2 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

ABOUT DELHI
“I met a hundred men going to Delhi and everyone is my brother.”
— Pope Paul VI

Area of Delhi 1,484.0 km2 (573.0 sq mi)

Population of Delhi 1.67 Crore (2011 Census)
Principal Official Language Hindi, English
Second Official Urdu, Punjabi
Neighbouring States Haryana, Uttar Pradesh
Capital Delhi
Members of Parliament in Delhi Lok Sabha Seats (7)
Rajya Sabha Seats (3)
State Legislature seats in Delhi Unicameral Assembly seats (70)
Airports in Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, Palam, Safdarjung
Festivals in Delhi Roshnara, Shalimar, Qutab Festival, Garden Tourism, Mango Festivals Pragati
Maidan Trade Fair, Diwali, Holi, Eid, Chhath Puja, Durga Puja
Literacy rate of Delhi 86.34%
State Density 11289 Person/ km2
Districts 11
Sex Ratio (as per Census 2011) 866/Thousand Male
Industries in Delhi Electronics, Light Engineering Machines, Automobile Parts, Sports Goods,
Bicycles, PVC Goods, Footwear, Textile, Fertilizer, Medicines, Hosiery, Leather
Goods, Software etc.
Economy of Delhi • Economy size: GDP US$ 108.06 billion
• Tertiary sector contributes about 70% of the state GDP
• The per capita GSDP (2019-20) Rs 3,89,143
Religion (census) • Hinduism     82%               • Jainism         1.1%             
• Islam            11.72% • Others           1.1%
• Sikhism         4.01%           
 DELHI 3

Tourist Destinations in Delhi • India Gate and Rajpath • Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

• Sansad Bhavan • ISKCON Temple

• Rashtrapati Bhavan • Jama Masjid

• Connaught Place • Lotus Temple

• Lodhi Gardens • St. James' Church

• Sikandar Lodi's tomb • Kalka Ji Mandir

• Bara Gumbad • National Museum, New Delhi

• Shisha Gumbad • National Rail Museum

• Purana Quila • Jantar Mantar

• Red Fort • Nizamuddin Dargah

• Salimgarh Fort • Raj Ghat

• Chandni Chowk • Shanti Vana

• Safdarjung's Tomb • National Zoological Park

• Akshardham Temple • Qutub Minar

• Laxminarayan Temple • Tughlaqabad

• Cathedral Church of
Redemption

HISTORY OF DELHI Kot, Delhi was renamed as Qila Rai Pithora by Prithviraj
Chauhan(Maternal grandson of Anangpal) in 1164A.D.
INDRAPRASTHA: The Earliest reference
MEHRAULI: Qutb-ud-din-Aibak started the construction of
to a settlement in Delhi area is found in
Qutub Minar and he also constructed the Quwat-al-islam
the epic of Mahabharata called as the
mosque. The area in which all this was constructed was
Indraprastha (Called the City of God
called Mehrauli, which is also the second city of Delhi. He
Indra) this was built in 1400 BCE and
built it on the top of the first city.
the Pandavas and Kauravas were both
the descendants of the prince Bharat. SIRI: The Khilji dynasty came to power in delhi in the
last decade of the 13th century. During the reign of the
LAL KOT: Archaeological evidence
khiljis the suburbs were attacked by the mongols. As a
suggests that the foundation of Delhi
defense against the subsequent attacks by the mongols
was laid down by King Anang Pal of
Allaudin Khilji built a new circular fortified city at Siri. It was
the Tomara dynasty when he founded
designated the khilji capital, Siri was the first completely
the city of Lal Kot (Village- Anang Pur)
new city to be built by the muslim conquerors in India
in A.D.736. Anang Pal is technically
(Mehrauli was built over the initial city by muslims but this
called the Founder of Delhi and ruled
was a completely new city to be built). He also built the
the capital till 1193 A.D. (Anangpur is
Alai-Darwaza and the Alai minar. One very interesting fact
near today’s Surajkund). Anang Pal also
about Siri is that the city was built on a foundation of eight
installed the iron pillar in Delhi (Called
thousand Mongol skulls (which means sir in hindi) and
the Mehrauli Iron Pillar now) and in lieu
hence the name Siri.
of this the coins in name of “Killi Dev”
were minted to honour Anang Pal. The TUGLAKABAD: The mongols continued to evade and the
fort of Lal Kot was built around this pillar. region was passed into the hands of Tughlaqs. A new
This fort was also called Qila-e Mubarak. capital was built by Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq. This was the
fourth city of Delhi and was built at a height to discourage
QILA RAI PITHORA (Literal Meaning- the
the mongols but it was soon abandoned in favor of the old
Fort of Prithvi Raj Chauhan): After Lal
site near Qutub Minar because of the scarcity of water.
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JAHANPANNAH: Mohammed bin Tughlaq established the The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 created the Union
fifth city of Delhi which was called as Jahanpanna.(Near Territory of Delhi from its predecessor, the Chief
present day Greater Kailash) (For Interview Perspective- Commissioner’s Province of Delhi. The Constitution (Sixty-
Please read about why he was called the Mad King, and ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of
shift to Deogiri). Delhi to be formally known as the National Capital Territory
of Delhi. The Act gave Delhi its legislative assembly along
FEROZABAD: Firoz Shah Tuglaq shifted the capital again
Civil lines, though with limited powers.
near Delhi to Firozabad, The Firozabad was situated in what
is now called the feroz shah kotla area of the contemporary Delhi was the primary site in the nationwide anti-Sikh
Delhi. In the present day, there is a stadium at this place, pogroms of 1984, which resulted in the death of around
which has now been renamed to Arun Jaitley Stadium, in 2,800 people in the city according to government
honor of the Former Minister of Finance of India. figures, though independent estimates of the number of
people killed tend to be higher. The riots were set off by
DEENPANAH: After Firoz Shah Tuglaq died the Mongol
the assassination of Indira Gandhi—the Prime Minister of
Timur attacked Firozabad.He massacred everything and it
India at the time—by her Sikh bodyguards.
took over a hundred years for Delhi to recover. In the 16th
century the mughals invaded India, The second Mughal In 2001, the Parliament of India building in New Delhi
emperor Humayun built a city called Deenpanah ( which was attacked by armed militants, killing six security
literally means sanctuary of faith) The city of Deenpanah personnel. India suspected Pakistan-based militant groups
was founded in 1533-80 and it was built on the banks of were behind the attack, which caused a major diplomatic
the river Yamuna. crisis between the two countries. There were further terrorist
attacks in Delhi in 2005 and 2008, resulting in a total of
SHERGARH: overthrew Humayun in 1540, and razed
Deenpanah to the ground and built his new capital, which 92 deaths. The 2020 Delhi riots, Delhi’s worst communal
was then known as Shergarh. It also housed the Purana violence in decades, was caused mainly by Hindu mobs
Qila Fort. This was the sixth city of Delhi. After Sher Shah attacking Muslims. Of the 53 people killed, two-thirds were
Suri’s death in 1545 his son Islam Shah took the reins of Muslims, and the rest Hindus.
North India from Delhi. Islam Shah ruled from Delhi till
1553,but after his death, the mughals found an opportunity
CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS OF DELHI
to return. Humayun had regrouped a vast army in Kabul • The status of Delhi being a Union Territory under
under the leadership of Bairam khan and therefore was Schedule 1 of the Constitution but christened the
able to capture delhi again. ‘National Capital Territory’ under Article 239AA,
engrafted by the Constitution (69th Amendment) Act.
SHAHJAHANABAD: The third and the greatest Mughal
emperor Akbar continued to rule from Agra which resulted • The 69th amendment to the Constitution of India
in a decline of the fortunes of Delhi in mid-17th century. The inserted Article 239AA, which declared the Union
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the city which was named Territory of Delhi to be administered by a LG who works
Shahjahanabad. This was the seventh city of Delhi, it is also on aid and advice of the elected legislative assembly.
known as the old city or the Old Delhi, and the city contains However, the ‘aid and advice’ clause pertains only to
a number of significant architectural features including the matters on which the elected Assembly has powers under
Red Fort and the Jama Masjid. the State and Concurrent Lists With the exception of public
order, police, and land.

POST INDEPENDENCE ISSUE OF STATEHOOD

During the partition of India, around five lakh Hindu and The arguments in favour of statehood for Delhi are as follows:
Sikh refugees, mainly from West Punjab fled to Delhi, while • Full Accountability And Control: It would provide
around three lakh Muslim residents of the city migrated to equal rights to people for the presentation and self-
Pakistan. Ethnic Punjabis are believed to account for at least governance.
40% of Delhi’s total population and are predominantly Hindi-
• Responisble Governance: Since the chief minister and
speaking Punjabi Hindus. Migration to Delhi from the rest of
the Legislature of Delhi are elected by the people
India continues (as of 2013), contributing more to the rise
and are responsible to the people for the governance
of Delhi’s population than the birth rate, which is declining.
of Delhi, it is of utmost importance that the elected
 DELHI 5
representative be given sufficient power to deliver • Law and Order: Grant of statehood may prove
the same. detrimental to the administration of the national capital,
• Faster Decision Making: The land, as provided in article especially in the case of law and order.
239 AA, is outside the purview of the Delhi government. • Financial Crunch: The quality of administration may
Thus, the state government has to depend on the Central suffer due to a lack of finance in the state administration.
government for approval of the acquisition of land for This will burden the taxpayer of Delhi if Delhi is made a
any infrastructure development. state with all the expenses of a national Capital territory
• Solution to Urban Problems: Delhi, being the world’s being borne by the State.
second most popular city in the world, is infested with • Security of Critical Infrastructure: The security of critical
the problem of the water crisis and other urbanisation- infrastructure may be at stake with the disposal of entire
associated problems. The unclear demarcation of power in the hands of the state government.
duties and responsibilities makes the administration
largely complex as the power centre in Delhi is LG vs CM Tussle Verdict by Supreme Court
distributed among the Union Government, State
According to Supreme court (2018 Judgement-Government
Government and Municipal bodies. This makes the
of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India)
Governance of the urban Centre complex.
• Any Matter is Not Every Matter: Regarding the L-G’s
• Democratic Federalism: The clauses under Article 239
power to refer to the President any matter on which
AA are sometimes being misused by the Lieutenant
there is a difference of opinion between L-G and the
Governor to exercise power under discriminatory
Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court ruled that “any
situations without consulting the democratically elected
matter” cannot be construed to mean “every matter”,
government. This undermines the democratic ethos
and such a reference shall arise only in exceptional
of Delhi.
circumstances.
• No Power Conflict: Due to a lack of control over the
• L-G as facilitator: L-G shall act as a facilitator rather
police, the Government of Delhi faces problems in
the proper maintenance of law and order in the union than anointing himself as an adversary to the elected
territory. Council of Ministers.

• Development in the Capital: Since the Government of • New Delhi Cannot be Given Statehood: At the same
Delhi has no control over the municipal corporation of time, the Court ruled that the National Capital Territory
Delhi, it hinders the implementation of development of Delhi cannot be granted the status of a State under
measures. the constitutional scheme.
• No Overlaps and Delays: Grant of statehood to Delhi
Way Forward
would bring the administration under the control of one
single body, i.e., the state government led by the Chief Recommendation of the Sitarammaiya Committee:
Minister and Council of Ministers, and would avoid a • Delhi must have a responsible government
multiplicity of authorities. • Principle of subsidiarity must be followed
• Representative Government: The state government has • MCD Must also be answerable to the State government
no power pertaining to the recruitment and conditions • Autonomy and power sharing should be the focus over
of service of officials of the civil services, clerks, etc. power conflict
• More Delegation: The Constitution provides for the • Credible dispute resolution method to be instituted
upper limit of 15% of strength of the State assembly
to be appointed as Ministers, in the case of Delhi, this LOCAL ADMINISTRATION
upper limit is only 10%. Increase in number of council
of ministers will lead to more delegation. Multiplicity of Authorities in Delhi
The arguments against statehood for Delhi are as follows: The Constitution has enshrined ‘special status’ on New
• Create Anamoly of Union Government Being the Tenant Delhi, making it both a Union Territory and the Capital of
of the State Government: Delhi, being the national India. This is the reason that some authorities report to the
capital, houses various critical infrastructures such as state government while others report to central government.
Parliament buildings, embassies, etc. leaving them in Besides, these agencies often end up contradicting each
entirety to the state government may prove dangerous other, especially when it comes to maintenance of roads
for such critical infrastructure. and drainage.
6 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

