IGP 2023 States - New Delhi

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No.
1
Index
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................4
HISTORY ............................................................................................................................................................4
Medieval Period .............................................................................................................................................5
The Mughals Era ............................................................................................................................................6
Colonial Period...............................................................................................................................................6
Partition and Post-Independence .....................................................................................................................6
Freedom Struggle in Delhi ..............................................................................................................................6
HISTORY (MISCELLANEOUS) ....................................................................................................................7
Famous Personalities ......................................................................................................................................7
Delhi Triangle ................................................................................................................................................7
Seven Cities of Delhi ......................................................................................................................................8
Old Delhi vs New-Delhi .................................................................................................................................8
PLACES (HERITAGE SITES, TANGIBLE, INTANGIBLE) ......................................................................................9
UNESCO World Heritage Sites ......................................................................................................................9
Architecture ..................................................................................................................................................10
Tourist Places ...............................................................................................................................................10
CULTURE AND SPORTS .............................................................................................................................12
Fairs and Festivals ........................................................................................................................................12
Music ...........................................................................................................................................................12
Dance ...........................................................................................................................................................13
State Symbol ................................................................................................................................................13
Cuisine .........................................................................................................................................................14
Artwork ........................................................................................................................................................14
Painting ........................................................................................................................................................14
Clothing .......................................................................................................................................................14
GEOGRAPHY................................................................................................................................................14
(NCR) vs (NCT) ...........................................................................................................................................15
Topography ..................................................................................................................................................16
Physiographic Division.................................................................................................................................16
Climate.........................................................................................................................................................16
Soil...............................................................................................................................................................17
Vegetation ....................................................................................................................................................17
Forest ...........................................................................................................................................................17
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................18
Key Statistics - As Per 2011 Census..............................................................................................................18
Important Health Indicators ..........................................................................................................................18
Religious Composition .................................................................................................................................18
Linguistic composition .................................................................................................................................18
Age Composition..........................................................................................................................................18
Rural-Urban Composition.............................................................................................................................19
IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 2

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY .........................................................................................................................19
Major Mineral Resources..............................................................................................................................19
Industries......................................................................................................................................................19
SOCIAL ISSUES ............................................................................................................................................19
Health...........................................................................................................................................................19
Education .....................................................................................................................................................19
Crime Against Women .................................................................................................................................20
Major social groups of Delhi.........................................................................................................................20
ECONOMY ....................................................................................................................................................21
Key Economic Indicator ...............................................................................................................................21
Industry in Delhi...........................................................................................................................................21
Delhi and Migration......................................................................................................................................23
Schemes .......................................................................................................................................................23
Economic Survey 2022-23 ............................................................................................................................24
Delhi Metro ..................................................................................................................................................25
ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP .........................................................................................................................26
Constitutional Provisions Related to Delhi ....................................................................................................26
Key Districts ................................................................................................................................................26
Major parties ................................................................................................................................................27
Basic Politics ................................................................................................................................................27
Political Issues..............................................................................................................................................27
ENVIRONMENT ...........................................................................................................................................28
National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries .......................................................................................................28
Major Issues .................................................................................................................................................28
CURRENT ISSUES ........................................................................................................................................30
Water Crisis..................................................................................................................................................30
QUESTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................35
History and Culture ......................................................................................................................................35
Environmental issues ....................................................................................................................................35
Education .....................................................................................................................................................35
Social Justice ................................................................................................................................................36
Other ............................................................................................................................................................36
 For Slot booking you can visit: https://pwonlyias.com/interview-guidance-program-2023/

 Or WhatsApp Your DAF on 7428096990

INTRODUCTION
 New Delhi, the national capital of India, is situated in the north-central part of the country on the west bank
of the Yamuna River.
 It is adjacent to and just south of Delhi city (Old Delhi) and within the Delhi national capital territory.
 As the anti-nationalist movements erupted in Calcutta which was earlier the British capital in India specially
post the Partition of Bengal the capital was shifted to Delhi.
 In December 1911, King George V of Britain ordered that the capital of British India would be moved from
Calcutta to Delhi.
 The construction of the new capital began in 1912 at a site 5 km south of the Delhi city centre.
 The new capital was formally dedicated in 1931.

HISTORY
 Delhi, the capital of India, has a strong historical background.
 It was ruled by some of the most powerful emperors in Indian history and was the seat of Power since ancient
times.
Prehistory and Ancient Phase

0B
 Delhi has experienced continuous habitation since the 6th century.

 Pre-Urban Settlements of Delhi Village Anangpur around Badarpur Hills is an important stone age site.
 Archaeologists have discovered Palaeolithic tools and painted grey pottery of the period of the Harappa
civilization in and around Delhi and Haryana.
 The oldest literary record about Indraprastha, the Mahabharata, records that Khandor Forest was given
by Duryodhana to the Pandavas.
 Arjuna, helped by Lord Krishna, set the forest on fire and leveled the ground to lay out Indraprastha,
which was the grandest of the five townships established by the Pandavas.
 Delhi is believed to be the same place as Indraprastha- which situated a city on a knoll on the banks of the
river Yamuna, which finds mention in The Legend of Mahabharata as being the capital of Pandavas.
 The earliest relics found dates back to the times of Mauryan emperor Ashoka near Srinivaspuri area of
Delhi.

Medieval Period
 Archaeological evidence suggests that the foundation of Delhi was laid down by King Anang Pal of the
Tomara dynasty when he founded the city of Lal Kot in A.D. 736. Ananga Pala later moved Anangpur some
6 miles (10 km) westward to a walled citadel called Lal Kot.
 The Tomara kings occupied Lal Kot for about a century.
 Delhi has experienced the arrival, plunder and settlement of several dynasties in the medieval period viz
Tomars Dynasty
 They were the feudatories of the Pratiharas.
 They ruled between the 8th and 12th century AD in parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana.
 AnangaPala I founded the Tomar Dynasty in 8the Century AD.
 Famous rulers: AnangaPala I, Anangpal II and Prithviraj Chauhan
Chauhans of Delhi and Ajmer
 They captured Ujjain from the Paramaras of Malwa and Delhi in the early part of the 12th century.
 They shifted their capital to Delhi.
 Prithviraj Chauhan was the most important ruler of this dynasty.
 He was defeated in 1192 by Muhammad Ghori in the second battle of Tarain.
The Delhi Sultanate
1. Mamluk dynasty (1206-1290):
 This dynasty also called the Slave Dynasty
 It was established in Delhi by Qutb ud-Din Aibak who was given responsibility of governing the
conquered territories of India after Ghori returned to his capital, Ghor.
 It was the first of the dynasties to rule as the Delhi Sultanate.
 He began construction of the Qutb Minar and Quwwat-al-Islam mosque.
 Dynasty was succeeded by the Khilji (or Khalji) dynasty, the second dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
 Famous rulers were-Qutb ud-Din Aibak, Iltutmish and Razia Sultana.
2. Khiljī dynasty (1290-1320)
 It was established by Jalal-ud-din Firoz Khilji.
 In 1296 A.D. Ala-ud-din Khilji succeeded Jalal-ud-din Firoz Khilji and ascended the throne.
 Khilji died in 1316 A.D, his Successors were weak rulers.
 In 1320 A.D., the Governor of Punjab Ghazi Malik led a group of nobles, conquered Delhi and captured
the throne and founded the Tughlaq Dynasty.
3. Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1414)
 It was established by Ghazi Malik.
 It was ruled by many rulers like Ghazi Malik, Muhammad-bin-Tughluq, etc.
 India witnessed major changes in the domestic and foreign policies during the reign of the Tughlaq
dynasty.
 Timur’s invasion took place during the Tughlaq period, he captured Delhi and caused the annihilation
of the Tughlaq dynasty.
4. Sayyid dynasty (1414-1451)
 It was founded by Khizr Khan
 Taking advantage of the disordered situation in India after Timur’s invasion, Khizr Khan occupied
the throne of Delhi.
 Important rulers were- Khizr Khan, Mubarak Shah, Muhammad Shah, Ala-ud-din Shah.
5. Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526)
 Bahlul Lodi was the founder.
 Sultanate Period ended with Lodi Dynasty
 In the 1st battle of Panipat in the year 1526 A.D, Ibrahim Lodi faced defeat at the hands of Babur and
the Sultanate Period ended with the Lodi Dynasty.
 Famous rulers were- Sikandar Shahi, Bahlul Lodi

