Studies in India's urbanization (1901-1971)

A systematic study of urbanization is a recent phenomenon even in the developed countries. In India, attempts have been made from time to time to conduct socio-economic surveys in selected cities in order to understand the implications of the increasing pace of urbanization and the consequent problems of urban development and planning. Town planners have also conducted specific surveys in several cities to meet their own requirements of urban planning. But there has hardly been any attempt to study urbanization in India as a process from the historical, demographic, economic, social and other points of view.

The Institute of Economic Growth took the lead in establishing an Urban Research Section as a part of the Demographic Research Centre in order to conduct continuous studies on the process of urbanization, primarily from the demographic standpoint. The Ministry of Health and Family Planning finances several Demographic Research Centres all over the country with the object of strengthening research in the field of demography, with particular reference to fertility and family planning. On the initiative of Dr. V. K. R. V. Rao, the scope of such research was extended and internal migration and urbanization were designated as major areas of demographic research. The Institute's Demo graphic Research Centre is, in fact, the only Centre which has a separate Urban Section exclusively devoted to the study of urbanization.