Land and city planning: • Municipal corporations: Responsible for pre-primary/

• Delhi Development Authority (DDA).This agency primary education. They have 1,775 schools under
decides allocation and use of land. Since it reports them. The Municipal Corporations report to the
to the Union Urban Development Ministry, land in the Central Government, although the government doesn’t
Capital does not come under the purview of the State interfere with the day to day functioning of Municipal
government. The State government has to request the Corporations.
DDA to allocate land for social infrastructure • Directorate of Education (DoE):It functions under
• The Land and Development Office (L&DO)-It works as a the Delhi government. Schools under the DoE offer
subordinate office of the Ministry of Urban Development. secondary education. It manages 1,222 government
It is responsible for the administration of landed estates and government-aided schools.
of the Government of India — like the Rashtrapati Healthcare:
Bhavan, North and South Block — including lease, • The Health and Family Welfare Department of the
sale, mortgage, substitution, mutation, etc. Delhi government: It has 38 hospitals, like Lok Nayak
• Indian Railways-Responsible for areas around tracks Hospital, under it.It caters to nearly 160 lakh people
and railway quarters in the Capital. The Mohalla Clinics also come under
• Defence forces-Look after areas like Delhi Cantt, the administrative control of Health and Family Welfare
Shankar Vihar Department of the Delhi government.
Law and order: • The municipal corporations: Offer both primary and
advanced healthcare. Includes major hospitals like
Delhi Police: Along with the traffic police, it functions under
Hindu Rao Hospital, Rajan Babu Tuberculosis Hospital,
a commissionerate system. The administrative control lies
Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, Girdhari LalHospital,
with the Ministry of Home Affairs (contrary to State Police
Infectious Diseases Hospital and Swami Dayanand
which is under the control of State Government), which
Hospital.
exercises its power through the Lieutenant-Governor
• Central government: Includes super-speciality
Roads: hospitals like AIIMS, Safdarjung and Dr. Ram Manohar
• Public Works Department (PWD)-It reports to the Delhi Lohia Hospital
government. It maintains arterial roads that are more
than 60-feet wide. These include Ring Road, among Impact of Multiple Authorities
many others. The three municipal corporations (EDMC, • Confusion: The national Capital gets under the siege
SDMC, North DMC).They report to the MHA due to multiplicity of agencies which has not only
• Water and drainage-Delhiites are no stranger to the affected developmental work but also led to a lot of
water logging that clogs the city during the monsoon confusion among people, top officials and politicians
each year. The civic agencies indulge in mud-slinging in the city. Residents are always confused about to
in an attempt to escape accountability even as life is whom they should approach for resolving their issues.
thrown out of gear. • Delays: All the five civic bodies such as the New Delhi
• Delhi Jal Board (DJB)-Maintains water supply and sewer Municipal Council, three municipal corporations and
lines in the city. Delhi Cantonment Board and even some departments
of the Delhi Government perform similar roles in the
• The three civic bodies (EDMC, SDMC, North DMC)- looks
areas of their jurisdiction leading to complete chaos
after storm water drains less than 4 feet in depth
and delay in finishing project in stipulated time.
• Public Works Department (PWD)-Responsible for storm
• Lack of Accountability: Multiplicity of commands causes
water drains along PWD roads and those more than
complexity and leads to scepticism as with functional
60 feet in width
overlap leads delays, lack of accountability and
• Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department-
unresponsiveness.
Maintains storm water drains with a capacity of more
• Defeciency in Civic Amenities: Every year due to lack of
than 1,000 cusecs.
coordination among the agencies which is responsible
Education: to provide civic amenities in the city, people suffer with
• School education is divided between the three dengue, malaria and chikungunia outbreak with water-
municipal corporations and the Delhi government: logging being the ‘Achilles Heel’ of the national Capital.
 DELHI 7

Effective Solution • Less Bureaucratic congestion: There is evidence

• Clear delineation of authority and responsibility through that larger municipal bodies tend to suffer from
SOP’s (Standard operating Procedures for each ‘bureaucratic congestion’ with multiple hierarchical
department and task. levels.
• Ensuring accountability of every department • Better delivery of civic services: Trifurcation would bring
• Collaboration and quick response team about better delivery of civic services
• Effective grievence redressal mechanism through
Arguments on the side of Unification
single help line
• Greater financial and technical ability: A larger municipal
MCD AMENDMENT BILL OR MCD MERGER corporation commands greater financial and technical
ability that are required to manage megacities, as
About the Bill well as to go out in the market to negotiate debt for
• Merging 3 MCD’s: With the passage of the three existing infrastructure.
civic bodies, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation • Money is pooled into one kitty: Apart from planning, any
(EDMC), the North Delhi Municipal Corporation financial investment required to be made in any major
(NDMC), and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation infrastructure would be better served if the money is
(SDMC), will now be re-unified. pooled into one kitty.
• Reduction in ward numbers: This means that the number • Lower costs per unit: The principle of economies of
of wards could be reduced to 250 from 272. scale is better served if a contiguous population is
• Allocation of seats: the total number of seats of together in one unified entity. As a consequence, there
councillors and the number of seats reserved for the are likely to be lower costs per unit.
members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in • Reduction in Administrative Overheads: Administrative
the corporation, shall, at the time of the establishment overheads are likely to get reduced, unlike in the
of the corporation, be as determined by the Centre and
case of multiple municipal bodies that need to have a
in no case, be more than 250.
complete set of administrative apparatus.
• The unified body could be dubbed the Municipal
• Business as a single whole: In a very large city,
Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and all the liabilities,
populations are contiguous and citizens live and
employees, revenue sources of the SDMC, EDMC and
transact business as a single whole.
NDMC will soon be transferred to the MCD.
• Unified architecture and operation: Certain services
• Transfer of power and property: All properties, movable
are provided from sources that are common and there
and immovable, of or belonging to the erstwhile
are aspects of a very large city that need a unified
corporations shall vest in the Municipal Corporation
of Delhi. architecture and operation.

Š All the rights and liabilities of the erstwhile

corporations shall be transferred to and be the
DELHI’S 2041 MASTER PLAN
rights and liabilities of the Municipal Corporation Delhi Master Plan 2041 is one of the essential instruments
of Delhi. to develop the National Capital. It is prepared after carefully
• Constitutionally: This Bill is in accordance with the assessing the city’s current conditions and guides on how
Constitution. The Centre has the power to enact laws to achieve the desired results. DDA is the anchor agency
in the Union Territory of Delhi. for the Master Plan 2041 Delhi. However, all the agencies
involved in the master plan are collectively responsible for
Arguments on the side of Trifurcation
implementing it. It includes the Central Government, service
• Greater decentralisation: Smaller municipalities achieve
providers, concerned government departments, regulators,
greater decentralization, one of the key hallmarks of
local bodies, landowning agencies, etc.
good governance.
• Larger voice for the citizens: There is also a larger voice Delhi’s first Master Plan was developed in 1962 under the
for the citizens and greater accountability towards Delhi Development Act of 1957. It was followed by the 2001
them. Citizens would find it easier to give input and and 2021 Master Plans of Delhi. They were created for a
impact decisions since the scene of decision-making 20 years perspective period, offering a holistic framework
is closer to them. for the city’s development.
8 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

The upcoming Master Plan 2041 Delhi is a strategic and NEW REDEVELOPED CHANDNI CHOWK
enabling framework guiding the city’s future growth. It is
built upon the lessons learnt from the previous year’s plans.

Features of Master Plan 2041

This Master Plan focuses on sustainability, inclusivity and
equity:
• It endeavours to be proactive and forward-looking
in nature that accounts for current, emerging and
anticipated drivers of urban development.
• Area of Focus: A blue-green infrastructure, cycling
infrastructure, walking circuits for pedestrians, and
focus on unauthorised colonies to make it less dense.
• There is also a plan to develop spaces for yoga, active
sports, open air exhibitions, museums and information
centres, and other low impact public uses. • Delhi government unveils the new look of the historical
• The Master Plan will be able fulfill various provisions site after working hard at it for nearly three years.
of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like: SDG • The first phase of the project, which is complete,
6- Clean water and sanitation. concentrates on the beautification of the 1.3-kilometre
Š SDG 11- Sustainable cities and communities. stretch between Red Fort’s Lahori Gate and the
Š SDG 14- Life below water. Fatehpuri Masjid — the main thoroughfare of this
Š SDG 15- Life on land. historical hub since the 17th century.

Š Blue-Green Infra Policy • The menace of motor vehicles is gone from this road as
only manually-pedalled rickshaws are allowed. The street
• It refers to urban planning where water bodies and land
has also been beautified — retiled, potted with plants,
are interdependent, and grow with the help of each
and pavements widened for a better walking experience.
other while offering environmental and social benefits.
The dirty mesh of overhead wires has also been removed.
Issues Involved • The Chandni Chowk road is freshly tiled with red
• Lack of access to basic services of water and sanitation sandstone, its sides colourful with flowerpots, punctuated
and other facilities. with benches for the tired feet. The untangled mess of the
• Other issues included legality of some of the properties, overhead wires, the low-hanging loops have also been
narrow access roads, congestion, conflicts between taken underground. Several residents felt that the street
commercial and residential uses, quality of drinking is now a tourist’s delight, a shopper’s haven.
water and water logging. • The old water pipeline has been replaced with new ones,
• Vulnerability and risks related to disasters such as fire, while the existing sewerage network has been cleaned
earthquakes, etc. with its inner surface re-laid. A dedicated water line has
also been created to feed street fire hydrants in the area
• Lack of coordination between multiplicity of agencies
which is notorious for frequent blazes.
like DDA, Delhi Jal Board, Flood and Irrigation
Department, and various municipal corporations. • Nodal officer of the project, Nitin Panigrahi, said: “Since
Chandni Chowk is the very kitchen of street food, gas
Way Forward pipelines have been laid along the entire stretch so as
• The challenge of multiplicity of agencies needs to to make these congested food joints safe.”
be dealt with by the government. This will increase
coordination and cooperation among these agencies. ORIGIN OF NAME
• There must be a strict adherence to plans for cleaning There are a number of myths and legends associated with
of water bodies and drains which has been a challenge the origin of the name Delhi.
for agencies in Delhi for years. • One of them is derived from Dhillu or Dilu, a king who
• Dumping of waste in the Yamuna river also needs to built a city at this location in 50 BCE and named it
be strictly regulated. after himself.
 DELHI 9
• Another legend holds that the name of the city is REASONS FOR HIGH EARTHQUAKE
based on the Hindi/Prakrit word dhili (loose) and that FREQUENCY IN DELHI
it was used by the Tomaras to refer to the city because
• The Delhi-NCR has been identified as the second
the iron pillar of Delhi had a weak foundation and had
highest seismic hazard zone (Zone IV) but the
to be moved.
recent events in Delhi-NCR cannot be defined as the
• The name of the city at the time of King Prithviraj
foreshocks.
was dilpat, and that dilpat and dilli are probably derived
from the old Hindi word dil meaning “eminence”. • Foreshocks: All small tremors before a major earthquake
in a particular region are categorized as foreshocks.
• Some suggest the coins in circulation in the region
under the Tomaras were called dehliwal. Reasons for Earthquakes in Delhi-NCR
• According to the Bhavishya Purana, King Prithiviraja
• Release of Energy: Release of strain energy through the
of Indraprastha built a new fort in the modern-
weak zones or faults which accumulates as a result of
day Purana Qila area for the convenience of all four
northward movement of Indian plate and its collision
castes in his kingdom. He ordered the construction of
with the Eurasian plate.
a gateway to the fort and later named the fort dehali.
• Movement of Plates: The Himalayan seismic belt is the
• Some historians believe that Dhilli or Dhillika is the original
region where the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian
name for the city while others believe the name could be a
plate and under-thrusted beneath the Himalayan
corruption of the Hindustani words dehleez or dehali—
wedge.
both terms meaning “threshold” or “gateway”—and
symbolic of the city as a gateway to the Gangetic Plain. • Proximity to Himalayas: Delhi-NCR is not very far from
the entire north-west and north-east Himalayan belt lies
GEOGRAPHY OF DELHI in the highest seismic potential zone V and IV, where
major to great earthquakes can take place.
• Neighbours Of Delhi: Delhi is bordered by the state of
Haryana on the north, south and west and by Uttar
Pradesh to the East. Delhi covers a total area of 1,484
square km , of which 783 square km is rural, and 700
square km is urban.

NCT VS NCR
• NCT is a special Union Territory of India, administered
by the Union Government and the elected government
of NCT. It consists of the metropolitan area of Delhi
along with nine districts and 59 census town and 300
villages. The administrative agencies of NCT are
Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal
Corporation, and Delhi Cantonment Board.
• While NCR is not an area having any legal jurisdiction,
• Location: Situated on the banks of river Yamuna, Delhi is NCT is an actual map dividing Delhi into 9 districts for
located at 28.38° N and 77.13° E on the northern part the purpose of administration.
of India. Considered to be a part of the Aravalli Range, • The National Capital Region (NCR) and its planning
major part of Delhi is a plain area or Bhangar which board were created under the National Capital Region
is very fertile. Planning Board Act of 1985. That 1985 Act defined
• Relief: A scared river of the Hindus, Yamuna is the only the NCR as being the whole of NCT of Delhi along
important river flowing through Delhi while the Delhi with some districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and
ridge which is simply called the Ridge is an extension Rajasthan. It is a unique example of inter-state regional
of the Aravalli Range. The river bed is rich in alluvial soil planning and development.
and the plains are very fertile. As the plains of the river • The main aim of NCR planning is to enable growth of
Yamuna are very fertile vegetation of Delhi comprises Delhi and the nearby areas in a harmonized manner
of medium size of trees and herbs. through balanced regional growth. It also involves
10 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

the strategy of developing certain cities as counter EDUCATION

magnets, which can accommodate the in-migrating
population and relieve the pressure over Delhi. Such Delhi Education Model
cities include the likes of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Rohtak, Delhi government sought to bridge this gap. Its approach
Karnal, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Alwar among others. stems from the belief that quality education is a necessity,
• The NCR Planning Board is headed by the Union not a luxury. Hence, it built a model which essentially has
Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and includes five major components and is supported by nearly 25% of
the State budget. The validation of this model now creates
the CMs of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, NCT
a pathway for the set of reforms.
of Delhi, Lieutenant Governor of NCT of Delhi as few
of the prominent members. Key Components of the Model:
• The first component of the education model is the
• The board is entrusted to form policies for the NCR on
transformation of school infrastructure.
the following lines:
• The second component is the training of teachers and
Š Providing suitable economic base for future
principals.
growth;
• The third component involved engaging with the
Š Providing efficient and economic rail and road community by reconstituting school management
based transportation networks (including mass committees (SMC).
transport systems) • Fourth, there have been major curricular reforms in
Š Minimizing the adverse environmental impact teaching learning. Special initiatives to ensure that all
that may occur in the process of development of children learn to read, write and do basic mathematics
the NCR; was launched and made part of regular teaching
learning activities in schools.
Š Providing a rational land use pattern; and
promoting sustainable development in the region Today, the Delhi’s education model is considered to be
for improving the quality of life. the best model in the country and the transformation in
the education system under the Delhi model should be
CLIMATE OF DELHI replicated to raise the standards of education in India.
Delhi’s education model will ensure both effective financial
• Summer in Delhi: Delhi has extreme weather conditions.
management and also better educational standards.
While summers are extremely hot and sultry, winters
are cold and foggy. Summer in Delhi is characterized Happiness Curriculum:

