “This ICSSR-funded study, initiated to provide actionable insights for urban governance in Gujarat’s smaller cities, aims to bridge the gap in data-driven decision-making. By developing micro-level financial insights and an interactive visualization tool, we seek to empower local bodies and the state to foster sustainable growth and resilience. We believe that by focusing on small cities, we can contribute significantly to the Vision Viksit Bharat@2047, ensuring equitable and informed urban development.”.

Following the inaugural session, the book ‘Transforming Waste Management’ by Prof Samuel was also unveiled.

The key deliberations during the day-long conference focussed on:  

• Strengthening Local Self-Governance: Revisiting the 74th Constitutional Amendment (74^th CAA) in the wake of Rapid Urbanization: Examining the amendment’s impact in shaping the governance capabilities of ULBs, reforms needed to equip them for evolving challenges and complexities of urbanisation.

• Innovative Municipal Finance Mechanisms Revenue and Expenditure Strategies: Strengthening Fiscal Resilience of Urban Local Bodies: With rising urbanization, the strain on municipal budgets has amplified, necessitating innovative approaches to enhance revenues and manage expenditures. The discussion explored innovative strategies that ULBs could adopt for revenue generation and expenditure management to achieve financial sustainability and enhance urban service delivery.
• Empowering Cities Through Transparency and Citizen Participation: Pathways to Inclusive Urban Development: Deliberations focussed on methods to increase transparency and institutionalisation of citizen participation in urban governance and fiscal management to create more accountable, inclusive and effective systems.
• Building Resilient Urban Local Bodies: Capacity Development for Future Ready Governance: Discussions centred on how capacity-building initiatives for municipal employees strengthen ULB to effectively manage challenges and deliver sustainable growth.

The conference witnessed participation from eminent personalities including Matthew Glasser, Former Lead Urban Specialist, World Bank; Shruti Narayan, Managing Director, C40 cities; Hari Kishore, IAS, Director, Industries and Commerce Department and Former Executive Director, Kudumbashree; Gautam Ravichander, Head (Strategy), eGovernments Foundation; Srikanth Viswanathan, CEO, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy; Santosh Tiwari, Chief Accountant, Vadodara Municipal Corporation; Shreyas Chorgi, Praja Foundation; Chetan Nandani, Dy. MC and CEO, Rajkot Municipal Corporation & Rajkot Smart City; Himanshu Dharmadarshi, Principal Accountant General, Gujarat & DG, iCAL, Rajkot; Amish Shah, Chief Accountant, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, among others.

During the conference, delegates shared case studies from around the world and India, aiming to exchange knowledge and collaborate on identifying best practices for their respective sectors. The research presented is anticipated to inform and strengthen future policy recommendations, ultimately enhancing urban governance in Indian cities.