The Mughals Era
 It was founded by Babur.
 Babur won the Battle of Panipat against Ibrahim Lodi, the Lodi king.
 He captured Delhi and founded the greatest dynasty of North India the Mughal Empire.
 Mughal emperor Shahjahan in 1638 shifted the capital from Agra to Delhi.
 The Mughals ruled Delhi for more than three centuries.
 From 1540-1556, a sixteen year hiatus was due to the reign of Sher Shah and Hemu.
Babur and Humayun (1526–1556)
 They ruled from Agra.
 Babur brought the entire region up to Delhi and Agra under Babur’s control.
Akbar to Aurangzeb
 Akbar continued to rule from Agra, Humayun Tomb was constructed during his reign.
 Shah Jahan shifted the capital from Agra to Delhi and built the city of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of
Delhi that is now known as the old city or old Delhi.
 After Aurangzeb, the Mughal empire declined due to the rise of Hindu Maratha empire from the Deccan.
The Marathas
 The Marathas under Baji Rao I defeated the Mughals in the First Battle of Delhi in 1737.
 In 1739, the Battle of Karnal was fought with the forces of Nadir Shah and the Mughals lost huge as they
invaded and looted Delhi, carrying away the Peacock Throne, the Daria-i-Noor and Koh-i-Noor.
 Occupied Delhi for a brief period.
Colonial Period
 In 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the forces of British East India Company defeated the
Maratha forces in the Battle of Delhi.
 During the Indian Revolt of 1857, Delhi fell to the forces of East India Company after a bloody fight known
as the Siege of Delhi.
 The city came under the direct control of the British Government in 1858.
 It was made a district province of the Punjab.
 In 1911, the British ( Viceroy-Lord Hardinge II) shifted their capital from Calcutta to Delhi.
 The name "New Delhi" was given in 1927, and the new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931.
Partition and Post-Independence
 After independence in 1947, New Delhi was officially declared as the Capital of India.
 During the partition of India, around five lakh Hindu and Sikh refugees, mainly from West Punjab fled to
Delhi, while around three lakh Muslim residents of the city migrated to Pakistan.
 The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 created the Union Territory of Delhi from its predecessor, the Chief
Commissioner's Province of Delhi.
 The Constitution (69th Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known
as the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
 The Act gave Delhi its legislative assembly along Civil lines, though with limited powers.
Freedom Struggle in Delhi
 The Great Revolt of 1857 which began in Meerut on 10 May 1857 reached Delhi the next day and the soldiers
proclaimed Bahadur Shah as Emperor of India.
 The Delhi Durbar of 1876 was one of the important factors in the formation of Indian National congress in
1885.

 The second Delhi Durbar of 1903, the partition of Bengal in 1905, the change of Capital from Calcutta to
Delhi in 1912.
 The hurling of bombs on Lord Hardinge in 1912 were some of the major events in the history of Delhi which
contributed in preparing the base for the freedom struggle in the subsequent decades.
 The transfer of capital in 1911 turned Delhi into a centre of political activity.
 The no-tax campaign launched by Delhi villages was a matter of grave concern for the Government.
 The revolutionaries carried on their violent activities despite police repression.
 Individual Satyagraha movement (1940-41) also called the "Delhi Chalo" movement in which Satyagrahis,
if not arrested, marched to Delhi, demanding independence for India.


HISTORY (MISCELLANEOUS)
Famous Personalities
 Razia Sultana
 Razia sultan belonged to Mamluk dynasty (Slave Dynasty)
 Born in 1205 as Iltutmish’s daughter.
 She was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, and the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi.
 She ruled the court of Delhi from the end of 1236 to 1240.
 She was a great warrior and defied all odds to occupy the throne, including overcoming conflicts over
her gender and her slave ancestry.
Delhi Triangle
 Delhi has been the centre of a succession of powerful kingdoms.
 Numerous ruins scattered throughout the territory.
 All the earlier locations of Delhi fall within a triangular area of about 180 square km commonly called the
Delhi Triangle.
 Two sides of the triangle are articulated by the rocky hills of the Aravalli Range—one to the south of The
city, the other on its western edge, where it is known as the Delhi Ridge.
 The third side of the triangle is formed by the shifting channel of the Yamuna River.

Seven Cities of Delhi
 Traditionally seven cities have been associated with the region of Delhi.
 The earliest, Indraprastha, is part of a literary description in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata.
 Seven Cities of Delhi (13th - 19th century): Lalkot, Siri, Tughlakabad, Jahanpanah, Firuzabad, Sher Shahi
(Purana Quila), Shahjahanabad.
 The phrase of the seven cities of Delhi was coined by colonial-era historians and originally referred only to
the Islamic era settlements, i.e., the sites of the sultanate and Mughal rulers.
 It doesn't take into account other settlements, established before, during and after the Islamic rule, in the area
commonly called the 'Delhi Triangle' Hence, the classic list of the seven cities of Delhi includes the following
1. Lalkot and Qila Rai Pithora:
 This site of the first capital of the Delhi Sultanate, mostly developed during the rule of the Mamluk
(Slave) dynasty between 1192 and 1290.
 The Slave dynasty strengthened the defences of the pre-existing forts known as Lalkot and Qila Rai
Pithora and constructed new buildings within their boundaries.
2. Siri:
 It was first established as a camp for protection against invading Mongols by Alauddin Khalji, and
fortified in about ca. 1303 A.D.
3. Tughlaqabad:
 It was built by Ghiyasuddin Tughluq in ca. 1320 A.D.
4. Jahanpanah
 Literally means Sanctuary of the World created by the construction of two long walls connecting
the first two Delhis (Qutb Minar complex/Mehrauli andSiri).
 It was built by Muhammad bin Tughluq in ca. 1325 A.D.
5. Firozabad
 It was built by Firuz Shah Tughluq in ca. 1354 A.D.
6. Dinpanah
 Literally Sanctuary of the Faith built by Humayun, and Shergarh, built by Sher Shah Suri, both in
the area near the speculated site of the legendary Indraprastha (1538–1545).5
7. Shahjahanabad
 The walled city was built by Shah Jahan from 1638 to 1649, containing the Lal Qila and the
Chandni Chowk, nowadays known as Old Delhi.
 Other Later Sites are as Follows:
 Lodi Complex: It was built by the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties in the 15th and early 16th century.
 Lutyens' Delhi or New Delhi: The city was built by the British, declared Capital on 12 December 1911.
Old Delhi vs New-Delhi
 The city of Delhi actually consists of two components: Old Delhi and New Delhi
Old Delhi New Delhi
 It was founded by the Mughal emperor  The foundation stone for New Delhi was laid by
Shahjahan in 1638 when the emperor Geogre V, Emperor of India during the Delhi Durbar
decided to shift the capital from Agra. of 1911, when it was decided to shift the capital of
the British Raj from Calcutta to Delhi.
 It was initially known as Shahjahanabad and  The city was named New Delhi in 1927 and was
was a walled city. inaugurated in 1931 by Lord Irwin, the Viceroy.
 The construction of the city was completed in  The city was meticulously planned by Edwin
1648 and remained the capital of the Mughal Lutyensand Herbert Baker, both British architects.
empire until its fall in 1857, when the British
Raj took over.

 Old Delhi houses many important historical  It comprises several significant establishments as the
sites such as the Red fort, Jama Masjid and Rashtrapati Bhavan, Indian parliament, Connaught
Rajghat among others. Place, Rajpath etc.
 It is characterized by crowded, narrow, and  It is composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and
winding streets lined with old havelis and many government buildings.
mosques.

PLACES (HERITAGE SITES, TANGIBLE, INTANGIBLE)

UNESCO World Heritage Sites
According to UNESCO, an area is a world heritage site if it is scientifically, historically, or culturally significant and
is protected by international treaties. As of today, India has about 37 such sites, Delhi has three sites to its credit,
namely the Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, and the Red Fort.
Humayun’s Tomb / Maqbaera e Humayun
 It was built for the Mughal emperor Humayun in the year 1570.
 It was commissioned by Bega Begum or Haji Begum, the chief consort cum first wife of the emperor.
 Important Features:
 Mixed Architecture: It was a blend of Indian, Persian, and Turkish architectural style.
 Building material: Mostly, red sandstone and white marble were used.
 Speciality: Specific features such as the Charbagh style of the mausoleums, pronounced bulbous domes,
slender turrets at the corners, broad gateways, beautiful calligraphy, arabesque, and geometric patterns on
pillars and walls, and palace halls supported on pillars.
Qutub Minar and Its Monuments

 It is a five-storeyed red sandstone tower (72.5m high) built by Muslim conquerors in the thirteenth century
to commemorate their final triumph over the Rajput rulers of Delhi.
 Founder of the Delhi Sultanate, Qutb-Ud-din-Aibak ( In the memory of the famous Sufi saint Khawaja
Qutubuddin Bhaktiyar Kaki ), began building this gigantic structure in 1192 and went up to constructing the
first story while the remaining stories were completed Iltutmish andFiroz Shah Tughlaq.
 The three lower stories are made up of sandstone, the fourth of marble, and the final tower of marble and
sandstone.
 The minar (tower) is engraved with fine arabesque decorations on its surface, mainly verses from the Quran.
The Red Fort or Lal Qila

 Built by: The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan laid the foundation stone of the Red Fort in1618 and held its
inauguration in 1647.
 Architecture: Indo-Islamic and Mughal architectural styles are present in the Red Fort Complex.
 It is situated on the Banks of River Yamuna.
 Important structures in the Red Fort Complex are: Diwan-e-Aam, Diwan-e-Khas, Naubat Khana, Rang
Mahal, Moti Masjid, Lohari gate, Delhi gate etc
 Red Fort and Independence Day tradition: In order to reclaim the Red Fort (Symbol of British Power and
Might), the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru hoisted the Indian Flag on the ramparts
of the Red Fort on August 15, 1947. This was to then become India’s lasting Independence Day tradition.