by extreme high temperatures which ranges from The objective of the curriculum is to help students lead
40 degree Celsius to 45 degree Celsius. It usually happier lives, while making meaningful contributions
lasts from April to June. The hot western winds ‘Loo’, to their communities by practicing mindfulness and
blowing over the Indo-Gagnetic makes life even more by developing skills like empathy, critical thinking,
problem-solving, communication and collaboration to
difficult during the day time.
build meaningful relationships.
• Monsoon in Delhi: The monsoon season in Delhi lasts
Overview:
from July to September. October sees the end of the
• The Delhi Government launched the Happiness
monsoon but it is reasonably pleasant. Delhi receives
Curriculum in all Government schools of NCT of Delhi
most of its rain mostly due to northwesterly winds.
for classes Nursery to 8 on July 2, 2018, inaugurated
Precipitation is also at the highest in July and August.
by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
• Winter in Delhi:The winter season which begins from
• There is a happiness period every day and each
mid November and lasts till February also experiences period begins with a few minutes of mindfulness
extreme temperatures with temperatures falling to 2 to practice, followed by a story or activity and reflective
3 degree Celsius. For most parts of the winter, Delhi is discussions. Each child is given a chance to reflect
covered by a blanket of dense fog. The city becomes and express their thoughts about the story or activity
very chilly and cold during this time, owing to the cold • The Happiness Curriculum was designed over a period
waves that travel down from the Himalayan region. of six months, by a team of education consultants,
 DELHI 11
teachers, teacher educators, EVGCs, mentor teachers • New Delhi is soon going to add antenatal tests
from the Delhi Government, NGOs and individuals and immunisation at all these clinics. Our model is
incentive-based in which remuneration is given to
2018 – 19 Target
doctors on a per-patient basis.
• Target number of new activities developed : 40
• Target number of schools with the happiness An innovation for people:
curriculum implemented: 1,019 • Delhi’s concept of providing free-of-cost diagnosis
Outcomes: and medical services is encouraging patients to visit
these clinics.
Since 2015, Delhi government schools have
performed significantly better than the national average • Last year, former secretary-general of the UN, Ban Ki-
in the CBSE XIIth Moon, in his visit to mohalla clinics and polyclinics in
• An ‘entrepreneurship mindset curriculum’ was the capital, had praised the systematic way in which
introduced to develop the problem-solving and critical primary healthcare services were provided to the poor.
thinking abilities of Class 9 to 12 children. • The model is economically sound and offers basic
• Apart from these new curricular initiatives, the focus on services with no waiting period.
existing subjects ensured better performance in Board
examinations by Classes 10 and 12. Delhi Ki Yogshala
• No fee increase in private schools recently - In the • The programme was launched at Delhi Secretariat for
past, almost all the schools increased their fee 8-15% providing free of cost yoga classes to the people in the
annually. national capital.
• The Delhi government ensured that any fee hike • Yoga classes will start from January 2022.
proposal was examined by authorised chartered
• Under the Yogshala programme, at least 20000 people
accountants.
in Delhi will practice Yoga, at the current capacity of 400
• Thus, for 2 years no school was allowed to raise its fee.
yoga instructors.

HEALTH • Launch of the programme will prevent people from

falling ill and thus prevent from requiring treatment in
Delhi Health Model first place.
Mohalla Clinics: • Under this, classes and teachers will be provided free
• They are primary health centres in the state of New of cost to the public.
Delhi, that offer a basic package of essential health
services including medicines, diagnostics, and ECONOMY
consultation free of cost.
Delhi is the largest commercial centre in northern India. As
• Mohalla in Hindi means neighborhood or community.
of 2016 recent estimates of the economy of the Delhi urban
• These clinics serve as the first point of contact for the
area have been around $370 billion (PPP metro GDP) ranking
population, offer timely services, and reduce the load
it either the most or second-most productive metro area of India.
of referrals to secondary and tertiary health facilities
in the state. Key service industries are information technology,
Health coverage: telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism.
• Every such clinic has a doctor, a technician for Construction, power, health and community services and
uploading patients’ Aadhaar card details and a lab real estate are also important to the city’s economy.
assistant for collecting blood samples and disbursing Delhi has one of India’s largest and fastest growing retail
medicines.
industries Manufacturing also grew considerably as
• The clinics run from 8 am to 2 pm and doctors are paid
consumer goods companies established manufacturing
on the basis of the number of patients they treat — each
units and headquarters in the city. Delhi’s large consumer
doctor gets Rs 30 per patient per day.
market and the availability of skilled labour has also
• Around 100-200 patients visit these clinics on a daily attracted foreign investment. In 2001, the manufacturing
basis. Each clinic is ideally supposed to cater to a 5-km sector employed 1,440,000 workers and the city had
radius with a population of 10,000-15,000. 129,000 industrial units.
12 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

Development (12.62%) and Water Supply & Sanitation

State GDP Rs. 7,98,310 crore
(12.62%).
Growth Rate 11.5%

Per Capita Income

AGRICULTURE IN DELHI
Rs. 3,54,000 (Delhi’s per
capita income is almost • Rapid urbanization and the growth of trade and industry
three times of the national have reduced the significance of the agriculture sector.
average.) • Agriculture and allied activities contribute about 1.48%
to the Gross State Domestic Product of Delhi.
GDP Per Capita Rank 2nd
• Only 2.85% of the total work force in Delhi was engaged
Major Industries • Banking in the primary sector. This is in sharp contrast to the
• Financial Services rest of the Indian economy where more than 50% of
• Insurance the total work force was engaged in agriculture and
• Agri Processed Food related activities.
• Construction and Real • According to the 2011 Census, 75.1% of Delhi’s area
Estates is urban and 24.9% rural. The 2016 Agriculture Census
• IT and ITfes puts the total cultivable area relating to agriculture and
• Tourism and logistic horticulture activities at 29,000 hectares and the total
number of farmers at 21,000.
Major Imports • Gold • The total area of Delhi is about 1,50,000 hectares. As
• Telephone sets per village records, the total cropped area was 48,917
• Silver hectares (33.16%). The remainder was being used
• Unusual Postages either for non-agricultural purposes or remained as
• Electronic Integrated forest, fallow land, uncultivable land, etc.
Circuit • The main crops grown in Delhi are wheat, jawar, bajra
• DISC tapes and paddy.
• Instruments and • The three main sources of irrigation in Delhi are canals,
Appliances wells, and tubewells.
• Although canals and tubewells are the two main
DATA FROM LATEST ECONOMIC SURVEY sources of irrigation in Delhi, rainfall is the original
2020-21 source of water for canals and tubewells. In Delhi,
• Revenue Surplus: Delhi has maintained its consistent rainfall is concentrated in the months of July to
Revenue Surplus which was 7499 crore during 2019-20 September.
as compared to 6261 crore during 2018-19. • Animal husbandry is an important component of the
• Fiscal Deficit: There is Fiscal Deficit of 3227.79 Crore agriculture sector.
during 2019-20 as compared to Fiscal Deficit of • The main livestock products are milk, eggs and meat.
1489.38 crore in 2018-19 which is 0.39% of GSDP as
compared to 0.20% during 2018-19. INDUSTRIES IN DELHI
• Outstanding Debt: In 2019-20, with outstanding debt • Delhi is an important commercial capital in Asia. The
of 34461.83 Crore as on 31/03/2020, the Debt GSDP service industry contributes the largest chunk of the
ratio had declined substantially to 4.15 percent as State Domestic Product (SDP)- about 70% followed by
compared to 8.61 percent in 2011-12. manufacturing (25.2%) and agriculture (3.85%)
• Public Spending: Budget allocation of social service • The key industries include Information Technology,
sectors in Budget 2020-21 under schemes/projects Telecommunications, Hotels, Media, Banking and
is 74.77%. Tourism. The manufacturing industries of Delhi has also
expanded as many consumer goods industries have
During 2020-21, Education Sector remained to be priority
established manufacturing units and offices in the region.
sector with maximum share allocation of 23.83 per cent of
Delhi's large consumer market and its abundance of
the budget allocated for schemes/ projects followed by
skilled labor has attracted foreign investments to Delhi.
Transport (14.67%), Medical & Public Health (13.39%),
The Delhi State Industrial Development Corporation
Social Security & Welfare (13.11%), Housing & Urban
 DELHI 13
(DSIDC) has played a vital role in shaping the Industrial • It will be implemented across all the Delhi government
growth of Delhi. schools under the “Entrepreneurship Mindset
• The DSIDC has built 944 industrial sheds on 8 industrial Curriculum (EMC)”.
complexes. Most of them are in Okhla.The notable of • Under the programme, class 11 and 12 students will
them are: be provided seed money of Rs 2,000 to start their
Š Kirtinagar Industrial Area business.
• The programme was started at the School of Excellence
Š Mangolpuri Industrial Area
Khichripur under a pilot project. 9 groups of 41 students
Š Naraina Industrial Area
were formed in this and they were provided the seed
Š Okhla Industrial Area money of Rs 1,000. They made huge profits in it.
• Delhi has a workforce of approximately 33%; the
unemployment rate in Delhi is one of the lowest in the
country-about 5%. DELHI: THERMAL POWER PLANTS
• Construction, Power,Telecommunications and Real
Delhi has five Thermal Power plants and they are mentioned
Estate is the pillars of Delhi’s economy. The retail below:
industry in Delhi is one of the most thriving in India.
• Badarpur thermal Power Station: Badarpur Thermal
• The presences of a considerable consumer market Power Station was a Power Station located at Badarpur
along with a large pool of skilled labor have helped area in NCT Delhi. The power plant was one of the
Delhi in its industrialization. The rise in disposable coal based power plants of NTPC. The National
incomes has also led to the growth of the retail industry. Power Training Institute (NPTI) for North India Region
under Ministry of Power, Government of India was
Crops Paddy Field, Sorgham, Peral Millet,
established at Badarpur in 1974, within the Badarpur
Kharif Crop, Wheat, Mustard Plant
Thermal power plant (BTPS) complex. The power plant
Forest Area 13.88% permanently shut down on 15 October 2018
River Yamuna, Agra Canal, Hindon River, • Rajghat Thermal Power Plant: Rajghat Power Station
Sahibi River is located at NCT Delhi. The power plant is one of
the coal based power plants of IPGCL Indraprastha
Dams of Delhi Delhi Dam, Hartwick Dam,
Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL) is
Embankment Dam
the electricity generation company of the Government
• The Yamuna river is the longest tributary (a river that of Delhi state in India.. Rajghat Thermal Power Station
flows into another larger river) in India. Yamuna is the has an installed capacity of 135 MW. The First unit
sub-basin of the Ganga basin. was commissioned during 1989–90. Later the second
• It is a large basin that is spread across seven states unit was added. This power plant is one of two coal-
namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, fired power plants that was by IPGCL, the other being
Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi-NCR. Indraprastha power station which was closed due to
• The water from the river is used for a range of activities ageing. The water source for the plant is from Yamuna
like irrigation, drinking, industries, bathing, laundry river. The Coal source for the plant is from NCL and
etc. It is also considered one of the sacred rivers of BINA mines.
India where people throw the cremated ashes of their • Pragati Thermal Power Plant: Pragati-I Combined
loved ones, and devotees worship and immerse idols Cycle Gas Power Station is located in New Delhi. The
of their god(s). power plant is one of the gas based power plants of
• The river Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers Pragati Power Corporation Limited (PPCL). The gas
of India. for it is sourced from GAIL HBJ Pipeline. Source of
water is from sewage treatment plant at Delhi Gate.
DELHI BUSINESS BLASTERS PROGRAMME This is the first plant in India with a facility to control
• This programme was launched with the aim of Nox. emission and is an eco-friendly power station.
developing young entrepreneurs at school-level by Also a thick belt of plantation has been grown on
providing students some seed money in order to start periphery of the power plant to make it environment
a business. friendly.
14 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

