UGC seeks to make urban planning a subject

Coimbatore: In an attempt to override the acute shortage of urban planners, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all universities and colleges to introduce a course or a subject on urban planning at either the undergraduate or postgraduate level.
The University Grants Commission has written to all universities and colleges to include a subject on urban planning from the current academic year- 2016-17.The UGC directive comes after the implementation of smart city project by the Centre. Members of the UGC made a presentation to Prime Minister Modi on how towns and cities are emerging as key drivers of economic growth, and emphasized on the need for capacity building in urban administration and urban planning.
UGC chairman, Jaspal Sandhu, said, "It was proposed that colleges and universities should start subject/courses on urban planning. Accordingly, you (vice-chancellors of universities) are requested to start a subject/course on urban planning in your university and also convey relevant instructions to the colleges/institutes affiliated to your university to take urgent steps for starting of this new subject course at graduate and post graduate level."
The fact that most municipal bodies in India do not have urban planners is a cause for concern. "Municipal bodies lack urban planning skills. They have engineers who may understand construction but aren't trained as planners. Municipal bodies should develop a cadre of urban planners and managers. There should also be an ongoing skill upgradation programme for municipal staff," said the South Asia Regional Director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), Shreya Gadepalli. She appreciates the UGCs move to introduce a subject or a course on urban planning as it will produce more professionals sensitized to urban planning. "There are few institutions in India which produce competent urban planners. This step will help mitigate the shortage," she added.
National director of JLL, and a visiting faculty at the school of planning and architecture, A Shankar, said that there are huge opportunities for urban planners in India, as the Centre has five urban development schemes that are being implemented. "Andhra Pradesh has created a post for town planner to implement the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). We also need urban planners who can come up with area-wise development plans in each municipality," said Shankar. Professor of sociology at Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, N R Suresh Babu, feels that urban planning should be taught based on city-specific requirements. "While the foundation concepts will remain the same, we should understand the diverse geography of our country. Also, there is huge disparity with respect to population, mode of transport, drainage facility and water resources," said Babu. "Universities and colleges should teach the subject or course keeping in mind the requirement of the city or district," he added.