Architecture
 The city of Delhi has architecture from Rajput Kingdom, Delhi Sultanate, British Colonial period but the
most significant of them is Mughal architecture
Mughal Architecture In Delhi
 Features:
 Wide use of arch and domes- 'arcuade' style
 Use of minars.
 Mortar used as cementing agent.
 Avoided the use of human and animal figures.
 Use of calligraphy.
 Arabesque Method: Geometrical vegetal ornamentation- continuous stem which split regularly to give
rise to other secondary stems and leaves, which in turn split again.
 Focus on symmetry
 Jaali work
 Use of water: Religious purpose, cooling the premise, decorative purpose
 Charbagh style of gardens
 Pietra-dura Technique: For inlay of precious stones and gems into stone walls
 Important Monuments: Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Humayun Tomb, Safdarjung Tomb etc.
Temple Architecture
 Temples have a fusion of Southern temple architecture and ancient North India architecture.
 Chhatarpur temples, Birla temple
 These amalgamations show that the art and crafts of Delhi has influence from every region of India and also
from the invaders of neighbouring countries.
Tourist Places
 India Gate:
 It stands as a memorial to 70, 000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died between 1914 and 1921
in the WW 1, And 3rd Anglo-Afghan war.
 13, 300 servicemen's names (including some soldiers and officers from the United Kingdom) are inscribed
on the gate.
 Every Republic Day, the Prime Minister visits the gate to pay their tributes to the Amar Jawan Jyoti,
following which the Republic Day parade starts
 Jantar-Mantar:
 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five Jantar Mantar in total, in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain,
Mathura and Varanasi Akshardham, in the early 18th century.
 Qutub Minar
 Qutb Minar is a minaret and "victory tower" that forms part of the Qutb complex, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
 It is the tallest minaret in the world built of bricks.
 Qutb-ud-din Aibak started construction of the Qutb Minar's first storey in 1199.
 Later three storeys were completed by Shamsuddin Iltutmish and Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
 Humayun Tomb
 Commissioned by Humayun’s first wife Bega Begum
 first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent.
 It is also called the ‘dormitory of the Mughals’ as in the cells are buried over 150 Mughal family members.
 It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Red-Fort
 Constructed in 1639 by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his fortified capital
Shahjahanabad
 The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nadir Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire
in 1747.
 Most of the fort's precious marble structures were subsequently destroyed by the British following the
Revolt of 1857.
 Connaught Place
 officially known as Rajiv Chowk
 It is one of the main financial, commercial and business centres in New Delhi,
 Named after Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught (1850–1942), third son of Queen Victoria, who
visited India in 1921 and laid the foundation of the Council House (Parliament House)
 It is a major shopping, nightlife and tourist destination in New Delhi.
 Old Delhi
 Old Delhi or Purani Dilli is an area part of the greater city of Delhi.
 It was founded as a walled city named Shahjahanabad in 1639, 8 when Shah Jahan decided to shift the
Mughal capital from Agra.
 It is known for its bazaars, street food, shopping locations and its Islamic architecture, especially Jama
Maszid.
 National War Memorial
 Built to honour and remember soldiers of the Indian military who gave the supreme sacrifice in armed
conflicts of Independent India.
 The names of armed forces personnel killed during the armed conflicts with Pakistan and China as well
as the 1961 War in Goa, Operation Pawan, and other operations such as Operation Rakshak are
inscribed on the memorial walls in golden letters.
 The Memorial has four concentric circles and a central obelisk, at the bottom of which burns an 'eternal
flame' representing the immortal soldier (amar jawan jyoti)
 Iron Pillar
 Constructed by Chandragupta II (reigned c. 375-415 CE), and now stands in the Qutb complex area of
 Qutub Minar.
 It is famous for the rust-resistant composition of the metals used in its construction
 Lodi Garden
 It is a city park situated in New Delhi.
 It contains, Mohammed Shah's Tomb, Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, Shisha Gumbad and Bara Gumbad
and architectural works of the 15th century by Lodis - who ruled parts of northern india and punjab and
khyber province of modern day pakistan.
 Safdarjung Tomb
 It is a sandstone and marble mausoleum built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style for Nawab
Safdarjung.
 The tomb has four key features which are: The Char Bagh plan with the mausoleum at the centre, a nine
fold floor plan, a five-part
 Façade and a large podium with a hidden stairway.
 Chandni Chowk
 It is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi.
 The bazaar was famous for its silver merchants, which also contributed to the name of "Silver Street" as
silver is referred to as Chandi in Hindi, a slight variation of which forms Chandni.
 Jama Masjid
 It is one of the largest mosques in India.
 It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656.
 The mosque has three great gates and two 40 metres high minarets constructed with strips of red
sandstone and white marble.


CULTURE AND SPORTS
 Delhi’s cultural life exhibits a unique blend of the traditional and cosmopolitan styles.
 The city is dotted with numerous museums, historic forts and monuments, libraries, auditoriums, botanical
gardens, and places of worship.
 Complementing such traditional institutions are the ever-changing urban commercial and leisure centres, with
their privately held contemporary art galleries, cinema multiplexes, bowling alleys and other sports venues, and
restaurants serving a variety of Indian and international cuisines.
Fairs and Festivals
 Delhi has communities from different regions of the country, who introduced many festivals and fairs into
Delhi’s culture.
 Today, these festivals have become the basis of Delhi’s culture. Guru Purab was brought in by Sikhs, Durga
Puja by Bengalis, Chhat by immigrants of Bihar and Eastern U.P and so on.
 Apart from the common indian festival-Holi, Diwali, Eid ul-Fitr, Moharram and Buddha Jayanti etc the top
festivals celebrated in Delhi are:
Fair/ Festival When Celebration
On August 15, 1947 first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar
Lal Nehru hoisted the Indian Flag on the Red Fort.
Independence Day 15th August
Since then, on Independence Day, the Prime Minister addresses
the nation from the Red Fort.
Republic Day The Republic Day Parade is a large cultural and military parade
26th January
Parade showcasing India's cultural diversity and military strength
Phoolwalon-ki- Flowers and fans embroidered with flowers—are offered to the
September or
sair(Festival of shrine of the 13th-century Sufi saint Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki and
October
flowers) the Yogmaya Temple, both situated in Mehrauli
The Qutub Festival is a cultural event during which performances
of musicians and dancers from all over India are showcased at
night, with the Qutub Minar as a backdrop New Delhi World Book
Fair Held biennially.
November or It is the second-largest exhibition of books in the world India
Qutub Festival
December International Trade Fair November Organised by ITPO.
It is the biggest cultural and shopping fair of Delhi.
India International Organised by ITPO, It is the biggest cultural and shopping fair
November
Trade Fair of Delhi.
Music
 Qawwali: A form of devotional Sufi music that originated in the 13th century is exclusive to the holy shrine
of Nizammudin Auliya in Delhi.
 It is devotional music since it is in praise of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, or any other major Sufi or
Islamic saint.
 It is written in Urdu, Punjabi, or Hindi and is composed in a single raga. Some Brajbhasa and Awadhi
words are also used.
 They are carried out in Sufi shrines.
 It is typically sung as a solo or in groups of two lead singers and an eight-member team.
 Tabla, dholak, and harmonium are used as musical instruments.

