Research ArticleImagine our lives as urban residents in the post-COVID19 world. Currently even as the administration at national, state, city and Gram Panchayat level is focused and engaged in responding to the COVID crises, we need to initiate a dialogue between the experts from various fields and contemplate will there be change in our city level functioning or will it revert to the business as usual approach once the normal operations of the city resume.
A few years ago, many nations committed, “to foster healthy societies by promoting access to adequate, inclusive and quality public services...” through the implementation of The Agenda 2030-Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda, the Paris agreement and the Sendai Framework. The global commitments and aspirations were well- intended and thought out. However, they cannot be successfully operationalized unless we empower the very institutions at the cutting edge, which are responsible to take action on these, i.e. the urban local bodies The pandemic crisis demonstrates that until empower our local bodies, we will continue witnessing struggle and efforts country after country. With this understanding, this article assesses the response to the pandemic challenge in Urban India so far and puts across a vision re-imagining Urban India.
Originally shared at: https://www.worldurbancampaign.org/national-institute-urban-affairs-covi...