WILL SHUTTING DOWN OF THERMAL of SO2; 30 per cent of NOx; and more than 80 per cent
POWER PLANTS WORK? of mercury, in the country.
• These are also responsible for 70 per cent of the total
About Delhi’s Thermal Power Plants freshwater withdrawal by all industries, according to
• Delhi is home to six power stations (two coal-based, an analysis by the green think tank.
four gas-based) with a total capacity of 3,000 MW.
Reasons for Pollution by Thermal Power Plants in
However, due to gas supply constraints in the country,
Delhi
the gas-based plants have either been shut down or
• Failure to comply with 2015 Emission Standards within
are running at a fraction of their capacity.
2-year time: (Including Flue Gas Desulfurization,
• The Delhi government had earlier shutdown three TPPs
electrostatic Precipitation):Based on the original
operating within the capital permanently. Indraprastha
environment ministry notification in 2015, all units were
power plant in 2009, Rajghat plant in 2015, and
supposed to switch to clean technology by 2017. This
Badarpur plant in 2018. India has already extended
was later extended to December 2019, and only two
its December 2017 deadline for TPPs to meet the
units near Delhi could comply with the deadline.
emissions standards.
• Despite these timelines being revised multiple times
• Study by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean since the first notification in 2015, currently only
Air estimated that the 12 thermal power plants within two thermal power plants within a 300km of Delhi –
300km distance of Delhi could be killing 218 people Mahatma Gandhi TPS (Haryana) and Dadri TPS (Uttar
each year. Pradesh) -- have FGD Flue Gas Desulfurization, which
• The 2016 IIT-Kanpur source apportionment study found is a set of technologies used to remove sulphur dioxide
that nearly 52% of NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions from exhaust flue gases of fossil fuel power plants.
and 90% of SO2 (sulphur dioxide) emissions in Delhi • The remaining plants were fined by the Central Pollution
can be attributed to industrial point source (largely Control Board for the period till 2021, when the previous
from power plants). extension came out.
• The 2018 source apportionment study by TERI found • Experts say despite giving sufficient time to power
coal, fly ash, and secondary particles from thermal plants to complete the switch, several of them were yet
power plants and industries in Delhi contribute around to even award contracts for FGD installation.
35% of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with a diameter
less than 2.5 microns) in the winter and 41% of PM2.5 Advantages of Shutting Down
in summer. • Economic Advantage: It is argued that the availability of
under-utilised newer (and presumably more efficient)
• In April 2021, the Environment Ministry issued amended
coal-based capacity means that shutting down older
rules allowing thermal power plants within 10 km of the
inefficient plants would lead to improved efficiencies,
National Capital Region (NCR) and in cities with more
reduced coal usage, and hence, cost savings.
than 10 lakh population to comply with new emission
• Difficulty in Pollution Control mechanism: It would be
norms by the end of 2022.
uneconomical for old plants to install pollution control
• TPPs in ‘’non-attainment cities’’ and those within 10
equipment required to meet the emission standards
km of critically polluted areas are required to meet the
announced by the Ministry of Environment, Climate
emission norms by December 31, 2023.
change and Forest and hence it would be better to
• Non-attainment cities are those which have consistently
retire them.
failed to meet the National Ambient Air Quality
• Decline in Land Degradation: Untreated air and water
Standards. The CPCB has identified 132 such cities.
pollutants from coal power plants, especially older ones
• Coal-fired power plants in the rest of the areas have
affect the water and the flora and fauna of adjoining
to comply with the new standards by December 31, areas making them unfit for living or livelihood activities.
2024. Major pollutants from coal-fired power plants are
• The savings will accrue from avoiding retrofitting old
oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and
plants to reduce the toxicity from their emissions.
particulate matter (PM).
Replacing electricity from older coal plants with
• According to the Centre for Science and Environment cheaper renewable sources will reduce the gap
(CSE), TPPs account for more than 60 per cent of total between cost of supply and revenue generation for
industrial emissions of particulate matter; 45 per cent discoms.
 DELHI 15

Risks Associated with Shutting Down DELHI TRANSPORATION SYSTEM

• Not Much Saving: Analysis suggests that the total Transportation is one of the biggest supporting structure
savings in generation cost from shutting down plants of a state. Delhi has a very broad and intenses Connective
older than 25 years would be less than Rs. 5,000 crore system. Some of the premier Airports and Railways stations
annually, which is just 2% of the total power generation are given below:
cost. These savings may not be sufficient to even • Major Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport,
pay for the fixed costs (such as debt repayment) that Safdarjung Airport, Hindon Airport
would have to be paid anyway, even if the plants are • Major Railway Station: New Delhi Railway Station, Old
prematurely retired. Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway
Station, Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi Sarai Rohilla,
• Similarly, savings in coal consumption by replacing
Shahdara Junction, Delhi Cantonment
generation from plants older than 25 years with newer
coal plants are also likely to be only in the 1%-2% DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORT
range.
• Environmental Benefits of Some Old Plants: There are How Traffic Problem of Delhi can be Solved?
some old plants that may continue to be economically To ensure a safe, sustainable, affordable, equitable,
viable even if they install pollution control equipment, comfortable, accessible and environmental friendly
as their current fixed costs (which would increase with public transport system in the city, the Committee set up
pollution control equipment installation) are very low. recommended a four pronged strategy with the components
of :
Way Forward • Improving Public Transport and Disincentivising use
• Strategic Decommissioning of Old and Inefficient Power of private vehicles;
Plants: It may be prudent to let old capacity fade away • Promoting Road Safety and efficient Traffic Management;
in due course and saving some of them as they are • Setting up Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority and
efficient, while focusing on such detailed analysis and enhancing institutional capacity; and
weeding out the needless capacity in the pipeline, to • Promotion of Transit Oriented Development through
integrated land use and transportation planning.
derive long-term economic and environmental benefits.
• Cost Effective Solar Plants: The average cost of coal- The recommendations of the Committee under these 4
fired projects is Rs.4 per unit and generally sees an components of the Strategy include:

upward escalation, whereas new solar power plants Parking

are being bid out at less than Rs.3 per unit. • Fully paid rented or owned parking with parking fee
• Encourage Private Sector: New private competition can based on area of the city, duration and size of the
bring new capital and more innovation. New coal-fired vehicles;
power plants are still being financed so that the private • Parking on footpaths to be made cognizable offence
sector is not building any coal-based power plants at under Delhi Municipal Corporation Act;
all; only the public sector power companies are doing • Penal charges for parking violations to be 10 times
so. These PSU thermal plants are financed by public the normal rates;

sector banks and largely on taxpayers’ money. • Parking Management Districts to be planned for all
public places and one agency/operator to handle both
• UDAY 2.0: Government’s announcement of the launch
on street and off-street parking for better management;
of UDAY 2.0 which seeks installation of smart prepaid
• No standalone parking slots to be developed;
meters, prompt payment by discoms, making coal
• Shared parking to be promoted for effective use of
available for short term and reviving gas-based plants
parking sites during different periods of the day;
is a step in the right direction.
• Flexible Contracts: Long-term supply contracts need Public Transport
flexibility for public utilities to adapt to unforeseen • Promotion of feeders services and bringing informal
situations such as a Covid collapse in demand feeder services under legal framework;
16 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

• Bus fares should be priced less than per/Km cost of • Preparation of comprehensive and integrated Land
running a two wheeler; Use Transport System on priority basis.
• Multi-level bus parking to be provided at all depots; • Improving regional connectivity through integrated
Multi-modal, multi-use bus depots on PPP basis to Regional Rapid Transport Systems; ensuring full
be taken up for high class services and terminal utilization of Sub-urban ring rail system including for
experience for passengers; freight movement and decongestion at major railways
• For Delhi, 2,000 buses should be procured immediately stations.
and 4,000 in the next phase; • Enabling quick start of Transit Oriented Development
• Development of BRTS corridors on high density routes; Projects (TOD) for reducing mobility needs and
and Creation of Urban Transport Fund for Delhi for enabling access to public transport for long distance
tapping various revenue streams like parking charges, travel.
fuel taxes, advertisement incomes etc., for augmenting
bus services. DELHI METRO
• The Metro has become one of the most crucial mode of
Preference to Pedestrians public transport in Delhi since its commission in 2002.
• Mandatory provision of footpaths on all roads as The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is responsible
per codes with right of first use of street space to for the planning, maintenance and operations of the
pedestrians; Delhi metro network. The metro spans a network of
• Provision of more crossings for pedestrians and about 213km with 160 stations. On an average, 2.6
cyclists, at least at every 250 metres; million commuters travel by the metro daily.
• Signal free corridors to be avoided as they invite more • Delhi Metro commenced operations in 2002 and is well
private vehicles on to roads; regarded as a financial and technical success. DMRC
• More secondary street networks to be created by has gained a reputation in its role as a metro system
avoiding creation of gated communities for providing developer and is actively consulting on many national
shortcuts to pedestrians; and international metro system development projects.
• Access to bus service should be within walking • Upon its inauguration, the metro system was so well
distance from home or office; received that on Day 1 of operations, about 1.2 million
passengers came to use the Metrorail system, which
Traffic Management
was six times the design capacity. The modern, air-
• Intelligent Transport System be adopted for surveillance,
conditioned trains, contactless tokens in place of
automatic vehicle location, public information, Red
paper tickets of buses, escalators at stations, clean
Light Camera and Stop Line Violation Detection,
platforms, and convenient passenger information
Automatic Number Plate Recognition, Automatic
system provided a great relief to daily commuters.
Parking Management and Intelligent Signaling for
synchronized movement of vehicles across different • The Delhi Metro Rail Network is grown to 348.5-km (as
signal etc. of March 2022) in last 20 years and is continuously
expanding.
• Operational Control Centre to be set up for real time
monitoring and management of traffic on all roads Current Operational Network
and sharing actionable information to different service
The Delhi Metro system is being developed in various
providers including Delhi Police for automatic issue of
phases. Currently, Phases I, II and III comprising ten lines,
challans for violations.
are operational. The below data provides details of the
• Effective traffic management through better traffic
current operational network.
dispersal by enabling more junctions, junction
• Phase 1: 65.0 km, 59 stations (Operational since
improvement, provision of roundabouts, removal of
December 2002)
choke points, segregation of long haul and short haul
traffic, promotion of secondary road networks. • Phase 2: 125.0 km, 86 stations (Operational since June
2008)
• Commissioning a Freight Audit of the city based on
analysis of consumption behaviors of citizens and • Phase 3: 160 km, 109 stations (Operational since
availability of key supplies and movement of goods September 2015)
for evolving a Freight Plan for the city. (Total Operational Network: 350 km, 254 stations)
 DELHI 17

Project Cost & Funding Pattern • The timid growth witnessed in revenue has been
attributed to growth in revenues due to an increase in
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has
ridership with ongoing capital investment. However,
been the biggest contributor to the financing of both
the gains have fallen short of making up for the
phases. It is followed by the centre and state governments
losses.
(both having equal contributions).

Fare & Ticketing System Success Story of Metro

• Delhi Metro is using contactless fare collection systems Delhi Metro is a role model for other metro rail systems being
through RFID tokens and smart cards only. The last fare implemented in various cities of the country.
was revised on 10th October 2017. There are various factors that contributed to the success
• For the convenience of customers, Delhi Metro of the Metrorail system. The deadlines and investments for
commuters have three choices for ticket purchases. the project were set realistic and the project was carried
The RFID tokens are valid only for a single journey out as per the timeline announced and budget allocated.
on the day of purchase and the value depends on DMRC had an exemplary leadership team. It ensured
the distance travelled, with fares for a single journey that the contractors delivered the work on time and as
ranging from Rs10 to Rs 60. Fares are calculated based per budget. Most of the contracts were divided between
on the origin and destination stations using a fare chart. various companies so that timely delivery of work could
• A common ticketing facility “Delhi One Card” for be ensured.
commuters travelling on Delhi Transport Corporation
Currently, DMRC ensures that 99.97 percent of trains arrive
(DTC) buses and the Metro was introduced in 2011 by
within one minute of the scheduled time. Even during the
the Govt. of NCT of Delhi.
peak hours, the trains do not suffer a breakdown. There are
Ridership no accidents in the metro system. Passenger satisfaction
is high and discipline is ensured to keep the metro
• Delhi Metro has seen consistent growth in ridership
clean. Further, the system is developing areas previously
since its commencement of operations in 2002. The
considered uninhabitable because of a lack of access to
increase in ridership can be attributed to a high quality
transport systems.
of service and accessibility due to network expansion.
• After the fare hike in 2017, DMRC has reported that Going ahead, Phase IV will grow the network further when
ridership has fallen by 3 percent as more people have it is completed in 2024-25, the system will be bigger than
started using alternative modes of transportation. the London Underground and is expected to carry 6 million
passengers daily.
Financial performance
• DMRC generates its revenues from the farebox,
What are the Issues with Delhi Metro?
non-fare sources as well as consulting assignments • Delhi Metro has one of the lowest passenger-track
undertaken for other metro projects. ratios among the world’s major metros, at less than
10,000.
• However, the company has been continuously
reporting net losses after-tax, with the net losses • Delhi has fewer cars than required, and unlike peers
widening drastically in 2015-16. A primary reason for its stations in heart of the city are few.
the dismal financial performance of DMRC was a failure • Comparisons with cities in other countries show that,
in fare revision and rising input costs. Delhi Metro has for its size, Delhi Metro carries far fewer “riders” than
been operating with a loss on an EBT basis since 2010, almost any other city’s system.
although the loss has reduced after 2015–16. EBITDA • With 314 km of track, Delhi has a daily rider average
margin declined from 73% in Fiscal 2007 to 27% in of 2.8 million, where China’s Shenzhen has a slightly
Fiscal 2016–17 before improving to 30% in 2017–18. smaller system (286 km) but carries 60 per cent more
• In 2014, Delhi Metro started a semi-naming policy of riders, at 4.5 million.
metro stations, awarded through an open e-tendering • And Singapore with less than two-thirds of Delhi’s track
process, to generate non-fare revenues. length, at 199 km, carries 10 per cent more riders than
• Barring 2008-09, DMRC did not post a net profit. It is Delhi, at 3.1 million.
estimated that DMRC incurs a loss of almost INR10 • There is no uniformity in numbers across the major
million per day. Metro systems in the world.
18 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