 The intensity or tempo gradually increases in order to induce a transcendental state.
 The origins of Qawwali are said to be attributed to Amir Khusrau, but this is heavily debated.
 The Sabri Brothers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Aziz Warisi, and others are notable Qawwals.
Dance
 Kathak is the principal dance form widely practised in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh,
and even parts of western and eastern India today.10
 It is one of the classical dances of India.
 The word Kathak has been derived from the word Katha which means a story. It is primarily performed
in Northern India.
 Usually a solo performance, the dancer often pauses to recite verses followed by their execution through
movement.
 The focus is more on footwork; the movements are skillfully controlled and performed straight legged by
dancers wearing ankle-bells.
 Kathak is the only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music.
 Some prominent dancers include Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi.
State Symbol
State Emblem Uses the National Emblem of India
स�मेव जयते Satyameva Jayate

State Motto
(Truth alone triumphs)
State Animal Nilgai
State Bird House sparrow
State Flower Alfalfa
State Tree Gulmohar or royal poinciana

Cuisine
 Traditionally a mixture of ancient Indian and Mughal style cuisine is considered as authentic Delhi cuisine.
 Delhi has an amalgamated cuisine, which revolves around dishes from Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh and so on.
 Street foods make up a major part of the cuisine of the land. Top street food of Delhi is lassi, kebab, chole-
bhature, jalebis, falooda, samosa, butter chicken, Nihari, kulfi, and others. However, the iconic dish of Delhi
is biryani served in earthen pots.
Artwork
 The most iconic artwork of Delhi is jewellery making-Meenakari and Kundan Jewelries. These methods of
crafting were introduced from Lahore.
 Apart from this gold thread embroidery called zari work, ivory carving, kite making, are also popular. After
the ban of procuring and/or sales of ivory, the artisans started to use bones of buffaloes to create artefacts.
 Artworks on potteries
 Textile embroidery
Painting
 Top types of Delhi paintings are paper painting, miniature painting, manuscripts, marble paintings, and
others.
 During the Mughal era, many authentic schools were erected to teach these skills. Some of these schools are
still functioning.
Clothing
 Traditionally, womenfolk wear salwar kameez or saree. The male population wears sherwani or kurta.
 However, today, all forms of modern styled attire are in use in Delhi.

GEOGRAPHY
 Border Sharing
 The Union Territory of Delhi is a narrow strip forming a part
of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Delhi sits primarily on the west
bank of the Yamuna River about 160 km south of the Himalayas.
 To the east the territory is bounded by the state of Uttar
Pradesh, and to the north, west, and south it is bounded by the
state of Haryana.
 Area: 1, 483 sq. kms

(NCR) vs (NCT)
 NCT stands for National Capital Territory of Delhi- the official
designation of Delhi, and delineates geographical oundaries of Delhi,
 NCR refers to the National Capital Region and comprises not just Delhi
but 4 satellite towns such as Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and
NOIDA.
NCR Constituent Areas
● National Capital Region (NCR) is a unique example of inter-state
regional planning and development for a region with NCT-Delhi as
its core.
● The NCR as notified covers the whole of NCT-Delhi and certain
districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, covering an area
of about 55, 083 sq. kms. The sub-region wise area details are as under:
Sub-Region Name of the Districts Area (in sq kms)

Faridabad, Gurugram, Nuh, Rohtak, Sonepat, Rewari, Jhajjhar,
Haryana Gurugram, Panipat, Palwal, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, 25, 327
Mahendragarh, Jind and Karnal (fourteen districts).
Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Baghpat,
Uttar Pradesh 14, 826
Hapur, Shamli and Muzaffarnagar (Eight districts).
Rajasthan Alwar and Bharatpur (two districts). 13, 447
Delhi Whole of NCT Delhi. 1, 483
 The National Capital Region (NCR) and its planning board were created under the National Capital Region
Planning Board Act of 1985.
 That 1985 Act defined the NCR as being the whole NCT of Delhi along with some districts of Haryana, Uttar
Pradesh and Rajasthan.
 With the rapidly increasing population of Delhi due to in-migration, the pressure on the limited resources of
the city is continuously increasing.
 The main aim of NCR planning is to enable growth of Delhi and the nearby areas in a harmonised manner
through balanced regional growth.
 It also involves the strategy of developing certain cities as counter magnets, which can accommodate the in-
migrating population and relieve the pressure over Delhi.
 Such cities include the likes of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Rohtak, Karnal, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Alwar among
others.
 The NCR Planning Board is headed by the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and includes the
CMs of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, NCT of Delhi, Lieutenant Governor of NCT of Delhi as few
of the prominent members.
 The board is entrusted to form policies for the NCR on the following lines:
(a) Providing suitable economic base for future growth;
(b) Providing efficient and economic rail and road -based transportation networks (including mass
transport systems)
(c) Minimising the adverse environmental impact that may occur in the process of development of the
NCR;
(d) Providing a rational land use pattern; and
(e) Promoting sustainable development in the region for improving the quality of life.

Topography
 The main kinds of topography that exist in Delhi are the Yamuna Flood Plains, The Delhi Ridge and The
Plains
The Yamuna flood plains
 Low-lying and sandy
 Prone to recurrent floods.
 Also called Khadar
 Average altitude of 293 m above sea level
 Provide fertile soil suitable for agriculture
The ridge
 Most dominating feature in this region
 Originates from the Aravalli Hills in the south and encircles the west, north-east and north west portions of
the city.
 Has dry deciduous forest
 Tughlaquabad fort is located on one of the highest spurs of the ridge.
 Acts as a barrier between the Thar desert and the plains and slows down the movement of dust and wind
from the desert.
 Called the lungs of Delhi
The Great Plains
 Leaving aside the Yamuna flood plain (khadar) and the ridge, the entire area of the NCT Delhi is categorised
as Bangar or the plain.
 Located in the south of the city and covers most of Delhi.
 A major proportion of the area of Delhi is plain and Delhi, New Delhi and Delhi cantonment along with a
vast stretch of numerous villages are located on this
 The land of the plain is mostly fertile.
Physiographic Division
 The physiography of Delhi is dominated by three major physiographic zones namely:
(i) the river Yamuna
(ii) the Aravalli range (discussed above)
(iii) the plains in between (discussed above)
The Yamuna
 Enter Delhi near Palla village
 22 km of Yamuna falls in Delhi
 The Yamuna River is Delhi’s source of drinking water.
 Pollution of the river is a major problem.
Climate
 Climate of Delhi is an overlap between monsoon influenced humid subtropical and semi-arid climate with
high variation between summer and winter temperatures and precipitation.
 Thus, Delhi experiences an extreme climate.
 It is very hot in summer (April - July) and cold in winter (December- January).
 Average Temperature: 25oC to 45oC during the summer and 22oC to 5oC during the winter.
 Average Annual Rainfall: 714 mm, three fourths of which falls in July, August and September

The Factors Affecting the Climate of Delhi are:
 It lies in the landlocked Northern plains of the Indian Subcontinent.
 Its proximity to the Himalayas and the Thar desert, causing it to experience both weather extremes.
Seasons and Their Duration:
Climate
Seasons Month Avg Temp Climate
Winter December to January 5° to 25° Very Cool
Spring February to March 20° to 25° Sunny and Pleasant
Summer April to June 25° to 45° Hot
Monsoon July to Mid September 30° to 35 Wet, hot And Humid
Autumn September end to November 20° to 30° Pleasant
Soil
 The entire northern plains including Delhi (Almost entirely), are made of alluvial soil.
Issues:
 Land degradation denotes deterioration or loss of soil productivity for the present and future-62% of land in
Delhi is under degradation.
 Soil contamination-due to improper handling and disposal of waste including e-waste.
 Soil erosion
Vegetation
 Vegetation of Delhi belongs to the category, “Northern Tropical Thorn Forest Type”.
 The vegetation comprises plants that vary in different sizes depending on the topographical conditions of the
place.
 The main kinds of topography that exist in Delhi are the Yamuna Flood Plains, The Delhi Ridge and The
Plains.
 The vegetation in each of these conditions is quite distinct and unique.
 The Plains have salvadora persica, cassia fistula and abundance of Shisham trees apart from this peepal,
neem and jamun trees are also common along roads.
 The Yamuna Food Plains have riverine vegetation type. The river banks of Yamuna have huge growth of
grass and weeds.
 The Ridge Forest classified as the Tropical Thorn Forest has thorny shrubs like cactus, acacia.
Forest
 Delhi used to be a green city, the region between south west Cantt area and the Delhi the university is the
area of Aravalli foothills.
 This mountainous region had a thick forest cover, but, with the coming of new rulers and the consequent
construction of forts and other buildings the forests started depleting and are today on the verge of extinction.
 According to the economic survey of Delhi 2021-22, the forest and tree cover area of Delhi increased to 342
sq km in 2021 (23.06 percent of geographical area)
 According to the India - State of Forest Report 2021
 Area under forest cover, 195 sq km.
 13.2% of total geographic area (less than a national average of 21.7%)
 Delhi has the second highest tree cover (9.91%) as percentage of total geographical area of the States/ UTs
after Chandigarh (13.16%).


HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Key Statistics - As Per 2011 Census
 Total Population (2011 census): 1.67 crores
 Population Density: 11297 people per square km (national average- 382) Density of population in Delhi was
the highest among all States and Union Territories during the year 2011.
 Literacy Rate: 86.2% (higher than the national average of 74.4%)
 Sex Ratio: 1000:868- which is much below the national average of 940. However, during the last decade sex
ratio in Delhi increased from 821 in 2001 to 868 in 2011.
 Life Expectancy: 75.9 years.
Important Health Indicators
 Vital indicators like Infant Mortality Rate, NeoNatal Mortality Rate, Under Five Mortality Rate in respect of
Delhi stand at lower levels than the national level.
Indicators Delhi All india level

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 1.6 2.1
Infant Mortality Rate 11 30
Neonatal Mortality Rate 10 23
Under-five Mortality Rate 19 36
Religious Composition
Hinduism 80.21 %
Islam 12.78 %
Sikhism 4.43 %
Buddhism 4.43 %
Jainism 1.39 %
Christianity 0.96 %
 No matter how many religious communities are present in Delhi, there is harmony among this diversity.
 Temples, mosques, churches, and Gurudwara stand side by side and stay as one single community.
 Delhiites (colloquial term for people of Delhi).
Linguistic composition
 Main Languages Spoken: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English
 More than 80% of the Delhi population speaks Hindi.
 The remaining population prefers Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, and others.
 Just like any other region of India, English is the most common foreign language preferred.
Age Composition
Age Group (years) Share

0-14 27%
15-64 69%
65 and above 4%

Rural-Urban Composition
Urban Population 93%
With the rapid pace of urbanisation the rural area of Delhi is shrinking. The
Rural Population percentage of rural population of Delhi has also declined from 47.24% in 1901 to
6.99% in 2001.

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
Major Mineral Resources
 Mainly sand and stones
 Useful for construction activities
 However, the stone quarries in the Ridge area have been shut down since 1984 on account of environmental
considerations.
Industries
 Key service industries are information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and
tourism. Construction, power, health and community services and real estate are also important to the city's
economy.
 Delhi has one of India's largest and fastest growing retail industries.
 Manufacturing also grew considerably as consumer goods companies established manufacturing units and
headquarters in the city.
 Delhi's large consumer market and the availability of skilled labour has also attracted foreign investment.

SOCIAL ISSUES
Health
 5% health budget
 Mohalla Clinics: For primary health care aims to provide basic health services to the underserved
population in urban settings.
 Medicines, diagnostics, and consultation free of cost.
 Special Mahila Mohalla Clinics: For gynaecological care for women.
 Ayush services in Mohalla clinics
Education
 23.5 % share of budget
 Happiness Curriculum: For improving mental wellbeing of students of 1-8 classes. Being run since 2018.
Focus on mindfulness, critical thinking, problem solving, and reflective stories.
 It is primarily based on the concept of the "Happiness Triad" proposed by philosopher Agrahar Nagraj
Sarman, according to which there are three components of happiness –momentary happiness, long term
happiness and sustainable happiness.
 It is also based on Nagraj's concept of "coexistential thought" (Madhyasth Darshan), which is about
simplicity, generosity, kindness and benevolence in the pursuit of happiness.
 The curriculum also includes concepts about self and relationships with family, society and nature.

 Desh Bhakti Classes:
 Participatory method of learning.
 Discussions about freedom fighters. Instill patriotism. Pride + responsibility for the country. Love and
respect for the country, tolerance for differences, contribution towards nation-building, and developing
a value system.
 Deshbhakti Curriculum is taught daily for 45 minutes in government schools to students from nursery
to class 8.
 Ambedkar Classes:
 For 6th to 8th.
 Life contribution and ideas of BR Ambedkar, casteism, parliamentary democracy.
Crime Against Women
 “Crime in India 2022”, the annual crime report of the NCRB, With 14, 247 cases in 2022, Delhi registered
the highest rate of crimes against women in the country at 144.4—way above the country’s average rate of 66.4.
 Such cases in the national capital stood at 14, 277 in 2021 and 10, 093 in 2020, the official data showed.
 Also increasing- cyber crimes against women
Why is Delhi Called the Rape Capital/Why Crimes Against Women are More in Delhi?
 Complex Interplay: Societal mindset, continuous migration and joblessness.
 Lack of Infrastructure: Lack of CCTV, proper street lighting
 The Surge in Reporting: High Reporting is also high due to more educated women and more awareness
Delhi Government Initiatives
 Mukhyamantri Street Light Scheme, 2.10 lakh street lights will be installed all over Delhi.
 Women marshals in DTC buses
 The Delhi government is installing CCTV cameras and panic buttons in 5, 500 DTC buses.
 Delhi Commission for Women is constituted with the aim to investigate and examine all matters relating to
the safeguards provided for women under the constitution and other laws.
 The Commission functions in the manner of a Civil Court and strives to ensure aims envisaged in the
Act through its various programmes like Sahyogini, Mahila Panchayats, Rape Crisis Cell, Mobile Help
Line and Pre-Marital Counselling Cell.
 The jurisdiction of the Commission is within the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Ways to Tackle
 Any such reform must start with awareness and advocacy.
 More vigilant towards cybercrime
 Physical Intervention:
 Women sensitive Urban planning and design- street lighting, CCTV cameras.
 Provision of basic services like transport improve frequency and safety in buses, GPS in cabs.
 Institutional Reforms and Capacity Building:
 Policing: Increase patrolling, helpline number, increasing women in police force, sensitisation of police.
 Legislations
 Fast-track courts
 Awareness and advocacy
 Training in self defence to young girls in school.
 Sex education.
Major social groups of Delhi
 Brahmins, Gujjars, Jats, Vaishyas, Khatris, Rajputs, Ahirs, Punjabis, Purvanchalis, Bengalis, Uttarakhandis,
Muslims, Sikhs etc.


ECONOMY
 Economic Profile of Delhi: The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Delhi for 2022-23 (at current prices)
is projected to be Rs 10.4 lakh crore, amounting to growth of 15.4% over 2021-22
 Sectoral Contribution: In 2022-23, agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors are estimated to
contribute 3%, 12%, and 85% of the economy, respectively (at current prices).
 The Service sector is the most important part of Delhi's economy, and it plays a pivotal role in the State
economy both in terms of employment generation and contribution to State Income.
 Key service industries include information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media
and tourism.
 Delhi's manufacturing industry has also grown considerably as many consumer goods industries have
established manufacturing units and headquarters in and around Delhi.
 Delhi's large consumer market, coupled with the easy availability of skilled labour, has also attracted foreign
investment in Delhi.
Key Economic Indicator
 Delhi's Workforce: 52.52% of the population 2001.
 According to the “Women & Men in Delhi-2023” report, Women & Men in Delhi-2023.
 Male Workforce: A major proportion of male workers were found to be engaged in the ‘trade, hotel &
restaurant’ sector (29.77%),
 Followed by manufacturing and other services.
 Female Workforce: Most of the female workers (59.74%) were engaged in ‘other services’,
 Followed by ‘trade, hotel and restaurant’ (14.73%) and manufacturing (14.19%).
 The city’s labour force participation rate was 57.5% for men and 9.4% for women, against the national
figures of 57.3% for men and 24.8% for women.
 Unemployment Rate: The report, ‘Women & Men in Delhi-2023’, showed that the national capital’s UR was
5.1% for men and 6% for women, higher than the national average of 4.4% for men and 3.3% for women.
 Per Capita GSDP (at current prices): The per capita GSDP of Delhi in 2022-23 (at current prices) is estimated
at Rs 4, 44, 768, an increase of 14% over 2021-22.
 Per-capita income: Delhi’s Per Capita Income during 2022-23 at current prices, has been worked out to ₹
444768 as against ₹ 389529 during 2021-22 showing a growth of 14.18 percent.
 Delhi’s Per Capita Income has always been around 2.6 times higher when compared to national average,
both at current and constant prices.
Industry in Delhi
 Major Sectors: Sectors with a strong presence in Delhi include retailing & leisure, tourism and IT / ITES.
Information Technology & IT Enabled Services
 Delhi being the national capital is a trade hub for foreign as well as domestic organisations.
 The state has witnessed a phenomenal rise in the tertiary sector which contributes more than 80% to the state
domestic product.
 IT and BPO industries are the major services offered by the state.
 Factors:
 Large skilled English speaking workforce that attracts many multinational companies.
 The availability of adequate infrastructure and facilities such as prominent Internet service providers,
telecom service providers and satellite communication facilities give the sector an edge in operations.
 The rapid advancements in the field of Information, Communication and Entertainment Technologies
and the resultant explosive growth of the information intensive services sector.
 These changes have given rise to a new society based on knowledge.
 This has further resulted in new avenues of development, employment, productivity, efficiency, and
enhanced factors of economic growth.

