The JNNURM is a federal investment program in cities, launched in 2005. The study reviews and analyses the program’s rationale and performance.
On the one hand, the project uses a wide range of secondary sources to analyse the historical background of the JNNURM, tracing the evolution of public policy in India on urban growth. This will help provide a deeper understanding of the complex urban issues and answer the question as to whether the JNNURM is a project response or a policy response to these problems.
On the other hand, the study focuses on evaluating the JNNURM by investigating, inter alia, its rationale, its funding patterns, incentive structures, utilisation of funds and the difficulties in the interplay between the different urban governance institutions. The aim is to inspire more effective and equitable future policies to cope with the problems faced by Indian cities.
For the purpose of the study, two publicly accessible databases, one project based and the other reform based, have been prepared. The database on projects covers both submissions of JNNURM i.e. Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) and Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP). The database on Reforms refers to the analysis of various reform progress reports at State and Urban Local Bodies Levels.
