Census Towns Research Articles

How to transform census towns into economic growth engines: an Indian (Pune) perspective

How to transform census towns into economic growth engines: an Indian (Pune) perspective

Regional Urbanisation, Rise and Significance of Census Towns, and the Challenges: A Geographical Study of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Regional Urbanisation, Rise and Significance of Census Towns, and the Challenges: A Geographical Study of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Analysing Growth Dynamics of Census Towns and Access to Drinking Water: A Case Study of Murshidabad District, West Bengal

Analysing Growth Dynamics of Census Towns and Access to Drinking Water: A Case Study of Murshidabad District, West Bengal

Changes in Land Use Pattern and Policies: A Study of Bankura District in West Bengal, India

This study looks into the dynamic changes in land use patterns in the Bankura District of West Bengal, India, and makes policy recommendations to solve the issues that arise. Land use in the region has undergone major changes in recent decades, owing to causes such as urbanization, agricultural intensification, and forestry decline. The study's main goal was to investigate how rapid urbanization affects the existing land use pattern, from agricultural to urban. Through an in-depth review of secondary information such as reports, research publications, and other departmental data sources. It also explores the socioeconomic ramifications of these changes, such as their potential effects on livelihoods and sustainability. For this study, a mixed-methods approach was used, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methodologies such as descriptive statistics and the least squares technique, among others. According to this study, a group of census towns trail many new minor towns. It can also be claimed that unchecked urban expansion causes pollution. If we change just one individual ingredient, the entire system will be disrupted. Pollutants of many kinds wreaked havoc on the ecosystem. This has a significant impact on human existence and impedes healthy living. As a result, various levels of awareness and safeguards are required to achieve a balance in intake levels. People must, however, have access to various mitigation techniques.

Development potentiality of peri-urban region in India: a quantitative analysis on Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC)

India's census towns are determined by specific criteria, including a minimum population of 5,000, 75% male working population in non-primary sector, and a population density of 400 person km−2. The urban population has grown significantly between 1951 and 2011 (62.44 million to 377.1 million) with 186% increase of census towns. However, issues like land scarcity, rising living costs, and urban sprawl persist. The peri-urban area serves as a transitional region between rural and urban environments. The study assesses the development potentiality of Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) peri-urban areas using various indicators, including population density, growth rate, household density, labor force, literacy rate, and basic activities. It aims to gain insights into the socio-economic status, infrastructure requirements, and growth opportunities for sustainable regional development. Techniques like TOPSIS, Moran's Index, and hotspot analysis are employed to visualize development concentration and analyze correlation coefficients. The study reveals that the western and southern sectors in DMC have higher development levels due to better accessibility with respect to both roadways and railways, proper availability of natural resources, and so on. This knowledge guides policymakers in developing sustainable, balanced, and equitable growth strategies.

Emerging trend and pattern of urbanization and its contribution from migration in Gujarat: Evidence from district level analysis

Gujarat has been one of the leading states in India as far as the levels of urbanization are concerned. This is due to its pull factors attracting migrations from outside the state. However, the urban population is concentrated in a few districts dominated by large urban centers such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. The levels of urbanization in Gujarat have been higher than the national average throughout independent India. It has also experienced rapid urban growth of population during the same period, but the recently emerging concentration and pattern of urbanization have been lopsided, meaning that a few districts contributes more than half of the total urban population of the state. Literature in the thematic areas of urbanization particularly in Gujarat are few and limited. The studies so far have discussed about the impact of globalization and urbanizations, trends and patters of urbanization, dynamics of urban development and migration in Gujarat. This study particularly focuses on establishing a link between migration and urbanization using district level data on urbanization. This study is unique in the sense that previous studies have failed to capture the interstate migration and levels of urbanization in the state of Gujarat in India. Recent census data show a substantial increase in the census towns in Gujarat in the vicinity of the developed corridor and within the influence areas of large metropolitan cities. This paper aims to analyze the trends and emerging patterns in the levels of urbanization at the district level. It attempts to understand the inequalities in the distribution of urban population using the GINI coefficient of different size-class towns during the 2001 and 2011 censuses. It also tries to map the distribution of the urban population at the district level to show the emerging pattern. Emerging trends and the existing network of the census towns of 2011 have also been mapped to provide the idea of regional distribution. The existing urbanization pattern in Gujarat matches with the industrial development. It reminds colonial experiences of induced industrialization, attracting colossal in-migration and higher urbanization. The migration pattern during the last two census periods shows that respective districts of the above-mentioned cities are attracting in-migration due to the early post-independence industrialization period. We have calculated the net contribution from migration to the levels of urbanization using D-2 Series migration data from the census of India for the years 2001 and 2011. It shows that Central Gujarat, Saurashtra and South Gujarat have gained more due to migrations from other states to sustain their industrial development, leading to rapid and higher levels of urbanization in these regions. However, the future of urbanization in the state will depend on carefully selecting industrial activities that are sustainable in the long run.