Retailing and Leisure Industry
 Following on the same lines of Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong, Delhi is also emerging as the next big
retail destination in Asia.
 Factors:
 According to an estimate more than 40% of a family's spending is on food, clothes and entertainment,
which provides a huge opportunity for the retailing and leisure industry.
 Delhi is also regarded as the largest market for high-end consumer durables such as colour televisions,
scooters and refrigerators and also India's largest car market.
 Delhi's per capita income is one of the highest in the North Indian states and nearly three times that of
the national average.
 Delhi has a number of well-established shopping areas and complexes and a number of large-scale retail
and leisure / entertainment projects are being executed currently.
 Delhi has been rated as the second most prosperous city in the country with over 25% of the country's
super rich families living in Delhi.
Hotel and Tourism Industry

 Delhi is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in India.
 Being a gateway to India as well as the capital city, it receives a large number of tourists, from abroad and
from other parts of the country.
 This industry accounts for about 20% of Delhi's state domestic product.
 Factors:
 Delhi is one of the greenest cities with the privilege of having world heritage sites like Qutub Minar
and Humayun's tomb.
 Delhi has some of the finest museums in the country
 It has got world class hotels and restaurants that provide perfect hospitality to the visitors in the city.
 Delhi is not only a point of attraction for the tourists, but also a convenient transit point to other tourist
attractions around such as Taj Mahal, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath & Kedarnath, Shimla, Nainital,
etc.
Challenges of Service Sectors

 Impact of the Pandemic:
 Delhi’s Services sector witnessed a significant setback during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated
lockdown particularly sub-sectors such as tourism, aviation, and hospitality.
 During the first half of the financial year 2020-21, the services sector contracted by almost 16 per cent.
 This decline was led by a sharp contraction in all sub-sectors particularly ‘Trade, hotels, transport,
communication & services related to broadcasting.
 Impact of Demonetization: Demonetization, temporarily impacted the services sector as in the case of other
sectors.
 Employment in Services: Employment has not kept pace with the share of the sector in gross domestic product
and has not produced the number or quality of jobs needed.
 Lack of Policy: There is no policy leading to inclusive growth, and multiple, uncoordinated governing
bodies adversely affect the growth of the sector.
 Many regulations are outdated, and there are restrictions and barriers to foreign direct investment.
 Domestic Regulations and Services Trade Restrictiveness.
 Market Access Barriers: There are many market access barriers in India’s trading partner Countries.
 Some of them for major services include Visa issues in different countries for Professionals; licensing
of professional service suppliers.

Delhi and Migration
 Delhi was a small town in 1901 with a population 0.4 million.18
 Delhi’s population started increasing after it became the capital of British India in 1911.
 During the Partition of the country, a large number of people migrated from Pakistan and settled in Delhi,
Migration into the city continued even after Partition.
 According to the 2011 Census population of Delhi is 1.67 crores.
 More than 45% of Delhi’s population resides in slums, unauthorised colonies and other unplanned
settlements. (Economic Survey of Delhi, 2001-2021)
 As the country’s capital, with vibrant trade and commerce and excellent employment opportunities.
 Delhi has attracted people from all over the country and its population today reflects the characteristics of
almost every region.
 Delhi is among the top three States/Union Territories in terms of per capita income (Rs. 38864 in 2000-01),
current prices.
 However, with the continuous inflow of labourers and unemployed persons, the number of people living in
substandard areas is increasing. (Economic Survey of Delhi, 2001-2021)
Schemes
 Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic
 The Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic has been conceptualised as a mechanism to provide quality primary
health care services accessible within the communities in Delhi at their doorstep.
 Clinics Shall Provide Following Services:
 Basic medical care based on standard treatment protocols which include curative care for common
illnesses like fever, diarrhoea.
 All drugs as per the essential drug list shall be provided free of cost to the patients
 Health information, education and awareness.
 Antenatal and postnatal care of pregnant women.
 Mohalla clinics will now offer 450 kinds of tests free of cost as compared to 250 earlier.
 Four new hospitals will be operational by 2023-24.
 Delhi Startup Policy
 To promote entrepreneurship in Delhi by creating an enabling ecosystem for people to launch startups.
 To make Delhi the “startup destination of the world”.
 Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojna
 To supply rations at the doorstep of beneficiaries through government empanelled direct-to-home
delivery agencies.
 To eliminate corruption by existing fair price shop (FPS) owners.
 Delhi Winter Action Plan
 The 15-point Action Plan will act as the blueprint for addressing air pollution in the national capital.
 Collaboration with the Central Government and neighbouring state governments to curb Pollution.
 Mohalla Bus Scheme: Small electric buses will be used to connect major metro and bus networks to
residential colonies to improve last mile connectivity in public transport.
 EV Charging Infrastructure: The government will launch 30 EV charging stations by March 2023 and
launch 59 more stations by the end of 2023-24.
 Schools of Applied Learning: Twelve schools will have a professional industrial setup to aid in the skill
development of students and prepare them for new-age jobs.
 Tax Policy and Revenue Augmentation Unit: From 2023-24, this unit will identify opportunities to increase
revenue, help detect revenue leakages and support policy formulation.

Economic Survey 2022-23
 Overall economic activity in Delhi has recovered faster compared to national, past the pre-pandemic levels.
 In the years 2021-22 & 2022-23, a sharp recovery of real GSDP of Delhi with growth of 9.14% & 9.18%
respectively is based on a low base effect and inherent strengths of the economy.
 Delhi’s Per Capita Income has always been around 2.6 times higher when compared to national average,
both at current and constant prices.
 Delhi has maintained its consistent Revenue Surplus; it increased to ₹ 3270 crore during 2021-22 (Provisional)
as compared to ₹ 1450 crore in 2020-21.
 Delhi’s revenue surplus was 0.36% of GSDP during 2021-22 and 0.73% during 2022-23 (BE).
 During 2022-23, Transport Sector has been allocated the major share of about 20% of total Budget
allocation of Schemes/ Programmes/ Projects, followed by Education (17%), Water Supply & Sanitation
(15%) and Medical & Public Health (13%).
Education
 Delhi Board School Education (DBSE) has been set up
 Establishment of the Delhi Sports University and Delhi Teachers University.
 Delhi Govt. has a total of 1250 government and government-aided schools in Delhi, which is 22.24% of the
total schools running in Delhi.
 As per UDISE+ Report 2021-22, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) at all
levels of education in Delhi is higher as compared to all India levels.
 As per State Budget Analysis Report of RBI, the Govt. of NCT of Delhi has highest budgetary allocation of
20.5% in the education sector among all states in 2022-23 (BE)
 100% of schools have implemented Deshbhakti Pathyakaram in their curriculum.
 Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University has been set up to promote quality education in skill education
to address the challenges of developing trained and employable human resource for national growth. During
2022-23, DSEU has increased its intake capacity to 7933.
Health Infrastructure
 Delhi Govt. is implementing a 4 tier health care infrastructure model having Mohalla clinics and Polyclinics
at tier-1 & tier-2 for providing primary and secondary health care services.
 Health Infrastructure in Delhi consists of 89 Hospitals, 48 Primary Health Centers, 1621 Dispensaries, 128
Maternity Homes & Sub Centers, 44 Polyclinics, 1050 Nursing Homes, 508 Special Clinics and 19 Medical
Colleges as on 31st March 2022.
 The Delhi Govt. alone is a significant contributor in case of health care services having 38 Multispecialty and
Super Specialty Hospitals, 167 Allopathic Dispensaries, 58 Seed Primary Urban Health Centres, 517 Aam
Aadmi Mohalla Clinics, 30 Polyclinics, 49 Ayurvedic Dispensaries, 22 Unani Dispensaries, 108 Homeopathic
Dispensaries and 50 School Health Clinics.
 Total sanctioned bed capacity of medical institutions in Delhi has increased to 58960 beds in 1163
Government and Private Medical Institutions & Hospitals at the end of FY 2021-22 from 58156 beds available
as on 31.03.2021.
Transport sector
 Public transport in Delhi has two major components viz. bus transport mainly through DTC & Cluster buses
and metro rail of DMRC.
 The daily average passenger ridership in DTC was 15.62 lakh and 9.87 lakh in Cluster buses during the year
2021-22.
 The total number of motor vehicles on road in NCT of Delhi in 2021-22 was 79.18 lakh, showing a decrease
by 35.38% since Delhi government has banned Diesel Vehicles of more than 10 year old and Petrol Vehicles
of more than 15 years old.
 30 Ladies Special Buses are also being plied during peak hours on 30 routes.