What are the challenges in Delhi’s metro The bus service faces multiple challenge:
Infrastructure? • Competition among different bus operators: DMRC
• Capacity of Trains - The majority of Delhi’s trains have feeder buses and Delhi government buses are often
six cars, while some have eight and some four. seen competing for passengers on overlapping
• On most Metros, a range of six to eight seems to be routes. They indulge in rash driving and sometimes
normal, but New York usually operates between eight skip bus stops as well, causing inconvenience to the
and 11 cars per train. passengers.
• With fewer cars than required, what the usually • No coordinating authority: The transport system in the
crowded Delhi Metro has done is to spend money on city is highly fragmented. Presence of multiple bus
expensive infrastructure and then under-utilized its operators, including many contractors, which are only
potential capacity. concerned about their own routes and profitability has
• Frequency of Trains - In Delhi, the gap between two led to underservicing of lower-income group areas.
trains would appear to be more than three minutes at • Increasing modal competition: Fall in attractiveness
most times, and six minutes in outlying areas. of the bus service due to its poor quality, slow speed
• Peak traffic times see the frequency increasing to a and poor last-mile connectivity has led to some of the
little over two minutes. affluent passengers to transition to the metro even for
short trips
• The system seems unable to reduce that further to 90
seconds, achieved on other Metros. • Opposition to BRTS: The 5.8km dedicated BRTS, from
• Network of tracks - In many cities, the heart of the city the very beginning, faced a lot of opposition from the
gets special treatment in terms of a very dense network car lobby as it was seen as taking away their road
of lines and stations. space. The corridor was carrying more people per hour
than all the vehicles put together but the efficiency of
• Paris has 245 stations in 87 square kilometer area in
the heart of the city. this network was not considered before deciding to
scrap it. That a social challenge, coming from those
• In comparison, Delhi has only 229 stations in all, and
upper-middle-income groups living adjacent to the
much of the track length stretches out into the suburbs,
corridor, could lead to scrapping of the entire project
near and far.
must not have been anticipated during the initial stages
What measures needs to be taken? of the project.
• The range of good metro can be from a top figure of
34,000 riders daily for every kilometer of track in Tokyo
Urban Settlements
and about 27,000 in Hong Kong, to 20,000 for Paris • Urban sprawl and mobility needs. The extension of NCT
and so on. of Delhi into the National Capital Region (NCR) displays
• Delhi’s metro system should be aiming for a figure of the sprawl tendencies of urban growth in Delhi.
15,000, and possibly for 20,000 or a doubling of riders • Delhi is faced with rising challenge of traffic congestion.
with the same track length. The number of private vehicles (both two-wheelers
• In Delhi metro, moving to a uniform system of eight and cars) is continuously rising in the city. As of 31
cars per train would up ridership quite significantly. March 2015, Delhi had 8.83 million vehicles, up from
• Delhi Metro’s future projects be focused more on the 0.56 million in 1981, and this is only expected to rise.
city Centre, rather than out skirts, to increase ridership, Frequent traffic jams across Delhi due to increase
reduce surface traffic congestion and improve the in number of personal vehicles further reduce the
city’s air quality. attractiveness of buses as the time taken by them
increases due to absence to dedicated bus corridors.
ROAD NETWORK IN DELHI This in turn makes people shift to private modes of
transport, further adding to congestion.
• The city of Delhi has one of the largest road networks
in India The road network already occupies 21% • Influx of Intermediary Public Transport (IPT) like auto
of the total city area, limiting the potential for future rickshaws, e-ricks, cycle rickshaws have added to the
increase. Nonetheless, the modal share of Delhi is congestion on the roads as some of them are non-
much better than any developed country as only 25% registered and flout a lot of traffic and parking norms.
of the population is using private vehicles while the • Poor infrastructure for pedestrians and cycling is a
rest are using public or non-motorized transport (NMT). major challenge that needs to be addressed.
 DELHI 19

PROBLEMS OF SLUMS IN DELHI primary school within walking distance, nationally

29% of children drop out before completing five years
Definition of a Slum according to un Habitat of primary school, and 43% before finishing upper
• A slum consists of individuals living under the same primary school.
roof in an urban area who lack one or more of the • The high school completion rate is only 42%. The
following: durable housing (a permanent structure literacy rate in Delhi slums is 56%, with dropout rates
providing protection from weather); sufficient living area from classes I-X at 46% and enrolment in higher
(no more than three people sharing a room); access to education (ages 18-23) at 45%. (Delhi Government
available, sufficient and affordable water; access to a Report) Educational quality is a major concern, and
private or public toilet shared with a reasonable number reports show that children are not achieving class-
of people; and protection against forced eviction. appropriate learning levels.

Housing and Infrastructure Financial Access

• Officially, there are about 750 big and small slums in • Only about 53% of the total slum population in the
Delhi, which have at least 350,000 families (3.5 lakhs)
country uses banking facilities.
and 2 million people (20 lakhs) living in them – 28%
• Most slum dwellers are self-employed or employed in
of the population (Times of India, 21/5/19). 45% of
informal work sectors and require daily credit for their
these households have 4-5 members, 22% have 6-8
livelihood.
members and 5% have more than 9 members. (India
Census, 2011). Gender bias
• Around 55% of its slum households have open or no
• Women are often more than just the breadwinners for
drainage systems, and about 43% lack drinking water
the urban poor families. They also run their households,
within the premises.
hold families together, and raise children. Slum life is
• In India overall, 45% of slum houses have just one
often dangerous for women. According to the National
room, almost 30% have two rooms and about 5% have
Family Health Survey (2015-16), 48% of all Indian
no separate rooms.
women experience physical, emotional, and sexual
• Some 50% of households use firewood, kerosine,
violence at the hands of their spouses. The Covid-19
and other fuels for cooking, leading to severe health
problems. pandemic is expected to increase the difficulty women
face in generating income, resulting in heightened
Healthcare financial insecurity in an already difficult struggle for
• Diabetes, coronary heart disease and hypertension daily survival.
are to some extent driven by sedentary lifestyles, poor • Delhi had approximately 6,343 slums with more than
dietary patterns, and obesity. Communicable diseases a million households where 52% of its total population
including malaria, typhoid fever, and viral diseases resided, according to a survey by National Service
such as jaundice, dengue, and diarrhea are prevalent Scheme round (July 2012-December 2012).
in the slums.
Implications of Slums In Delhi and Covid
Nutritional
Pandemic
• Disorders While about 21% of adults are undernourished,
• Public Distribution System & Social Sector Scheme
15% show a tendency to be overweight.
Coverage: A large section of rural residents could
• Among under-five children, undernutrition is a problem cushion the blow of pandemic-driven economic
with almost half of them showing signs of various
disruption due to foodgrain via the Public Distribution
grades of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM); about
System (PDS). The urban poor’s access to such ration,
28% of those surveyed had episodes of diarrhea in
however, was minimal. The social security schemes
the past 6 months.
also had relatively better coverage among the rural
Education poor as rural areas had better access to PDS rations.
• Although India now has 1.4 million schools and 7.7 A larger proportion of households in urban areas did
million teachers so that 98% of habitations have a not have access to ration cards.
20 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

• Nutrition and Hunger: A decline in nutritional quality increase in housing demand, high land prices and lack
and quantity was more among the urban respondents of affordable housing in the city.
as was the need to borrow money for buying food. • Over time, private landowners saw the opportunity to
Overall, levels of hunger and food insecurity remained sub-divide their land and transfer power of attorney on
high, with little hope of the situation improving without the land parcels to individuals to construct housing,
measures specifically aimed at providing employment often in an extremely haphazard manner without
opportunities as well as food support. provisioning for sanitation, street networks and other
basic amenities. Unauthorized Colonies” is the label
Issues Arising from Neglecting Slum
given by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), to
Development
the hundreds of residential colonies that have evolved
• Vulnerable to Diseases: People living in slum areas are in Delhi over the past twenty years, without DDA’s
also prone to suffer from waterborne diseases such as
authorization and in complete disregard to the city’s
Typhoid and cholera, as well as from more fatal ones
master-plan regulations.
like Cancer and HIV/AIDS.
• Victims of Social Evils: Women and children living in Impact of Regulation by government on common
slums are prone to become victims of social evils like people living in Unauthorized Colonies:
prostitution, beggary and Child trafficking. • Between the 1960s and the early 2000s, Delhi witnessed
• Incidence of Crime: Slum areas are also commonly multiple regularisation drives of Unauthorised Colonies
believed to be places that generate a high incidence of (UACs).
crime. This is due to official neglect towards education, • The central ruling party’s initiative “Pradhan Mantri –
law and order, and government services in slum areas. Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Yojana”, in short
• Poverty: The majority of slum dwellers in a developing “PM – UDAY”, promised to regularise Delhi’s 1,731
country earn their living from the informal sector which UACs that were eligible for the scheme.
neither provides them with financial security nor with • Despite the coveted opportunity to obtain full
enough earnings for a decent living, keeping them ownership rights, data indicates a lacklustre response.
firmly within the vicious cycle of poverty.
Of the tentative 12.5 lakh (1.25 million) households, only
• Government Initiatives for Slum Dwellers/Urban Poor: about 3.9 lakh (390 thousand) have registered on the
Š Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana portal. Of these, a little over 1 per cent have received
Š Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India). their property titles
Š PM- Awas Yojana- Urban.
Importance of regularisation of Unauthorised
Recommendations Colonies
• Accelerating efficiency of welfare and relief schemes. • Residents will get ownership and transfer rights to
• Ensuring access to free vaccines, food security and the land.
adequate shelter in the slums. • Residents will get access to infrastructure and civic
• Improving sanitation and transportation facilities in amenities.
slums. • Since people become owner of land and will have all
• Establishing clinics and healthcare facilities ownership papers so they will easily get bank loan and
permission of construction from authorities.
THE ONGOING CRISIS OF UNAUTHORISED • Development / redevelopment can now take place in
COLONIES these colonies resulting in a clean, secure and healthy
• Unauthorised colonies are unplanned settlements not living environment.
included in the development area of the master plan • With recognition of property documents, the property
and/or not marked under the residential land use. holders in these colonies can now enter into valid
These were once predominantly rural or agricultural property transactions. Besides providing a legitimate
land subdivided into plots, and their development claim to the property, the decision will encourage
generally evades building bylaws and planning norms. property holders to invest in safe structures, thereby
• Unauthorised colonies primarily started sprouting up improving the living conditions in these colonies
after independence, owing to the increased migration, substantially.
 DELHI 21

Reasons for Lacklustre performance of regularisation of unauthorised colonies

• The central ruling party’s initiative “Pradhan Mantri – Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Yojana”, in short “PM –
UDAY”, promised to regularise Delhi’s 1,731 UACs that were eligible for the scheme.
• Despite the coveted opportunity to obtain full ownership rights, data indicates a lacklustre response. Of the tentative
12.5 lakh (1.25 million) households, only about 3.9 lakh (390 thousand) have registered on the portal. Of these, a little
over 1 per cent have received their property titles

Reasons:
• Newer buyers and tenants are often unaware of the history of efforts by first-generation residents for ownership rights,
hence the fear of eviction in many of these settlements is relatively low.
• The burden lies on governments to ensure that the regularisation processes encompass not just the juridical but also
the material regularisation of UACs, such as upgrading the area in terms of public infrastructure.
• Upgrading of services in Unauthorised colonies often happens in a piecemeal, unequal, and haphazard manner
through a variety of funds and channel.

Environment and Ecology

• Delhi is one of the ‘world’s most polluted city’. Although burning of agricultural waste in the neighbouring state of
Punjab played a big role, the increasing number of diesel vehicles on the streets were also to be blamed.
• However, the ever-increasing number of diesel vehicles due to subsidies on diesel has again led to high levels of air
pollution in recent times.

Delhi: Forests

Delhi covers a total of 13.88% of total national forest area. Given below are some of the Parks:

National Zoological Park: The National Zoological Park is a 176-acre zoo in New Delhi, India. A 16th-century citadel,
a sprawling green island and a motley collection of animals and birds, all in the middle of a burgeoning urban Delhi.
The zoo can be seen on foot or using a battery-operated vehicle which can be rented at the zoo.

Hauz Khas Forest: Hauz Khas Complex in Hauz Khas, South Delhi houses a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a
tomb and pavilions built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi Sultanate
reign. It was part of Siri, the second medieval city of India of the Delhi Sultanate of Alauddin Khalji Dynasty (1296–
1316). The etymology of the name Hauz Khas in Persian is derived from the words ‘Hauz’: "water tank" (or lake) and
‘Khas’:"royal"- the "Royal tank". The large water tank or reservoir was first built by Allauddin Khilji (the plaque displayed
at the site records this fact) to supply water to the inhabitants of Siri. The tank was de–silted during the reign of Firuz
Shah Tughlaq (1351–88). Several buildings (Mosque and madrasa) and tombs were built overlooking the water tank
or lake. Firuz Shah's tomb pivots the L–shaped building complex which overlooks the tank.

Sanjay Van Forest: Sanjay Van is a sprawling city forest area near Vasant Kunj and Mehrauli in Delhi, India. It is spread
over an area of 443 acres. It is one of the most thickly wooded areas of the city’s green lungs. The forest, which is
part of the Mehrauli South Central Ridge, has undergone severe degradation in recent times with the proliferation of
the Prosopis juliflora tree which is non-endemic to the Aravalli Ranges and has caused depletion of the ground water
level, killing native flora and changing the natural soil characteristics of the Aravallis. Sewage water and effluent which
is discharged into Sanjay Van has also affected this green belt in the Capital.
22 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

Lakes in Delhi NCR

Surajkund: Surajkund is an ancient reservoir of the 10th century located on Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range in
Faridabad city of Haryana state about 8 km from South Delhi. Surajkund is an artificial Kund built in the backdrop of
the Aravalli hills with an amphitheatre shaped embankment constructed in semicircular form.

Sanjay Lake: Sanjay Lake is an artificial lake developed by Delhi Development Authority in Trilokpuri in East Delhi, India,
adjoining Mayur Vihar II residential area. The lake is Spread over an area of approximately 17 hectares in the middle of
a 69 hectares forest area, also known as Sanjay Lake Park. Sanjay Lake in east Delhi is going to boast of the national
capital’s first ‘floating’ solar powerplant. The plant is expected to generate between 1 and 1.5 megawatt of solar power,
which would meet the electricity needs of 50 DDA parks spread across east Delhi.