Spatial Analysis of Access to Basic Services in Urban West Bengal: Disparities and Determinants

This paper, using data from Census 2011, examines the availability of treated drinking water, latrine facility, drainage facility and electricity between villages, census towns (CTs) and statutory towns (STs) in West Bengal, India. Urban areas of socio-economically developed administrative divisions experienced higher household service coverage. Availability of drinking water and latrine facilities is distinctly better in STs over CTs and CTs over villages. Other services like latrine with sewerage facilities and closed drainage facilities recorded insignificant differences in household coverage between cities and villages. Results of multi-variable regression models reveal that type of economic activities and social characteristics of the urban areas; nature of basic services and their institutional arrangements significantly influence the service provision. So, the paper argues for stepping up investment, institutionalization of an integrated planning paradigm and strengthening urban governments to ensure equitable distribution of basic services.

Market Formation in Assam: Nature of Trade in and around the Brahmaputra Valley, C. 1826–1905

The British East India Company (EIC) and other European traders entered Assam for trade. The region thrived on traditional places of exchange. These were haats (markets at the village and district level held at regular intervals), duars, fairs and chawkeys (trading posts of Ahom-age). The Treaty of Yandabo (1826) marked the entry of EIC in parts of Assam. Regimental towns, documented as bazaars in government records, appeared in the nineteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century, census towns also emerged. These towns accommodated regular markets, periodic haats, fairs and other trading places. This article is based on primary sources of Buranjis, travelogues, military reports, journals, memoirs and archival records. The theoretical works of Walter Christaller (1966) and Philip D. Curtin (1984) and works of literature have been used to understand the growth and operation of marketplaces. This article finds that modern bazaars were connected to the traditional haats, fairs and chawkeys. Bazaars served the colonial regime by acting as the agent of the colonial commercial economy. The colonial regime also often used traditional market places to further their commercial interests. The haats and fairs supplemented the overall commerce of the region and acted as nodes in the commercial networks in the region.

The concept of planetary urbanization applied to India's rural to urban transformation

This paper empirically examines the applicability of the planetary urbanization concept to understand the complexities associated with the rural-to-urban transformation process unfolding in India. It contributes to the rural-urban debate by investigating the role of non-urban spaces – here census towns – in accelerating India's process of urbanization. The Capital Region of India is taken as a study area and a mixed methods approach is used to establish concentrated and extended urbanization as interlinked processes in relation to the growth of census towns.The applied mixed methods approach helps to overcome the critiques of deploying Global North theories, here planetary urbanization, on the Global South context by not only establishing a general pattern and dynamics of growth but also by contextualizing the local characteristics of rural to urban transformation as census towns. The analysis established a dense network of transport and a high level of commuting for work between statutory towns and census towns in the urban periphery and hinterland overcoming the traditional urban and rural divide. This paper makes a methodological and analytical contribution to the concept of planetary urbanization, whereby growth of census towns can be explained as an interlinked process of concentrated, extended and differential urbanization.The political economy analyses established that the differences between statutory and census towns can be traced back to state rescaling and investment policies. In this process, rural areas are rapidly acquiring urban characteristics as census towns and to some extent perform better on socioeconomic and infrastructural aspects compared to statutory towns (official urban areas).

Shedding light on unnoticed gems in India: A small town’s growth perspective

Recently, though some of the developing countries have been experiencing urbanization at a rapid pace, India is far behind them. Historically, a hefty proportion of India's urban population lived in large cities. However, the latest Census period (2001–2011) showed that small towns (population less than 0.1 million) such as Census towns had contributed around 30 % of the country's urban growth. In the backdrop of this fact, certain questions are pertinent: can the emergence of the small towns be interpreted as the second-best solution in the light of the agglomeration economies; whether different groups are traceable within the category of small towns; which economic factors determine the size and growth of these towns; where are these towns emerging, and what are the major policy initiatives to be undertaken for their development are some of the research questions which are analyzed in this study by considering 7437 small towns in India as per the 2011 census. Using the latest 2011 Census data, our analysis suggests that the small towns are neglected in terms of policy consideration and investment in infrastructural facilities. Cluster analysis is indicative of different groups of small towns. Infrastructure availability and salubrious climate are some of the major determinants of growth of small towns in India. They are emerging in the vicinity of large cities with low variation in distance and population size. Regression analysis also supports these results. It suggests that small towns emerge as large towns reach their saturation points, and the rural to urban transformation takes place rapidly in response to economic development. Finally, policy options are recommended to make small towns more productive in the future and help them contribute to sustainable and higher economic growth.

