Urbanization

Bihar’s economic growth trajectory has outpaced the national average. Yet women's employment outcomes reveal persisting challenges. This data story digs deeper and highlights the gender disparities that continue to persist in employment.

Bihar’s unconventional urbanisation is not characterised by the development of industrial hubs that generally characterise the process of urbanisation. Despite being famous for its out-migration, Bihar is experiencing something that the author describes as “urbanisation from within” i.e. the natural growth and densification of small towns and villages, increased population density and a shift from agriculture to non-farm activities. This article points out challenges in this form of urbanisation and suggests changes that will transform these urbanising villages into centers of job-rich economic development.

The building and construction sector in India is marred with inherent contradictions – it is at once an employment generator and a highly polluting sector. It stresses the question: How do we balance human needs without compromising earth systems?

The construction sector has been a critical sector in a developing country like India from an employment generation perspective. This data-story presents insights on and trends in the construction sector in Maharashtra.

Across developing countries, the combined forces of rapid population growth, a burgeoning youth workforce, and urbanisation have created a policy imperative to generate jobs at an enormous scale. While primary cities must play a role in this job creation, it is unrealistic to imagine that all the necessary jobs, or even the majority, can be created in a single metropolitan area. In this blog, the authors make the case for government measures and policies focusing on creating jobs and promoting economic development in secondary cities.

Across the world, the nature of urban planning and city governance depends a lot on how power is distributed among tiers of government. India and Indonesia have both pursued strategies to "decentralize" their governments and invest local authorities with more power. Those policies and their effects, however, look different across the two countries.

Besides passion, talent and hard work, young entrepreneurs like Vivek also need patronage to succeed. They eventually seek to give back to their communities by creating opportunities for others.

In Kishangarh’s deeply patriarchal society, Sonam’s story tells of the ambition of young women who chart new pathways without disregarding tradition.

Rapid population growth and a growing youth workforce, coupled with rapid urbanization, have created a policy imperative to generate jobs on a large scale across Sub-Saharan Africa.