Badhkal Lake: Badkhal Lake was a natural lake situated in Badkhal village near Faridabad, in the Indian state of
Haryana, about 32 kilometers from the national capital of Delhi. Fringed by the hills of the Aravalli Range, this was a
man-made embankment.

Bhalswa Horseshoe Lake: Bhalswa Horseshoe Lake, or Bhalswa Jheel, is a lake in northwest Delhi, India. It was originally
shaped like a horseshoe. However, over the years half of it was used as a landfill area.

Tilyar Lake: Tilyar Lake is one of the major tourist attractions in the Indian state of Haryana. It is 70 kilometers from New
Delhi on the Delhi – Fazilka highway and is located close to the city of Rohtak in Haryana

Karna Lake: Karna Lake is a major tourist attraction in the Karnal district of Haryana. It is located at a distance of 125
km from both Chandigarh and Delhi, thus serving as a midway halt while traveling between the two cities on the famous
Grand Trunk Road

Najafgarh Lake: Najafgarh Lake, Najafgarh Marsh or Najafgarh Jheel, fed by Sahibi River, used to be a vast lake in
the south west of Delhi in India, near the town of Najafgarh from which it takes its name. It was connected to the river
Yamuna by a natural shallow nullah or drain called the Najafgarh nullah.

Delhi Lake Restoration

• Delhi government, under its City of Lakes project, is reviving around 250 waterbodies and 25 large lakes in an attempt
to check the depleting groundwater reserves.
• Under the city of lakes project, different models are being used to bring different lakes back to life depending on the
conditions in the area.
• For the revival of such dying oxidation ponds, DJB has approved of a technique called engineered ecological system
of treatment of wastewater. Water from polluted sources is put through a mechanism of treatment and this processed
water is channelled to the waterbodies that have been first cleaned.
• Delhi residents would be able to visit here with their family and take in the beauty once this project is finished.

Yamuna Pollution
Sources of Yamuna Pollution
• Domestic wastewater, industrial effluents, idol immersion, pesticide residue, untreated sewage are some of the sources
of pollution of river Yamuna.
• Most of the pollution occurs in the NCR stretch than in other places where the river flows. Only 2% of the river length
flows through Delhi yet the city is responsible for about 76% of the total pollution load in the river.
• Around 90% of wastewater from households pours into the river untreated. This wastewater comprises laundry detergents
and other chemicals increasing the phosphate content in the water leading to the formation of froth.

Delhi’s Dependence on Yamuna

• The Delhi stretch of the Yamuna river is about 22 km starting from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla barrage (Sharma and
Kansal). This stretch alone is responsible for 76% of the rivers’ pollution but this stretch is also the main source of raw
 DELHI 23
water for the capital. This roughly accounts for 70% • The pipes, being expensive, aren’t replaced or even
of Delhi’s water supply which roughly translates to 57 repaired on a regular basis.
million people. • Surface water and groundwater are mixed in most of
the societies.
The Role of Ammonia
• Bombay water is good particularly because of this
• Recently, ammonia levels in Yamuna have risen. Over reason as it is rainfall water, which is relatively pure
the past weekend, the ammonia levels have been compared to other sources of water and isn’t mixed
fluctuating reaching upto five times above the treatable with other sources of water.
limit of 0.9ppm.
Challenges Faced
• Ammonia levels in water are harmful for the aquatic
life as well. It changes the pH of water making it more • Chlorination treatment not enough:
alkaline. The mysterious death of fishes can also be Š Chlorination alone isn’t enough to treat water.
linked to ammonia toxicity Š Chlorination may kill the bacteria, it may however
not be useful for the treatment of the dissolved
Cleaning Yamuna solids and toxic metals present in the water. .
• Delhi yamuna action plan: The Yamuna Action Plan • Maintenance of Pipelines: The pipelines being expensive
(YAP) is a river restoration project introduced in 1993. aren’t replaced or even checked on a regular basis.
It is a bilateral project between the government of India • Boiling of water not enough: This leaves the consumer
and Japan where Japan offered loan assistance for with fewer or no options to treat the water.
the implementation of YAP. Subsequently, two phases • The boiling of water is sufficient to kill certain types of
YAP II and YAP III were initiated in 2004 and 2008 bacteria but not the other contaminants present.
respectively. Unfortunately, the mission to clean Ganga • People are then left with no option but to install water
and Yamuna which includes YAP has failed according filters, which present more problems:
to the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and • No binding to the BIS standard:
Forests Š There is no specific binding or commitment to the
• New sewage treatment plants (STP): Building new BIS standard of water quality.
sewage treatment plants (STP), increasing capacity of Š All water supply bodies and municipalities must
existing STPs, and technology upgradation conform to the BIS standard of water.
• In situ treatment of major drains. • Quality and Quantity of the water:

• Diverting industrial waste: All industrial waste will be Š The Delhi government is able to supply only 986
million gallons of water in comparison to the actual
diverted to the common effluent treating plants. There
requirement of 1134 million gallons of water.
will be a crackdown on industries for not sending its
Š Various housing societies are mixing groundwater
waste to the treatment plants.
along with surface water.
• Proper Sewer network: JJ clusters will be connected to
Š The solid waste which is dumped around, toxic
the larger sewer network to completely stop stormwater
industrial waste, and sewage among other factors
drains from being polluted. Every household may also
contribute to pollution of the groundwater.
be connected to the sewer network.
Š Liberal contamination of the water resources
• Desilting: Complete desilting of entire sewer network occurs due to multiple reasons, such as digging
in cities, unhygienic conditions in the treatment
Problem with Delhi Water:
plants itself as the workers do not wear masks
• Water quality is very poor in Delhi. or gloves.
• Chlorination is the most common treatment done. It Š One of the goals of sustainable development is to
is, however, insufficient to treat the dissolved solids, ensure the supply of safe drinking water by 2030,
alkalinity and other toxic metals present in the water which seems very difficult to achieve given the
as a result of the industrial affluents. current situation.
• The pipelines carrying water are old and sometimes
Impact of the Issue
damaged causing leakages. This causes the water
quality to differ on the consumer’s side from that of the • Potential Epidemics: 70% of the diseases are
distributor’s side. waterborne, so water quality must be prioritised.
24 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

• Decline in Tourist Inflow: Tourists living in such cities • Treatment plants have to be upgraded with new
would be affected by the poor quality of air and water. technology, such as resins and ion exchange to treat
They could view visiting such cities as compromising the industrial waste effluents and dissolved solids
on their health, thereby resulting in a decline of tourists content.
which would indirectly affect the economy of the city.
Why Delhi air pollution rises in October?
• Plastic Pollution: Bottled water is usually made out of
plastic. They are one of the major sources of plastic Natural factors
pollution. • Northwesterly Winds: Month of October marks the
• Wastage of Water: Reverse osmosis during water withdrawal of Monsoon winds (South-West) from North
purification also results in wastage of water. This India, leading to the arrival of North-Easterly winds.
causes a lot of water wastage in order to get one litre Š Monsoon winds carry Moisture and rainfall all over
of water. the country, whereas northwesterly winds carry
dust from dust storms originating in Rajasthan and
• Nutrient Depletion: The water from purifiers is deprived
sometimes Pakistan and Afghanistan.
of metallic alkali ions such as Calcium, and Magnesium.
• Low-level inversion: Another factor is the temperature
Š Consumption of the RO filtered water robs the dip in the month of October. Low-temperature results in
body of calcium. low-level inversion i.e. the layer that stops the upward
movement of air from the layers below. It leads to
Way Forward the concentration of pollutants in the air at the lower
• Demarcation of responsibilities: The responsibilities heights.
should be demarcated and allocated equally amongst • Wind speed: High wind speed in summers facilitates
the authorities. The state government and the citizens the faster movement of particulate matters in the air.
should work together on the issue. As the wind speed decreases in winters, the air is not
able to draw the pollutant away from a region.
Š The citizens should be sensitized to the issue.
• Landlocked Geography of Delhi: Geography of Delhi and
Š The consumers, the service providers and the the region around in the northern plains is landlocked.
government should all be equally responsible On the one hand source wind from North-West is
and aware of their respective responsibilities already having pollutants, on the other, the Himalayas
towards ensuring the availability of clean and obstruct the escape route of air. Moreover, large
potable water. buildings and other structures in Delhi also reduce
airspeed. It is the reason that Chennai with the third-
• Localization of water supply and treatment: Long-
highest number of automobiles in India faces far less
distance supply of water should be restricted and the
pollution in the city in comparison as coastal reason
process should be localized.
provides air with an effective route to enter and exit.
Š The water treatment plants should also be
localized to minimize the chances of contamination Anthropogenic factors
while transporting the treated water. • Industrial chimney wastes: There are a number of
industries which are source of pollution. The chief
• Proper maintenance: The pipelines should be
gases are SO2 and NO2.
maintained and taken care of with proper allocation
• Automobiles pollution: The Toxic vehicular exhausts
in the budget.
are a source of considerable air pollution.
• Control on pollution of water: Measures must be taken
• Dust pollution: Dust pollution originating from
for minimizing the mixing of ground and surface construction activities, raw road sides, from the
water, as the presence of metals like arsenic can be neighbouring states, contributes to 56% of PM 10 and
dangerous if present in higher quantities in the water the PM2.5 load at 59 t/d, the top contributors being
supplied. road 38 % of PM 2.5 concentration.
Š Monitoring of water quality should be done more Paddy Stubble Burning:
frequently and the results revealed to the public.
• About the issue: Use of combine harvesters, has
Monitoring of the water refining systems to check
become a common practice after government law for
their efficiency should also be done regularly. delaying the sowing of paddy with an aim to conserve
 DELHI 25
groundwater. It leaves farmers with very less time to atmosphere so that all the dust and polluted particles
get their fields ready. Moreover, paddy straw and stalks get clear from the environment. The gun is attached
cannot be used to feed livestock, due to high silica to a water tank built on a movable vehicle which can
content in them. be taken to various parts of the city.
• In this hurry, farmers see burning of this stubble as a 7. Smog Towers: They are large-scale air purifiers usually
viable option. During peak stubble burning incidents, fitted with multiple layers of air filters which cleans the
its contribution rose to 40%. As of now it is just 4%-5%, air of pollutants as it passes through them.
indicating the contribution of variety of other factors.
Need of The Hour
• The stubble burning season is around 45 days long.
• Use of Happy Seeders: By Happy seeders, farmers can
Air in Delhi, however, remains polluted till February.
sow wheat seeds with the stubble’s organic value-
Is this just a Delhi problem? adding to the soil, without the need to clear it or burn it.
• Air pollution is not a problem of Delhi and its corporations • ICMR tech: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICMR)
alone but that of a big airshed around it that includes has developed a solution that can be sprayed on crop
the National Capital Region (NCR). It includes Gurgaon, residues and convert it into manure. This technique
Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, areas of Uttar Pradesh, should be used on a wide scale all over the region.
Haryana and even Alwar in Rajasthan. • Commercialisation of paddy straw: Government should
• An airshed, in geography, is defined as a region in find ways to commercialize paddy straw, as wheat
which the atmosphere shares common features with straw is useful farmers have found ways to use it,
respect to dispersion of pollutants; in other words, a unlike paddy.
region sharing a common flow of air. • More Smog towers: More smog tower and anti-smog
guns should be installed to reduce the level of smog
Various initiatives to curb Delhi Air pollution in the capital.
1. SC appointed committee: one-man committee of Justice • Implementation of legislations: Environment-related
Madan B Lokur has been appointed to monitor stubble Legislations must be implemented and followed in
burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh amid Letter and spirit. Many laws have been framed to
rising pollution in Delhi and its surrounding areas. protect the environment and their implementation on
2. Graded response action plan: In pursuant with Supreme the ground is very lethargic.
Court’s order in the M. C. Mehta vs. Union of India
Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy
(2016) regarding air quality in National Capital Region
• It envisions the replacement of the existing auto
of Delhi, the Graded Response Action Plan was notified
rickshaws and State-run buses with e-autos and
by MoEFCC in 2017. GRAP is a set of stratified actions
e-buses respectively. It envisages 25% of all vehicles
that are taken once the pollution level reaches a certain
to be electric vehicles by 2024. It will also ensure
specified limit. It works only as an emergency measure.
that delivery-based services operating in the city are
3. Tree policy: A new policy with an aim to preservation powered by e-mobility.
and transplantation of trees has been introduced by
• It talks about increasing road tax for fuel-based vehicles,
Delhi government. at least in the luxury segment and imposing in certain
4. CPCB monitoring: Central Pollution Control Board parts of the city a congestion fee that EVs will be
(CPCB) has deployed 50 teams for inspection in Delhi- exempt from.
NCR region. Inspection teams will visit the construction • It has a ‘scrapping incentive’ for those people who want
site and will levy fines in case of any violation of anti- to make the switch, allowing them to exchange an old
pollution guidelines. fuel-based vehicle while purchasing a new EV, further
5. Red Light On, Gaadi Off campaign: A campaign reducing its cost.
‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ has been launched by • The government will also offer low-interest rate loans to
Delhi government to tackle air pollution. As per the people interested in buying commercial EVs.
government, switching off vehicle engines will not only • The policy also offers subsidies and road tax and
stop pollution but also result in saving of `7,000 per registration fee waivers, for EVs bought in the capital.
vehicle every year. • At present, road tax ranges from 4% to 10% of the cost
6. Anti-Smog guns: Anti-smog gun is a device designed of the vehicle, while the registration fee could cost up
to reduce air pollution by spraying water into the to Rs. 3,000.
26 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

• In addition, a subsidy of Rs. 5,000 per kWh of the battery the Department of Scientific and Industrial research
capacity up to Rs. 30,000 will be given on the purchase (DSIR) and the India Trade Promotion Organization
of each EV. (ITPO) and has been held every year since 1997 in
• For the first 1,000 e-cars or electric four-wheelers, a Delhi. The main visitors to this International Trade fair in
subsidy of Rs. 10,000 per kWh will be given, capped at Delhi are the different corporate houses, businessmen
Rs. 1,50,000 per vehicle. and entrepreneurs.
• This Fair takes place in Pragati Maidan and is a 13
The Delhi Government will Build India’s First day long fair.
Electronic Waste Eco-Park in The National • Delhi Book Fair: The oldest book fair of India, the Delhi
Capital. Book Fair started way back in the year 1972. It is an
• The e-waste park is being planned in Narela industrial biannual organized by the National Book Trust or the
area and will be spread across 20 acres. NBT. The fair is also the best way to discover and
• The e-waste eco-part will consist of an authorized explore all new publications and browse through the
refurbishing market as a secondary product sale hundreds of different stalls to choose that perfect book.
market for batteries, electronic goods, laptops, • The Delhi Book fair is the largest fair in the country, in
chargers, mobiles and PCs. terms of size as well as on the economic side.
• This facility will consist of dismantling, refurbishing,
segregation, plastic recycling, material wise storage,
and testing, and precious metal extraction facilities,
from Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) through high-end
technologies.
• The activities in the park will be targeted towards small
and medium scale enterprises clusters, which are
involved in e-waste recycling.

