SLUMS IN INDIA – HISTORY, ACTS, POLICIES & SCHEMES [ Town Planning Exam] ATP

Slums in India – History, Acts, Policies & Schemes (Notes + 40 MCQ)

This post covers definitions and characteristics of slums, their historical evolution in India, key Acts and state laws, and major schemes and policies like EIUS, JNNURM–BSUP, RAY and PMAY–Urban, followed by 40 exam-oriented MCQs for DDA / ATP / town planning exams.
Quick Index

Revision Notes – Slums: History, Acts, Policies & Schemes

1. What is a Slum? – Definitions & Characteristics

  • General idea: Densely populated, physically deteriorated residential areas with inadequate housing, poor basic services (water, sanitation, drainage), overcrowding and insecure tenure.
  • UN–Habitat: A slum household typically lacks one or more of: durable housing, sufficient living area, access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, secure tenure.
  • Census of India (simplified for exam):
    • Notified slums – areas notified as “slum” by state/ULB under any Act.
    • Recognised slums – areas recognised as slums by local authorities but not legally notified.
    • Identified slums – compact areas of at least a minimum number of households (e.g. 60–70 households or 300 people) with poorly built congested tenements and inadequate sanitation, declared by census on physical criteria.
  • Common characteristics (GOOD for 2–3 mark theory / MCQ options):
    • High density, overcrowding, shared toilets, kutcha / semi-pucca structures.
    • Poor access to safe water, drainage, solid waste management.
    • Location on marginal/vulnerable land – riverbanks, drains, railway margins, steep slopes, low-lying areas.
    • Insecure tenure – encroachment on public or private land, fear of eviction.

2. Historical Evolution of Slums in India

  • Colonial period:
    • Rapid industrialisation and port-city growth (Bombay, Calcutta, Madras) → overcrowding, poor worker housing.
    • Epidemics (plague) → slum clearance, rehousing schemes by Improvement Trusts.
  • Post-independence (1950s–1970s):
    • Strong rural–urban migration, limited formal housing supply.
    • Growth of “bustees”, “jhuggi–jhopri clusters”, “katchi bastis”.
    • Initial approach: slum clearance and relocation, often with minimal rehabilitation.
  • 1970s–1990s: shift to improvement & upgrading:
    • Recognition that slums are part of urban reality and provide affordable housing for the poor.
    • Programmes like Environmental Improvement of Urban Slums (EIUS), Urban Basic Services, etc.
    • Focus on in-situ improvement of basic services (roads, drains, water, toilets).
  • 2000s onwards: integrated and housing-led approach:
    • JNNURM with sub-missions BSUP and IHSDP.
    • Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) – “slum-free India” vision, emphasising in-situ redevelopment and tenure security.
    • PMAY–Urban (2015) – Housing for All (Urban) with in-situ slum redevelopment as one vertical.

3. Key Acts on Slum Improvement & Clearance

  • Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act, 1956 (central Act, applied initially to Delhi and some areas):
    • Provides for identification, improvement and clearance of slum areas.
    • Empowers competent authority to declare areas as “slum”, prepare improvement schemes, and clear insanitary areas.
  • State-level Slum Acts (examples – exam often asks matching):
    • Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 – basis for SRA schemes; TDR-linked redevelopment in Mumbai.
    • Tamil Nadu Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act, 1971 – basis for TN Slum Clearance Board.
    • Similar Acts exist in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, etc.
  • These Acts generally:
    • Define slum area.
    • Allow notification of slums, preparation of improvement / redevelopment schemes.
    • Provide eviction and relocation procedures, compensation norms.

4. Major Programmes & Schemes for Slums

  • Environmental Improvement of Urban Slums (EIUS), 1970s:
    • Basic services: water supply, drains, toilets, street paving, community facilities.
    • Low-cost improvement, mainly physical infrastructure in existing slums.
  • Urban Basic Services (UBS) / Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP):
    • Emphasis on community participation, primary health, child care, basic services in poor settlements.
  • JNNURM (from 2005) – slum-related sub-missions:
    • BSUP – Basic Services for Urban Poor: housing + basic services (water, sanitation, roads, social amenities).
    • IHSDP – Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme: merged earlier schemes (Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana, NSDP); focused on smaller towns.
  • Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) (launched ~2011):
    • Vision of “Slum-free India with inclusive and equitable cities”.
    • Promoted in-situ slum redevelopment, property rights, mapping and listing of slums.
  • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY–U), 2015:
    • Objective: Housing for All (Urban).
    • Four verticals:
      • In-situ slum redevelopment.
      • Credit-linked subsidy scheme (CLSS).
      • Affordable housing in partnership.
      • Beneficiary-led individual house construction/enhancement.
    • Slum component: uses land as a resource through PPP and FSI/TDR incentives.
  • Other relevant policies:
    • National Housing Policy / National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy (2007) – emphasises slum upgradation and tenure security.
    • State-level Slum Rehabilitation Authorities (SRA) – especially Maharashtra (Mumbai) with FSI/TDR-based rehab.