 GNCTD has decided to engage pure electric buses in Delhi which will go a long way to reduce overall
vehicular emissions in Delhi.
 300 electric buses have been inducted upto Dec, 2022 under phase-II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing
of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme to DTC.
Delhi Metro
 DMRC is registered under the Companies Act, 1956 with equal equity participation of the Government of
India and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi.
 Started in December 2002.
 10 colour coded lines and more than 250 stations.
 The operational route of Delhi Metro (including Airport Line and Rapid Metro) was 360.975 km during
2021-22 and average daily passenger journey in Delhi Metro recorded is 25.16 lakh during the same year
(Economic Survey 2022-23).
 Delhi metro also offers services beyond the boundaries of Delhi- to NOIDA and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh,
Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bahadurgarh and Ballabgarh in Haryana
 Benefits: Comfortable public transport option, controlling pollution and reducing vehicular congestion on
the roads.
 Awards for environment
 Water harvesting in metro stations.
 Earns carbon credits by registering with the UN under CDM
Major Issues of Metro Transport
 Land Acquisition for new projects- due to dense population with little availability of land for such mega
infrastructure project
 Loss of Trees/Green Cover-During the construction phase of metro rail projects, many times trees have to be
cut, resulting in the loss of green cover along the metro rail corridors
 Lack of last-mile connectivity.
 Relocation and rehabilitation of displaced people, High fares, Over-congested.
 Upcoming projects in Delhi: The Delhi Metro Phase 4 project covers three approved corridors, Maujpur to
Majlis Park, Janakpuri West to RK Ashram, and Tughlakabad to Aerocity, spanning a total length of around
65 kms.
 Red Line extension.
 Blue Line extension.
Metro Man of India
● E Sreedharan-known as the Metro Man
● For changing the face of public transport in India particularly Delhi Metro
● He served as the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) between 1995 and 2012.
● He was particularly known for isolating his projects from political pressures and influences and winning
political commitments for fast execution of projects.



ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP
Constitutional Provisions Related to Delhi
 Delhi’s status as a Union Territory with a Legislative Assembly is an outcome of the 69th Amendment Act.
 The act introduced Articles 239AA and 239BB in the Constitution.
 The administrator appointed under article 239 gets designated as the Lieutenant Governor.
 There shall be a council of ministers to aid and advise LG.
 Provisions related to public order, police and land are not under the jurisdiction of the Government of Delhi.
The Union Government will maintain these provisions.
 Article 239AA(3)(b) allows Parliament to make laws for Delhi ‘on any matter’.
 Article 239AA(4) mandates that in case of a difference of opinion between the L-G and the Council of
Ministers, the L-G has to refer the issue to the President.
 Until the decision is pending before the President, the L-G can use his discretion to take immediate action if
urgency requires him/her to take an action.
Key Districts
 Delhi is divided into Eleven Revenue Districts.
 11 Districts are - East Delhi, West Delhi, North Delhi, South Delhi, North- East Delhi, North West Delhi,
South-East Delhi, South- West Delhi, New- Delhi, Central Delhi, and Shahdara.
 Each district is headed by a District Magistrate, who has under him an Additional District Magistrate, Sub
Divisional Magistrates, Tehsildars and Sub-Registrars.
New-Delhi
 New Delhi is an urban district located in the city of Delhi.
 It serves as the capital of India and the seat of all three branches of the Government of India.
 The Parliament of India, the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace), Cabinet Secretariat, and the Supreme
Court of India are located in the municipal district of New Delhi.
 The Government of India and the Government of NCT Delhi jointly administer New Delhi.
Legislature
 The National Capital Territory of Delhi has its own Legislative Assembly, Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister
and the council of ministers.
 Members of the legislative assembly are directly elected from territorial constituencies in the NCT.
 The legislative assembly was abolished in 1956, after which direct federal control was implemented until it
was re-established in 1993.
 The Municipal corporation handles civic administration for the city as part of the Panchayati Raj Act.
 There are 70 assembly constituencies and seven Lok Sabha (Indian parliament's lower house) constituencies
in Delhi.
 Delhi also has 3 rajyasabha seats in parliament.
Council of Ministers
 7 members council to aid and advise the Lieutenant Governor in the exercise of his functions.
 In accordance with the 69th amendment act of constitution the maximum strength of COM is fixed at 10%
of the total seats.
 Influential personalities are-C.M Arvind Kejrival and Shri Manish Sisodia.
Arvind Kejrival
 Chief Minister of Delhi since February 2015
 He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his involvement in the Parivartan movement using right to
information legislation in a campaign against government corruption.

 He introduced various reforms-
 In health sector of delhi - Mohalla clinic,
 For women empowerment- free DTC bus pass for women
Shri Manish Sisodia
 Deputy chief minister of Delhi
 He is in charge of several important departments — finance, education, planning, urban development,
revenue, services, local bodies, land & buildings, higher education, training & technical education etc
 He is known for changing the face of school education in Delhi -Happiness curriculum, Desh bhakti
curriculum.
Major parties
 Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party are 3 major political parties of Delhi.
Basic Politics
 The Indian National Congress (Congress) formed all the governments in Delhi until the 1990s, when the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Madan Lal Khurana, came to power.
 In 1998, the Congress returned to power under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit, who was subsequently re-
elected for 3 consecutive terms.
 But in 2013, the Congress was ousted from power by the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by
Arvind Kejriwal forming the government with outside support from the Congress.
 However, that government was short-lived, collapsing only after 49 days. Delhi was then under President's
rule until February 2015.
 On 10 February 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party returned to power after a landslide victory, winning 67 out of
the 70 seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
 In 2020 AAP again formed the government by winning 67 seats.
Political Issues
STATEHOOD FOR DELHI
When did the Demand for Delhi’s Statehood First Emerge?
 Balakrishnan committee- 1987- special status
Why is There a Demand for Complete Statehood?
 Statehood will bring control of administration under one umbrella – the state government, led by the CM and
his Council of Ministers and avoid multiplicity of authorities.
 The government of Delhi claims that its lack of control over police, public order and land obstructs its ability
to efficiently plan the development of the city.
 Also, when we look at examples from the world over, the practice is the same.
 Example: Washington DC. In Washington, there is only a mayor. There isn’t an elected government there.
Issues With Respect to Statehood to Delhi
 Being the national capital, Delhi hosts various critical infrastructures such as parliament, presidential estates,
and embassies.
 Maintenance of these is extremely important and cannot be handed over to a different entity.
 Quality of governance might decline due to the impact on finances.
 Security Concerns: Security of embassies, parliaments. Further, there is the issue of safety and security of
visiting dignitaries from different countries and also heads of states. The responsibility of ensuring security to
them lies on Centre and state cannot be entrusted with it.
 Control Over Land: It is required especially in areas with central government institutions, embassies.
 Demand for statehood in Delhi had not been very profound from the people of Delhi.
 Terror threat to Delhi

Way Forward
 The elected government in Delhi should be provided a decisive say in the municipal body for a cohesive
approach, and proper urban planning.
 The state government should also be given more authority on the police and made accountable in controlling
crime.
 Coordinated efforts by the Centre and the Delhi government for effective governance and to uphold the public
interest.
 The dispute over the powers of L-G of Delhi and the elected government of Delhi should be resolved.

ENVIRONMENT
National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
 Delhi does not have any National Park or Ramsar site.
 It only has one wildlife sanctuary-Asola Bhatti
Asola Bhatti Wildlife sanctuary
 Located on the Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli hill range on Delhi-Haryana border.
 The sanctuary gets its name from the contiguous Asola village near Tughlaqabad in the Delhi NCR.
 Flora of the region includes-Plant species like dhak or flame of forest, dhok, inderjao, Indian elm, kadamba,
prosopis cineraria (jaand), giloy, etc.
 Fauna of the region includes- Indian leopard, red-headed vulture, egyptian vulture, painted stork, white-faced
ibis, european roller, black francolin and grey-headed fish eagle.
Major Issues
AIR POLLUTION
Reasons Behind Delhi’s Air Pollution:
 Burning of paddy stubble in Punjab and Haryana ahead of the new planting season is one of the main causes
of the spike in pollution in Delhi at this time of the year.
 Pollution caused by the traffic.
 Wind in Delhi blows from North–West to South– West.
 During the winter season, air is dense. Dust particles and pollutants in the air are unable to move. They get
locked in the air and form smog.
 Industrial pollution and garbage dumps
 Large scale construction in Delhi-NCR is another culprit. Considering the dipping air quality, a number of
construction sites have stalled work, as directed by the Delhi Government.
Possible Solutions and Steps Taken so far to Tackle
 Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) presently monitors air quality through six online continuous
ambient air quality monitoring stations at 6 locations.
 The Union Environment Ministry has formulated a “Graded Response Action Plan” against air pollution
for Delhi. It lays down stratified actions that are required to be taken as and when the concentration of
pollutants, in this case the particulate matter, reaches a certain level.
 This plan was prepared by the Supreme Court mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).
 Commission For Air Quality Management in NCR: Overarching body to consolidate all pollution monitoring
bodies and bring them on one platform.
 For comprehensive air quality management. Will replace EPCA.