ART AND CULTURE

FAIRS and FESTIVALS Beating the Retreat Ceremony

• Delhi the capital city of India is a cultural hub and a
center of active cultural activities. Various fairs and
festivals are celebrated in Delhi all through the year

Other Fairs and Festivals of Delhi

• Beating Retreat Ceremony held in the national capital

of India. The Republic Day celebrations in Delhi initiate
with a multi-hued parade on the 26th of January along
the Rajpath. The Beating Retreat Ceremony marks the
culmination of a four-day-long celebration held on the
29th of January every year. This centuries-old military
tradition takes place at Vijay Chowk, or the victory
square, with the backdrop of the stately Rashtrapati
• International Trade Fair: International Trade fair is a major Bhawan.
tourist attraction, attended by enthusiastic audiences • This tradition began in the 17th century when King
from all different spheres. This fair is organized by James II ordered his troops to beat the drums, lower
 DELHI 27
the flag, and organize a parade to proclaim the end • To celebrate the myriad colors of Mother Nature and the
of the day of the war. zeal of the spring season, The Garden Tourism Festival
• ‘Beating the Retreat’ is an event of national pride and was started in Delhi in the year 2004.
is graced by the President. The flags are lowered at
Major Highlights of the Festival
dusk against the backdrop of the setting sun. The
Rashtrapati Bhavan, North Block, South Block, and the • Admire the colorful flowers.
Parliament House are illuminated to mark this solemn • Explore the Garden Bazaar to buy flowers, plants,
occasion. organic items, medicinal plants, gardening accessories,
and much more.
Delhi Flower Show
• Enjoy weekend cultural programs in the evenings.
• India’s most extraordinary flower exhibition, the Delhi
• Hop on to multiple food stalls and relish the taste of
Flower Show, is one of the major events organized in
various cuisines.
Delhi. The Delhi Flower Show is a colorful display of
a varied and exotic variety of flowers.Indian Holiday Mango Festival
offers all the information you need on The Delhi Flower
Show, India. It is an international horticultural exhibition,
displays a wide array of beautiful flowers. The show
displays various flower species, including hybrids.
The Delhi Flower Show takes place in February in the
Purana Quila and attracts many Indian and foreign
visitors. One of the country’s greatest flower shows,
it includes events like Summer Garden Competition,
Foliage Plants Show, Chrysanthemum Flower, Dahlia
and Gladiolus Show, Home Growing Competition,
Winter Garden Competition, annual Flower Show,
Cactus Shows, etc. Delhi, where The Show is held, is
accessible and well connected through the air, rail,
and road network.
• Largely popular amid mango-lovers, the annual
International mango festival of Delhi is a celebration of
mangoes and other produces. This 2-day festival puts
on display more than 500 varieties of mangoes brought
here from different states of IndiaMango-lovers can get
their hands on a vast variety of popular mangoes along
with those that have some interesting names such as
Neeleshwari, Sikri, Royal SP, Suwarn, Himsagar, Raddy
Pasand etc.

Qutub Festival

Garden Tourism Testival

28 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

• The Qutub Festival, held in the premises of the historical Š Change from a military cantonment to Heritage
structure, Qutub Minar is a festival to celebrate the Monument
splendor and magnificence of the Minar and showcase Š Protests at Redfort
its past glory and majesty to the world. Š Dalmia Group Controversy- Adopt A Heritage
Cusine of Delhi Scheme
Š Red Fort’s image on Back on 500 Rupee Note
• The cosmopolitan outlook of Delhi culture is aptly
reflected in the cuisine of Delhites. Punjabi cuisine Š Main Gates and their relevance: Lahori Gate, Delhi
and Mughlai delicacies like kababs and biryanis are Gate, Chatta Chowk,
popular in several parts of Delhi. Š Major Structures: Naubat Khana, Diwan-i-am, Nahr-
• The popular cuisines of Mughals are relished; tandoori i-Bihisht, Mumtaz Mahal, Rang Mahal, Khas Mahal,
chicken, seekh and boti kebab are noteworthy mainly Diwan-i-Khas, Hammam, Baoli, Moti Masjid, Hira
served in the eating outlets of Delhi. Delhi cuisine also Mahal, Hayat Bakhsh Bagh)
executes some scrumptious local menu like parantha,
India Gate:
kachori and chaat.
• Although the Delhites are inclined to the North Indian • The India Gate (formerly known as the All India War
style, foods of various types , Rajasthani, Maharashtran, Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Rajpath
Bengali, South Indian are equally savored. on the eastern edge duty path/ Kartavya Path.
• South Indian foodies are inclined to mouthwatering
dishes namely idli, sambar and dosa. The best of
continental cuisine can be located at various hotels
like The Oberoi, Taj Palace,and Captains Cabin.

Major Tourism Spots in Delhi

Red Fort

• It stands as a memorial to 84,000 soldiers of the British

Indian Army who died between 1914 and 1921 in the
First World War, in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia,
Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near
and the Far East, and the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
13,300 servicemen’s names, including some soldiers
and officers from the United Kingdom, are inscribed
• The Red Fort or Lal Qila is a historic fort in Old Delhi,
Delhi in India that served as the main residence of the on the gate. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the gate
Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned evokes the architectural style of the memorial arch
construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he such as the Arch of Constantine, in Rome, and is often
decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and the
red and white, its design is credited to architect Ustad Gateway of India in Mumbai.
Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. • Following the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1972, a
• The Red Fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage structure consisting of a black marble plinth with a
Site in 2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex. reversed rifle, capped by a war helmet and bounded
• Things to Read Upon for Redfort: by four eternal flames, was built beneath the archway.
Š Role of Red fort in 1857 Uprising • This structure, called Amar Jawan Jyoti (Flame of the
Š Delhi Durbar 1911 Immortal Soldier), has since 1971 served as India’s
Š INA/Red Fort Trials tomb of the unknown soldier.
 DELHI 29
• Things to Read Upon for India Gate: in astronomy. There is a plaque fixed on one of the
Š Inscriptions on India Gate structures in the Jantar Mantar observatory in New
Š Story of George V Statue under the Canopy Delhi that was placed there in 1910 mistakenly dating
the construction of the complex to the year 1710. Later
Š Installation of Ambedkar Statue
research, though, suggests 1724 as the actual year of
Š Difference between Amar Jawan Jyoti at India
construction. Its height is 723 feet (220 m).
Gate and the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the National
War Memorial.
Š Role of India Gate for civil Protests (Nirbhaya and
Unnao Rape Cases)
Š National War Memorial

Qutub Minar
• The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab
Minar, is a minaret and “victory tower” that forms part of
the Qutb complex, which lies at the site of Delhi’s oldest
fortified city, Lal Kot, founded by the Tomar Rajputs. It
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area
of South Delhi, India. It is one of the most visited tourist
spots in the city, mostly built between 1199 and 1220. Humayun’s Tomb
• Humayun’s tomb (Persian: Maqbara-i Humayun) is
the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi,
India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun’s first
wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum under
her patronagein 1558, and designed by Mirak Mirza
Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad. The tomb was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and
since then has undergone extensive restoration work,
which is complete.

Jantar Mantar
Akshardham Temple
• Jantar Mantar is located in the modern city of New
Delhi. “Jantar Mantar” literally means “instruments for • Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindu temple, and
measuring the harmony of the heavens”. It consists spiritual-cultural campus in Delhi, India. The temple
of 13 architectural astronomy instruments. The site is is close to the border with Noida. Also referred to as
one of five built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, from Akshardham Temple or Akshardham Delhi, the complex
1723 onwards, revising the calendar and astronomical displays millennia of traditional and modern Hindu
tables. Jai Singh, born in 1688 into a royal Rajput culture, spirituality, and architecture. Inspired by Yogiji
family that ruled the regional kingdom, was born into Maharaj and created by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, it
an era of education that maintained a keen interest was constructed by BAPS.
30 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

Chattarpur Temple
• Chhatarpur Temple (Officially: Shri Aadya Katyayani Lotus (Bahai) Temple
Shakti Peetham) is located in a down town area in
• The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, India, is a Baháʼí
Chhatarpur, Delhi, India. This temple is dedicated to
House of Worship that was dedicated in December
Goddess, Katyayani. The entire complex of the temple
1986.
is spread over a wide area of 70 acres.The temple
was established in 1974, by Baba Sant Nagpal ji, who
died in 1998. His samadhi shrine lies in the premises
of the Shiv-Gauri Nageshwar Mandir within the temple
complex.

Jama Masjid
• The Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa (lit. ‘World-reflecting
Mosque’), commonly known as the Jama Masjid of
Delhi, is one of the largest mosques in India. It was built
by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and
• This temple was considered as the biggest temple
1656, and inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul
in India and second largest in the world, before the
Ghafoor Shah Bukhari.
Akshardham Temple was created in 2005 in Delhi. This
temple is totally constructed from marble and on all the
facets there is jaali (perforated stone or latticed screen)
work. It can be classified a vesara style of architecture.

ISKON Temple
• Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, generally known
as the ISKCON Delhi temple, is a well known Vaishnav
temple of Lord Krishna and goddess Radha in the form
of Radha Parthasarathi. The Temple was inaugurated
on 5 April, 1998 by the then former Prime Minister of
India Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
 DELHI 31
Raj Ghat
• Raj Ghat is a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. It’s located
not far from the river Yamuna and was originally the
name of a historic ghat.

Sports in Delhi
• First Asian Games: Delhi hosted the first Asian Games
in 1951 from 4 to 11 March On 13 February 1949, the
Asian Games Federation was formally established
in Delhi, with Delhi unanimously announced as the
• Dilli Haat : Dilli Haat is a paid-entrance open-air
first host city of the Asian Games. National Stadium
market, food plaza, and craft bazaar located in Delhi. was the venue for all events. Over 40,000 spectators
The area is run by Delhi Tourism and Transportation watched the opening ceremony of the Games in
Development Corporation (DTTDC), and unlike the National Stadium.
traditional weekly market, the village Haat, Dilli Haat • Ninth Asian Games: Delhi hosted the ninth Asian Games
is permanent. It is located in the commercial centres for the second time in 1982 from 19 November to 4
of South Delhi, opposite INA market. The 6 acres of December. This was the second time the city has
land on which this complex is situated was salvaged hosted the Asian Games and was also the first Asian
as part of a reclamation project and transformed into Games to be held under the aegis of the Olympic
a plaza. Extensive foundation work, small thatched Council of Asia The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which
has a capacity of 60,000 people, was built purposely
roof cottages and kiosks give the plaza a village
for the event and hosted its opening ceremony.
atmosphere
• Commonwealth Games: Delhi hosted the Nineteenth
Commonwealth Games in 2010, which ran from 3
to 14 October and was the largest sporting event
held in India. The opening ceremony of the 2010
Commonwealth Games was held at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event, in New
Delhi. The ceremony featured over 8,000 performers
and lasted for two and a half hours. It is estimated that
`3.5 billion (US$44 million) were spent to produce the
ceremony. Events took place at 12 competition venues.
20 training venues were used in the Games, including
seven venues within Delhi University.