5. Approaches to Slum Planning

  • Slum Clearance:
    • Demolition of structures and removal of settlements, often with off-site relocation.
    • Criticised for breaking social networks, increasing vulnerability.
  • Slum Improvement / Upgradation:
    • In-situ provision of basic services, incremental housing improvements, often without immediate change in tenure.
    • Low-cost, less disruptive; improves health and living conditions.
  • In-situ Redevelopment:
    • Demolition and reconstruction on the same site; higher densities; cross-subsidy through sale component (FSI/TDR).
    • Objective: provide formal housing + tenure to existing slum residents.
  • Relocation / Resettlement:
    • Shifting slum dwellers to another site (often peripheral).
    • Cheaper land but risk of livelihood loss due to distance from workplaces.
  • People-centric, rights-based approach:
    • Participatory planning; recognising slum dwellers as rights-holders, not “encroachers”.
    • Links to SDG 11 – making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

6. Slums in Master Plans & Sectoral Context

  • Master/Development Plans increasingly include:
    • Inventory and mapping of slums, risk/vulnerability analysis.
    • Policies for in-situ upgradation, redevelopment, relocation criteria.
    • Reservation of land for EWS/LIG housing and rental housing.
  • Sectoral linkages:
    • Water supply & sanitation – network extension, communal toilets, decentralised sanitation.
    • Health – disease control, maternal & child health, nutrition, environmental health.
    • Livelihoods – proximity to employment, street vending regulation, skill development.
  • Key exam theme: shift from “slum as problem” to “slum as solution/affordable housing sub-system”.

MCQ Practice – Slums: History, Acts, Policies & Schemes (40 Questions)

Attempt these 40 MCQs and click “Check Answers” to see your score and per-question green/red feedback with correct options.

1. In the Census of India, a notified slum is one which:

2. Which of the following is not a common characteristic of slums?

3. UN–Habitat typically defines a slum household as one that:

4. Assertion (A): Slums are always illegal and should be completely removed without rehabilitation.
Reason (R): Slums do not contribute to urban economy in any form.

5. The Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act, 1956 was enacted primarily for:

6. Which state’s law is known for enabling FSI/TDR-based slum redevelopment in Mumbai?

7. The Environmental Improvement of Urban Slums (EIUS) programme mainly focused on:

8. Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP) emphasised:

9. Under JNNURM, the sub-mission primarily targeted at large cities and slum improvement/housing is:

10. The programme that integrated earlier schemes (like VAMBAY, NSDP) for smaller and medium towns under JNNURM was:

11. The slogan/vision of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) is closest to:

12. Which of the following is not a vertical under PMAY–Urban?

13. In the context of slums, in-situ redevelopment means:

14. Assertion (A): Slum improvement/upgradation usually focuses on providing basic services without necessarily changing tenure immediately.
Reason (R): It is a low-cost, less disruptive approach compared to relocation.

15. Which of the following is not a typical disadvantage of large-scale slum relocation?

16. Match the programme with its main focus:

1. EIUS   2. UBSP   3. BSUP   4. RAY
a. Community-based social development   b. In-situ slum redevelopment, slum-free cities   c. Basic infrastructure in slums   d. Housing + basic services for urban poor in major cities

17. Which national policy most explicitly recognised the need for slum upgradation and tenure security in urban India?

18. Assertion (A): Slums are often located on environmentally fragile lands like riverbanks and low-lying areas.
Reason (R): Such land is typically less attractive for formal real estate but used by the poor due to lack of alternatives.

19. Which of the following BEST describes the shift in slum policy over time in India?

20. In PMAY–Urban, “land as a resource” in slum redevelopment primarily refers to:

21. Which of the following is not a typical indicator used in slum mapping and vulnerability analysis?

22. Match the term with the closest description:

1. Slum clearance   2. Slum improvement   3. In-situ redevelopment   4. Relocation
a. Demolition and rebuilding on same site   b. Demolition and shifting to new site   c. Providing services without immediate tenure change   d. Demolition without rehab (older practice)

23. The term “jhuggi–jhopri cluster” is commonly used in:

24. Sectoral integration of slum planning includes all of the following, except:

25. Assertion (A): Mapping and listing of slums is a critical first step in designing slum improvement strategies.
Reason (R): Without accurate data on location and conditions, targeting and monitoring become difficult.

26. Which of the following is not correctly matched?

27. In planning terms, why are slums often referred to as an “informal housing sub-system”?

28. Which SDG Goal is most directly related to slum improvement and inclusive urbanisation?

29. Which is not a typical reason for the growth of slums in Indian cities?

30. A core principle of rights-based slum policy is that slum residents should be seen as:

31. Which one of the following is incorrectly matched?

32. Assertion (A): Master Plans should integrate slum improvement strategies with land use zoning and housing policy.
Reason (R): Spatial planning without considering slums leads to exclusion and informal expansion.

33. Which of the following is not a direct physical improvement measure in slum upgrading?

34. A key difference between slum improvement and in-situ redevelopment is that:

35. For planning entrance exams, which of the following is a likely one-line MCQ?

36. The sectoral context of slum improvement includes aligning slum policies with:

37. In many Indian cities, which group constitutes a large share of slum residents?

38. Which of the following is a planning reason to integrate slum policy into city-level land use plans?

39. Match the city-specific term with generic “slum” concept:

1. Bustee   2. Jhompri/jhuggi   3. Katchi basti   4. Favela (Brazil)
a. Temporary hutment cluster   b. Slum settlement   c. Informal hillside slum in Latin America   d. Poor urban settlement

40. From an exam point of view, which statement BEST summarises slum policy evolution?

Score: – / 40
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