The Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner has proposed to retain the same definition of urban areas for Census 2027 as used in 2011.
- It aims to ensure comparability with previous Census and provide the basis for analysis of urbanization trends in the country.
Official Definition of "Urban" in India
- The Census of India classifies a settlement as "urban" through one of two pathways:-
- Statutory Town: All administrative units that have been defined by statute as urban like Municipal Corporation, Municipality, cantonment Board, Notified Town Area Committee, Town Panchayat, Nagar Palika etc.
- Statutory Towns with a population of 1,00,000 and above are categorized as cities.
- Census Town: A settlement that is not a statutory town but meets three specific demographic and economic criteria simultaneously:-
- A minimum population of 5,000.
- A population density of at least 400 persons per square kilometer.
- At least 75% of the male main working population is engaged in non-agricultural pursuits.
- Statutory Town: All administrative units that have been defined by statute as urban like Municipal Corporation, Municipality, cantonment Board, Notified Town Area Committee, Town Panchayat, Nagar Palika etc.
Issues in use of the Present Urban Definition
- Focus on the Male Workforce:: Census town classification relies solely on the “male main working population,” ignoring women’s contribution.
- Anachronistic Standard: This criterion has remained largely unchanged for ~50 years, failing to reflect modern economic and social realities.
- Denial of Urban Status: Settlements that are urban in function and character are often officially classified as rural because female workforce is not considered.
- Governance Mismatch: Despite their urban characteristics, census towns are governed by rural panchayats which lack specialized planning capabilities, financial resources, and administrative structures of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
- Infrastructure Deficits: Critical urban infrastructure such as waste management, sanitation, roads, and housing cannot be adequately planned or implemented under rural governance.
Making the workforce criterion gender-neutral and use of Degree of Urbanization (DEGURBA) method supported by UN Statistical Commission can help in addressing these limitations