• Agrasen Ki Baoli (also known as Ugrasen Ki Baoli) is a

OTHER BURNING ISSUES
60-meter long and 15-meter wide historical step well
in New Delhi, India. Located on Hailey Road, near Delhi Crime and Law and Order Issue
Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, it was designated • According to the latest report by the National Crime
a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey Records Bureau report, Delhi reported the maximum
of India (ASI) under the Ancient Monuments and crime rate among 19 metropolitan cities with more than
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. 2 million population.
32 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

Š The NCRB report showed that police stations Š Mumbai (44.7%) reported the highest number
across the city registered 245,844 cases under of racial hatred incidents against the North-East
different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). People and DELHI was also the hotspot.
The cases were registered at the rate of 150.6 Š Further, the acts of racial discrimination, against
per million population of the city. For the making people from the North-East Region, increased after
of this report, the population was taken as per the the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
2011 census. • Offensive and abusive language were most common
Š Delhi saw a more than 40 per cent rise in crimes across all six cities. Mumbai recorded the highest
against women in 2021 as compared to 2020, offensive and abusive language-related crime(74%).
with two girls being raped every day last year in It was followed by Chennai (72%), Pune (67.3%), Delhi
the national capital, making it the most unsafe (64%), Hyderabad (48.7%) and Bengaluru (43.3%).
metropolitan city for women in India, according • The incidence of non-reporting of the incidents was
to the latest NCRB or National Crime Records 32.3%. Further, as many as 34% of persons faced a
Bureau data. common issue of refusal to file FIR by the police.
Crimes against Women in Delhi and other metropolis: • Impact: More than 60% said their studies and work
hampered seriously by such experiences.
Š Two minor girls were raped every day last year in
the national capital, which was the most unsafe Suggestions against Racial Discrimination against
metropolitan city for women across the country, Northeast People:
according to the report. • M.P. Bezbaruah Committee was set up by the Ministry
Š Delhi also recorded 13,892 cases of crimes against of Home Affairs. It looked into the concerns of
women in 2021, a significant surge of more than the citizens from the North Eastern States. Thus,
40% compared to 2020. It suggested remedial measures including legal
Š Delhi was followed by the financial capital Mumbai, measures that government could take. The important
which saw 5,543 such instances, and Bengaluru recommendations are:
with 3,127 cases. Š Policing: It recommended amendments to the IPC
Š The national capital has also reported the highest by creating new offences under Section 153C
number of cases of crimes against women in and 509A. Sections will deal with comments,
the categories related to kidnapping, cruelty by gestures and acts intended to insult a member of
husbands and girl child rapes as compared to other a particular racial group.
metropolitan cities. Š New law: Either a new law should be promulgated
or the offences should be made ‘cognizable’
Issue of Discrimination against North East People
and ‘non-bailable’. It should have imprisonment
in Delhi
extendable up to three years or five years with
• People from the North-East living in Delhi often face
a fine.
racial profiling, discrimination, difficulties in getting
jobs or safe housing. Š Social media: Government should set up dedicated
Facebook, WhatsApp, helpline and email support
• The dearth of education and employment opportunities
for reaching out to North-Eastern people living in
in the region has been pushing north easterners
the rest of India.
towards metro cities like Delhi for several years now,
and over time Delhi has emerged as a home to several Š Dedicated Public Prosecutors: Set up a dedicated
localities dominated by large populations of people panel of lawyers to fight cases for North Eastern
from the region like Munirka village, Humayunpur and victims.50% of these lawyers should be women.
Mukherjee Nagar. Š Nodal Police Stations: Nodal police stations for
North Easterners. So that the police officer can
Key Findings of the Study: immediately register FIR instead of asking the
• Racial Discrimination: Around 78% of the interviewed victim to go to other stations.
people from the region believes that physical Š Fast-track courts: The Committee suggests the
appearance was the most important reason for creation of fast-track courts for handling the cases
prejudice. relating to the North East people.
 DELHI 33

Regular Protests of Teachers in Delhi University Challenges faced by Street Vendors

• The main reason for the strike is the temporary nature • Lack of Space: Master plans prepared for our cities do
of employment of more than 90% staff currently in not allocate space to vendors/hawkers, as planners
teaching, well it’s quite a fact that a permanent teacher blindly imitate the western concept of marketing,
in DU gets served equal to the college dean ignoring Indian traditions.
• Reasons why system doesn’t want permanent teachers • Tackle Multiple Authorities:The vendors have to deal
according to protestant teachers with multiple authorities – the municipal corporation,
• Pay gap: A temporary teacher is paid one third of what police (thana as well as traffic), regional development
a permanent one gets, if a permanent teacher is taking authorities etc.
home 100k pm a temporary will only take 33k pm, • Instead of regulating vendors, municipal corporations
temporary teachers are cost effective to government treat them as a nuisance and an irritant, their policies
• Job security : A permanent teacher is quite relaxed in and actions are aimed more at removing and harassing
terms of their job stability they know they will be having them rather than at regulation.
their job even if they are two hours late to college they • Frequent Eviction: The regular eviction carried out by
won’t be stressed at all, but a temporary teacher can’t the district or municipal administration.They fear the
afford that thing very sight of the eviction team which is known locally
• These are some of the main reasons for the strike of by different names.
teachers in DU colleges:
Government’s Initiatives for Street Vendors
1. Displacement of long-serving adhoc teachers
• SVANidhi Scheme:SVANidhi Scheme was launched
during permanent interviews.
to benefit over 50 lakh street vendors who had
2. The most important reason for the strike is the
been vending in urban areas including those from
decision of the Central Govt to drastically reduce
surrounding peri-urban/rural areas.
the funds for Central Universities like DU.
• National Association of Street Vendors of India:NASVI
3. The salaries of the temporary teachers and the
is an organization working for the protection of the
non-teaching staff have not been revised despite
livelihood rights of thousands of street vendors across
the VII Pay Revision being notified and disbursed
the country..
for the Central Govt employees.
4. To demand a just and enabling promotion Way Forward
scheme for all teachers so that talent stays in this • Despite multiple schemes running for the street
profession and all those awaiting their promotions vendors, there are various gaps in implementation,
for years can get their due. identification, awareness and accessibility of various
schemes which should be plugged in a timely manner.
ISSUE OF STREET VENDORS IN DELHI • Benefits like maternity allowances, accident relief,
natural death compensation, education support for
Why is there a rise in Street Vendors?
children for higher studies, pension during any crisis
• Migration: Firstly, lack of gainful employment coupled
should be provided to them.
with poverty in rural areas has pushed people out of
• States should be asked to ensure that street vendors
their villages in search of a better existence in the
are not harassed by the authorities, as all they are
cities. These migrants do not possess the skills or the
asking is a right to livelihood.
education to enable them to find better paid, secure
employment in the formal sector and they have to settle Stray Dog Problems in Delhi
for work in the informal sector. • Dog bite data from the capital’s three municipal
• Attrition: Secondly, there is another section of the corporations show that the city has seen at least 90
population in these countries who are forced to join the cases of dog bites every day during 2021. Official
informal sector. These are workers who were employed reports from health care facilities of the municipal
in the formal sector.They lost their jobs because of bodies show that a total of 31913 dog bite cases have
closures, down-sizing or mergers in the industries they been treated in municipal facilities with a maximum of
worked in and they or their family members had to seek 16,007 cases in East MCD, 11,119 cases in South MCD
low paid work in the informal sector in order to survive. and 4,787 dog bite cases in North MCD institutions.
34 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

Problems caused by street dogs Š Thirdly, the order places the onus on vaccinating
• Haphazard urban planning and human overpopulation and sterilizing the animals on the municipal
have led to a correspondingly huge population of street corporation, the resident welfare association,
dogs in most Indian cities. They cause the following and local dog groups. The order adds that
problems: sterilization of such animals is a must to check
over-population.
• Rabies–a fatal disease which can be transmitted to
humans. Although all warm-blooded animals can get Š Lastly, the local police and resident welfare
and transmit rabies, dogs are the most common carrier. associations should get involved in maintaining
India has the highest number of human rabies deaths peace in the area between dog-lovers and other
in the world (estimated at 35,000 per annum) residents.

• Dog bites-Most occur when dogs are trying to mate The effective solution: Sterilisation-cum-vaccination
and fighting among themselves–pedestrians and other
• For decades the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai
humans in the vicinity often get bitten accidentally.
used to kill up to 50,000 street dogs annually. The
Females with pups to protect may also be aggressive
method used was electrocution. In 1994, in response
and bite people who approach their litter
to demands made by our organisation and others,
• Barking and howling–an accompaniment to dog fights dog-killing was replaced by mass sterilisation and
which invariably take place over mating immunisation of street dogs
Why removal of dogs doesn’t work • Under this programme, street dogs are surgically
neutered and then replaced in their own area. They
• Dogs have extremely high breeding rates. According
are also vaccinated against rabies
to one estimate, two dogs can multiply to over 300
(over a few generations) in three years. They are also • The dog population becomes stable, non-breeding,
highly territorial, with each dog having its fixed niche non-aggressive and rabies-free, and it gradually
decreases over a period of time
• As long as exposed garbage and slums continue
to exist, dog-killing programmes cannot work. They Protection of Stray Dogs
only create an unstable, constantly changing, rapidly
• Stray dogs are protected under the Prevention of
multiplying and rabies-carrying dog population
Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and Rules enacted under
• The Delhi High Court has issued directions on feeding
Section 38 of the Act, particularly the Animal Birth
and managing stray dogs. These directions include:
Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001. That makes it illegal for
Š Firstly, Stray or street dogs have the right to food an individual, RWA, or estate management to remove
and citizens have the right to feed them. But in or relocate dogs.
exercising this right, care and caution should be
• A 2006 Office Memorandum of the Central government
taken to ensure that it does not impinge upon the
also carried specific rules against government servants
rights of others.
who indulge in acts of cruelty to animals. The rules
Š Secondly, every Resident Welfare Association(RWA) make the government servant liable for action under
should form “Guard and Dog partnerships” in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
consultation with the Delhi Police Dog Squad. So
that dogs can be trained and yet be friendly to
residents of a colony.
 DELHI 35

Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021

Rationale Behind This
• Section 44 of the 1991 GNCT Act deals with the conduct of business and there is no structural mechanism for
effective time-bound implementation of the said section.
Š Section 44 of the 1991 Act says that all executive actions of the L-G, whether taken on the advice of his Ministers
or otherwise shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the LG.
• Further, there is no clarity as to what proposal or matters are required to be submitted to Lieutenant Governor before
issuing an order thereon.
Key Highlights of the Act
• It amended Sections 21, 24, 33 and 44 of the GNCT of Delhi Act, 1991
Š According to the legislation, the “government” in Delhi means the “Lieutenant Governor.”
Š The city government will now mandatorily have to take the opinion of the L-G before taking any executive action.
Š The Act defines the responsibilities of the elected government and the L-G along with the “constitutional scheme
of governance of the NCT” interpreted by the Supreme Court in recent judgements regarding the division of
powers between the two entities.
Š It will also seek to ensure that the L-G is “necessarily granted an opportunity” to exercise powers entrusted to
him under proviso to clause (4) of Article 239AA of the Constitution.
Š This particular clause provides for a Council of Ministers headed by a Chief Minister for the NCT to “aid and
advise the Lieutenant Governor” in the exercise of his functions for matters in which the Legislative Assembly
has the power to make laws.
Š It will also provide for rules made by the Legislative Assembly of Delhi to be “consistent with the rules of the
House of the People” or the Lok Sabha.
Criticism
• It is an unholy attempt to curtail the powers of a democratically elected Government
Š It is an affront not only to the will of the people but to the spirit of federalism
• It is being argued that by virtually handing over executive powers to the Lieutenant Governor, the government has
acted against the spirit of the Supreme Court ruling that aimed to safeguard the elected government of Delhi from
undue interference or obstacles from the Lieutenant Governor.
• The amendment stipulates that the State government shall obtain the Lieutenant Governor’s opinion on its decisions
before taking executive action on them.
Š This prevents the government from urgently acting in case of an emergency as it would have to wait for the
Lieutenant Governor’s assent/viewpoint.
Š Significantly, the Lieutenant Governor is not obliged to give his opinion to the State government within a time
frame.
Š Critics argue that the Lieutenant Governor could politically exploit these unbridled powers to hamper the
government’s administrative work and thus turn the political tides against the incumbent if he so desires.
Š That truly would undermine the interests of the party in power and also of the people.
Union Government’s Stand
Government has attempted to contradict all the above observations.
• This will increase the administrative efficiency of Delhi and will ensure a better relationship between the executive
and the legislator. This is a technical Bill. This is not a Bill related to politics.
• It will bring accountability and overall transparency in governance.
36 Interview Guidance Program : CSE 2023

• The amendments have been brought to remove ambiguities in the existing Act and stressed that changes in the
law have been sought in the spirit of what has been said in a Supreme Court judgment.
• It will further define the responsibilities of the elected government and the L-G, in line with the constitutional scheme
of governance of Delhi.
Previous Issue between Lieutenant Governor and Delhi Government
• The genesis of the act lies in the administrative tug of war between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led-Delhi government
and then Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Najeeb Jung immediately after the former came to power for a second
stint in 2015.
• Between early 2015 and mid-August 2016, several orders issued by the Delhi government related to the matters
such as transfer of bureaucrats, setting up of Commissions of Inquiry and the administration of the Anti-Corruption
Branch (ACB), were either declared void or reversed by the L-G citing procedural lacunae ranging from lack of
approval from his office to not being constitutionally empowered to take such decisions.
Š Over the years, there was friction between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor over power-sharing.
Š The focal point of these conflicts was that in case of a difference between the Lieutenant Governor and the
Council of Ministers on any matter, the matter was to be referred to the President by the Lieutenant Governor
for his decision and pending such decision the Lieutenant Governor was empowered to take any action on
the matter as he deemed right.
• The issue was taken by the Delhi government to the Delhi High Court which, in August 2016, held that the L-G had
“complete control” of matters related to the NCT and “nothing will happen without the concurrence of the L-G.”
Š However, the judge held that the L-G was bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers on some matter.
Š The Delhi government then moved the Supreme Court.
Judgement of the Supreme Court:
• The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, in Government of NCT of Delhi vs Union of India in 2018, held that
the government was not under obligation to seek the concurrence of the Lieutenant Governor on its decisions and
that any differences between them should be resolved keeping in view the constitutional primacy of representative
government and cooperative federalism.
• The Supreme Court ruled that the Lieutenant Governor should attempt to resolve the differences within the framework
of the law and the Transaction of Business Rules before he decided to refer a matter to the President.
Š Essentially, the Supreme Court judgment made it extremely difficult for the Lieutenant Governor to refer such
matters to the President.

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