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150 Words10 Marks
Q.To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the present day urbanization? Discuss.
UPSC Mains 2014•AMAC
Model Answer
Introduction
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), flourishing around 2500–1750 BCE, was a pioneer of sophisticated urban planning and civic administration. Its advanced engineering, sanitation systems, and sustainable practices continue to provide invaluable blueprints for modern urban development.
Body
graph TD
IVC["Urban Planning features of Indus Valley"]
IVC --> WM["Water Management"]
IVC --> GS["Grid System Layout"]
IVC --> DS["Drainage and Sanitation Systems"]
IVC --> ZS["Zoning and Segregation of Spaces"]
IVC --> SC["Standardized Construction Materials"]Urban Planning Inputs to Modern Cities
- Grid System Layout: IVC cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were designed with streets cutting at right angles, forming a perfect grid. This ensures efficient traffic flow and organized growth, a model adopted by modern planned cities like Chandigarh and Sector layouts.
- Drainage and Sanitation: The IVC possessed covered, underground brick-lined drains with regular manholes for cleaning. This emphasis on hygiene is mirrored in modern municipal sewage networks and is a core objective of India's Swachh Bharat Mission.
- Zoning of Spaces: Cities were divided into a Citadel (administrative/public zone) and a Lower Town (residential/commercial zone). Modern urban planning utilizes this exact concept of zoning to separate industrial, commercial, and residential areas (e.g., Navi Mumbai).
- Standardized Materials: The use of uniform, baked bricks with a standard ratio (4:2:1) reflects early standardization, a cornerstone of modern pre-cast and standardized construction industries.
- Water Management: Advanced rainwater harvesting, reservoirs, and public baths (like the Great Bath) emphasize community water conservation, highly relevant for modern water-stressed cities.
Cultural and Social Inputs
- Egalitarian Housing: The relative uniformity in residential structures suggests social inclusivity, inspiring modern affordable housing schemes like PMAY.
- Public Spaces: Open courtyards and community granaries find parallels in modern public parks, community centers, and town squares that foster social cohesion.
Conclusion
The urban planning of the Indus Valley Civilization was characterized by utility, hygiene, and sustainability. As modern cities grapple with unplanned expansion and climate challenges, integrating the IVC’s principles of efficient drainage, water conservation, and systematic zoning is essential for building resilient urban centers.
Previous QuestionYou are recently posted as district development officer of a district. Shortly thereafter you found that there is considerable tension in the rural areas of your district on the issue of sending girls to schools.
The elders of the village feel that many problems have come up because girls are being educated and they are stepping out of the safe environment of the household. They are the view that the girls should be quickly married off with minimum education. The girls are also competing for jobs after education, which have traditionally remained in boys’ exclusive domain, adding to unemployment amongst male population.
The younger generation feels that in the present era, girls should have equal opportunities for education and employment, and other means of livelihood. The entire locality is divided between sexes in both generations. You come to know that in Panchayat or in other local bodies or even in busy crosswords, the issue is being acrimoniously debated.
One day you are informed that an unpleasant incident has taken place. Some girls were molested, when they were en route to schools. The incident led to clashes between several groups and a law and order problem has arisen. The elder after heated discussion have taken a joint decision not to allow girls to go to school and to socially boycott all such families, which do not follow their dictate.
A. What steps would you take to ensure girls’ safety without disrupting their education?
B. How would you manage and mould patriarchal attitude of the village elders to ensure harmony in the inter-generational relations
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