Role of transport infrastructure in birth of census towns in West Bengal

In the Indian Census, the growth of villages into small towns (called Census Towns, CT) accounted for almost 30% of urbanization during 2001–11, which was significantly higher than the preceding decades. This paper evaluates the role of the transportation infrastructure in this phenomenon by using data from the State of West Bengal, which has experienced the birth of the largest number of such towns. We use the probit regression method involving binary dependent variables. The results show that the existence of state/national highways in the neighborhood increase the probability of a village, designated as a ‘would be CT’ in the 2001 Census, to be converted into a CT in the 2011 Census. The closer the location of the highway, the more intensive the positive effect. The rail infrastructure does not play a significant role in this process. Interestingly, the paper shows although the density of local road networks generally complements highways in the formation of cities, the complementarity relationship is the opposite in the districts bordering Kolkata. The role of the Golden Quadrangle (GQ) project, highway construction project undertaken in India during this time to connect the four major metropolitan cities of India, had a limited impact compared to national/state highways in the birth of CTs.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41685-021-00224-5.

Availability of basic amenities to urban households in West Bengal: an analysis of the level and determinants

Urban transition in West Bengal in this decade experienced an unprecedented growth of Census Towns (CTs), contrary to stagnating growth of the Statutory Towns (STs). As, an additional 6.3 million people are added in urban areas of the state for the last decade, it obviously will increase the demand of basic amenities. Therefore, this study tries to find out the difference in basic amenities among towns in West Bengal according to their administrative status, size of the towns, wealth possession of the households and spatial location of the towns. Independent t-test, stepwise regression and principal component analysis are used as a research technique to execute the objective of the study. It is evident from the study that, administratively having a statutory body in town, a large population size of the town, location of the town within or close to the urban agglomerations and wealth possession of the urban households, have an immense role in determining the availability of basic amenities. Among all these factors, the wealth possession of households is the most dominant factor. As a sharp difference in the availability of basic amenities is evident between CTs and STs, there needs a government intervention to regulate the unplanned growth to the CTs. Without further ado, these CTs need to be recognized as urban and to be assigned statutory status for better provision of basic amenities. The second option lies in the implementation of the idea of co-production in the planning mechanism. Here the state and citizens both should address the task of urban service delivery as the state cannot regulate or deliver of its own and low-income citizens does not have its resource capacity.

Urban–Rural Dichotomy in Planning: Review of Legal Framework in Four States of India

Current urbanisation trends in India show a quantum jump in number of ‘census towns’, which are not statutorily declared as urban areas, but have acquired all characteristics of urban settlements. Sizeable number of such census towns are not located near any Class 1 city. Lack of proper and timely planning has led to unplanned growth of these settlements. This article is based on a review of planning legislations, institutional framework and planning process of four states in India. The present article analyses the scope and limitations of the planning process adopted in the rapidly urbanising rural areas of these states. The findings reveal that states are still following a conventional approach to planning that treats ‘urban’ and ‘rural’ as separate categories and highlights the need for adopting an integrated territorial approach to planning of settlements.

Rural Non-farm Sector: Revisiting the Census Towns

The last decade (2001–2011) has witnessed a surge in the number of census towns (CTs) in India, which account for 30% of the country’s urban growth. Though several studies have tried to understand the spatial patterns and factors determining the emergence of these CTs, the all India level has been neglected. Due to an increase in non-farm activities, villages have been transformed into CTs. By considering 2,328 CTs at the all India level, this article investigates the relevant economic determinants of such transformation. To group similar CTs we use cluster analysis by considering several factors such as the size of the population of CTs, rural specific changes, climatic conditions, the growth dynamics of large cities which may spill over to rural hinterland, economic potential, the availability of infrastructures and job opportunities. The analysis suggests that the availability of infrastructure and the growth dynamics of the large cities are important for the emergence of these CTs, whereas rural poverty and unemployment rates do not seem to matter significantly. Finally, we suggest that for higher economic development, the rural to urban transformation is essential. For this purpose, the new CTs can offer an opportunity for increasing non-farm activities and the overall prospects for India. Hence, the policy directives will have to address the requirements of the CTs to emerge as centres of growth.

Statutory vs census towns: modeling the differences of urban development using statistical approach in India: a micro level case analysis

Urbanisation is assessed from demographic, socioeconomic and infrastructural perspectives and treated as magnet for regional development and basic services and infrastructures viz. water supply, sanitation, transport, power, shelter, education, health, etc. are very important for urban dwellers and town functioning. The article focuses on availability and access to the services and facilities in Statutory Towns (STs—[having statutory body viz. municipality, corporation, cantonment, etc.]) and Census Towns (CTs—[having population > 5000, population density > 400/sq.km and 75% male non-agricultural workers]). To assess the disparity in infrastructures, weighted combination score (WCS) using 5 broad parameters (Education, health, financial, commercial and recreation) and 12 sub parameters and difference in access to amenities i.e. quality of life (QOL) between STs and CTs, logistic regression model are used. The results reveal the remarkable disparity between STs and CTs in availability of infrastructure and services. So, the higher rate of urbanisation of Nadia district which is mainly accentuated by emergence of CTs indicates the urban growth without the development of infrastructures and amenities Therefore, the research may be helpful in identifying the lacuna of urban centres and thereby in policy formulation regarding infrastructures and basic amenities.

Birth of Census Towns in India: An Economic Analysis

In Indian census, the reclassification of villages as small towns (called census towns) has been startling during the decade 2001–2011 and accounted for almost 30 per cent of urbanization, which is significantly larger than their growth rate in previous decades. Though reclassified as towns, they are governed as rural settlements. This article applies urban economic theory along with rural–urban labour market dynamics to identify the factors behind the birth of census towns. It also attempts to empirically check the validity of some of the hypotheses of the theoretical model it develops by using data from the state of West Bengal during 2001–2011 where the growth rate of census towns had been one of the highest in India. It turns out that the higher formal sector income in the nearby urban centres with lower extent of urban sprawl is the major factor explaining the birth of census towns. JEL Classification: R11, R12, R23

Female Workers and Transformation of Rural Economy into Urban Economy

Many rural areas have been classified as an urban area, specifically as census towns, in the 2011 Census. Shift of majority of working population from farm employment to non-farm employment is the main criterion, among other demographic characteristics, for the classification of rural areas as the urban areas. Change in occupational structure has changed the economy of these settlements. An attempt has been made to analyse the employment structure of female labour in these settlement, particularly census towns of Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Census towns which are far away from the nearest class I city, more than 100 km, have been selected for the study. An assessment of evolution of employment patterns among female and male workers during the decade of 2001–2011 has been attempted by using data provided by 2001 and 2011 Census. A substantially high percentage of female workers are agricultural labours in these census towns. This pattern is contrary to the pattern observed in the case of male workers. Further, employment vulnerability has increased more among female workers as compared to male workers in these settlements during the period of 2001–2011. Moreover, majority of these settlements experienced comparatively lower intensity of farm to non-farm employment shift among female workers as compared to male workers. The trend is same in both Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Urbanisation as the rise of census towns in India: An outcome of traditional master planning?

The urbanisation process in the Global South is characterised by the blurring of the boundaries between urban and rural areas and the lack of institutional capacity, which have made the process highly unsustainable. In India, an example of such development is the rapid growth of “census towns”. These settlements are not acknowledged as urban by the state, but they play an important role in accommodating population growth. This paper aims to elucidate and understand the process and characteristics of Indian urbanisation better in light of relevant theoretical discourses by using a mix of statistical analysis and field survey. It argues for moving from traditional master planning, which originated from the Global North to a more participatory and strategic approach in order to achieve infrastructure integrated development.

New urban geographies of West Bengal, East India

ABSTRACT This article is part of a larger research project on new urban geographies in India. Between the population censuses of 2001 and 2011, India witnessed a record increase of 2,532 new Census Towns, small settlements that meet the country's criteria to be considered ‘urban’. This steep increase is intricately linked with decreases in agricultural jobs, but we know very little about the spatiality of these urban geographies, alternative local employment, or the nature of the local economies of Census Towns. Based on a tailored geodatabase, our Main Map visualizes the geography of these heretofore uncharted Census Towns in the state of West Bengal. We then draw on reconnaissance fieldwork to zoom in on a cluster of Census Towns in central Bengal where we find evidence of urban growth that appears linked to road infrastructure, what we described in earlier conceptual work as “emergent highway urbanization”. The Main Map and reconnaissance fieldwork contribute to a better, albeit early-stage, understanding of the rapidly changing spatiality of contemporary urbanization in this region.

Identifying urban areas by combining human judgment and machine learning: An application to India

We propose a methodology for identifying urban areas that combines subjective assessments with machine learning, and we apply it to India, a country where several studies see the official urbanization rate as an under-estimate. For a representative sample of cities, towns and villages, as administratively defined, we rely on human judgment of Google images to determine whether they are urban or rural in practice. We collect judgments across four groups of assessors, differing in their familiarity with India and with urban issues, following two different protocols. We then combine the judgment-based classification with data from the population census and from satellite imagery to predict the urban status of the sample. The Logit model, and LASSO and random forests methods, are applied. These approaches are then used to decide whether each of the out-of-sample administrative units in India is urban or rural in practice. We do not find that India is substantially more urban than officially claimed. However, there are important differences at more disaggregated levels, with “other towns” and “census towns” being more rural, and some southern states more urban, than is officially claimed. The consistency of human judgment across assessors and protocols, the easy availability of crowd-sourcing, and the stability of predictions across approaches, suggest that the proposed methodology is a promising avenue for studying urban issues.