 EPCA did not have penal provisions which the commission will have now. Concerns over concentration
of power with the central government.
 Also, no civil court will have jurisdiction. Only NGT. Restricts legal action.
Short Term Measures
 Odd Even Scheme: Elitist in approach. It affects the middle class significantly who have only 1 car.
 Increase parking fee and car registration fee in Delhi
 Smog Towers: Connaught place by Delhi government, Anand Vihar by central govt.
 Water sprayers
 Limiting construction activities
 Ban on crackers
Long Term Measures
 Scaling up of public transport.
 Safe walking and cycling zones.
 Utilisation of catalytic converters in cars/ electric vehicles.
 Phasing out of old vehicles- scrapping policy.
 Increasing the use of the massive rapid transport system (MRTS).
 Need a regional approach, not state specific.
 R&D
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Present Scenario
 A rapid rise in population, speedy economic development and galloping urbanisation have led to a lot of waste
generation.
 In Delhi there were 5 Municipal authorities until recently responsible for Municipal solid waste generation
and management.
 Over 9, 500 tonnes per day (TPD) of garbage is generated per day in the city.
 There are 3 landfill sites namely Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla landfill sites. But these landfill sites have
been saturated and they have outlived their normal life. This has further aggravated the environmental
problems in Delhi.
 Example: The Ghazipur landfill site collapsed a year ago under excessive weight, while the Bhalswa landfill
site experiences regular fires in the dumped waste leading to air pollution.
 There is an urgent need to find new landfill sites, but the land in Delhi having limited availability coupled with
high prices have hampered in realisation of a new landfill site in the city.
Impacts Of Waste Dumping
 Environmental Impact: Release of methane from decomposition of biodegradable waste under anaerobic
conditions which can cause fires and explosions. It is also a major contributor to global warming.
 Problem of odour especially during summers23
 Migration of leachates to receiving water
 Health Impact: Uncontrolled burning of waste releases fine particles which are a major cause of respiratory
disease and cause of smog.
 Dumping sites provide breeding sites for mosquitoes thus increasing the risk of diseases such as malaria,
dengue.
Possible Solutions to Deal with Solid Waste
 There should be segregation of waste at the collection level, so that biodegradable and non biodegradable
wastes do not mix up.
 There is a large proportion of rag-pickers in Delhi in the Informal sector. They need to be formalised and
their functioning should be streamlined to enable a coherent management of waste in the city.

 Waste to energy plants need to be operated at the landfill sites to reduce the amount of compounding waste.
The generated electricity can be sold for commercial purposes, thereby generating revenue for the
municipalities.
 Three plants — Sukhdev Vihar-Okhla, Ghazipur and Bawana.
 Delhi Metro has started receiving 2 MW power from a 12 MW capacity waste-to energy plant set up
in Ghazipur and the plant will mitigate over 8 million tons of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) over the life
of the project.
 The waste-to-energy plant set up by East Delhi Waste Processing Company Limited (EDWPCL) is based on
a Public Private Partnership (PPP) involving the Delhi government and East Delhi Municipal Corporation
(EDMC).
 Reduce, Re-use, recycle
 PPP for waste management
 Bioremediation
 R&D in waste management

CURRENT ISSUES
Water Crisis
Status
 According to the Delhi Jal Board estimates, groundwater meets just 10% of Delhi’s drinking water needs.
The rest is met by surface water sources, most of it transported from outside Delhi.
Reasons for Stress
 Huge population of approx 2 crore
 Immigration of huge populations to Delhi from other states
 Water disputes
 Unclean Yamuna water
 Delhi doesn't have sufficient water resources of its own and depends on neighbouring states. (Present potable
water production capacity of 900MGD against peak demand of 1140MGD)
Delhi Jal Board
 The Delhi Jal Board was constituted on 6th April, 1998 through an Act of the Delhi Legislative Assembly
incorporating the previous Delhi Water Supply and Sewage Disposal Undertaking.
 The Delhi Jal Board is responsible for the Production and Distribution of potable water after treating raw
water from various sources like river Yamuna, Bhakra Storage, Upper Ganga Canal & Groundwater and
also provides treatment and disposal of waste water.
 The Delhi Jal Board provides water in bulk to the NDMC and Cantonment areas.
 Sewage from these areas is also collected for treatment and disposal by the Delhi Jal Board.

Solutions to Water Crisis
 Palla Floodplain Scheme: Launched by Delhi govt, Yamuna water conservation project. The project aims
at conserving water in the floodplain between Palla on the DelhiHaryana border and Wazirabad to deal with
the water shortage in the capital, particularly during summers.
 Under the plan, Delhi government has proposed to create water bodies and reservoirs on the Yamuna
floodplains.
 The reservoirs will store water overflowing from the Yamuna during the monsoon and help recharge
groundwater.
 Flow metres to be installed and every drop accounted for.
 Rain water harvesting systems to be installed at local level.
 Wastewater treatment (Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Shekhawat laid
the foundation stone for the country's largest sewage treatment plant (STP) in Okhla, south Delhi. The STP
project is under the Yamuna Action Plan and is part of the Namami Gange initiative.)
 Rejuvenation of existing water bodies, ponds etc
 Delhi's policy to utilise treated waste water for horticulture and other purposes.
 Decentralised wastewater treatment systems at schools, colleges.
 Micro-irrigation
 River water dispute needs to be solved.
Yamuna Pollution
 Just 2% or 22 km of Yamuna falls in Delhi, but 98 % of pollution in the Yamuna comes from the national
capital due to untreated or semi-treated industrial effluents or sewage that is being discharged into the river in
the 22 km stretch.
Causes of Pollution in Yamuna:
 The sewage treatment plants of Delhi are major contributors of the Pollutants being discharged in the river.
 Pollutants discharge from different types of industry is also a major issue.
 Agriculture activities along the banks of the river in Delhi contribute to river pollution.
 Agricultural waste and pesticide discharge from the Haryana field also contributes to the pollution.
 The low volume of water flow in the river causes the pollutants to accumulate and raise the pollution level.
What is the Long-term Solution to the Problem ?
 Stringent implementation of guidelines against dumping harmful waste into the river,
 Making sure untreated sewage does not enter the water are two things pollution control bodies are expected
to do. However, neither Haryana nor Delhi have been able to ensure the same.
 Maintain a sustainable minimum flow, called the ecological flow. This is the minimum amount of water that
should flow throughout the river at all times to sustain underwater and estuarine ecosystems and human
livelihoods, and for self regulation.
 Regional Solutions: Coordination and cooperation among neighbouring states
Delhi’s Master Plan-2041
What is a Master Plan?
 A master plan of any city is like a vision document by the planners and the land-owning agency of the city,
which gives a direction to the future development.
 It includes analysis, recommendations, and proposals keeping in mind the population, economy, housing,
transportation, community facilities, and land use.
Objectives of Master Plan 2041
 It seeks to “foster a sustainable, liveable and vibrant Delhi by 2041”.
 In the housing sector, it talks about incentivising rented accommodation by inviting private players and
government agencies to invest more, keeping in mind the large migrant population.

 ‘User Pays’ Principle: To address parking problems, it suggests a ‘user pays’ principle, which means users
of all personal motor vehicles, except for non-motorised ones, have to pay for authorised parking facilities,
spaces and streets.
 It aims to minimise vehicular pollution through key strategies, including a switch to greener fuels for public
transport and adoption of mixed-use of transit-oriented development (also known as TOD).
 The draft lays a clear boundary of the buffer zone near the Yamuna River, 300-metre width shall be
maintained wherever feasible along the entire edge of the river.
Key Challenges in implementation:
 Lack of resources and funds.
 Corruption in different departments.
 Confrontation from political wings.
 Lack of political and bureaucratic will and multiplicity of agencies.
Chief Minister Vs Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Issue
 Over the years, there was friction between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over
power-sharing.
 The focal point of these conflicts was that in case of a difference between the L-G and the Council of
Ministers on any matter,
 The matter was to be referred to the President by the L-G for his decision,
 And pending such a decision the L-G was empowered to take any action on the matter as he deemed
right.
Judgement of the Supreme Court:
 In the Government of NCT of Delhi vs Union of India and Another in 2018 case, the SC held that:
 The government was not under obligation to seek the concurrence of the L-G on its decisions and that
any differences between them should be resolved keeping in view the constitutional primacy of
representative government and cooperative federalism.
Government of NCT Of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021
 The Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, which gives primacy
to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over the elected government in the city, has come into force.
Provisions of the GNCT of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2021:
 According to the act the term “government” in the National Capital Territory of Delhi meant the Lieutenant-
Governor of Delhi.
 It gives discretionary powers to the L-G even in matters where the Legislative Assembly of Delhi is
empowered to make laws.
 It seeks to ensure that the L-G is “necessarily granted an opportunity” to give her or his opinion before any
decision taken by the Council of Ministers (or the Delhi Cabinet) is implemented.
 It bars the Assembly or its committees from making rules to take up matters concerning day to-day
administration, or to conduct inquiries in relation to administrative decisions.
Criticism
 The latest amendment will greatly reduce the efficiency and timeliness of the Delhi government by making
it imperative for it to hold consultations with the L-G even when a situation demands urgent action.
 Significantly, the L-G is not obliged to give his opinion to the State government within a time frame. Critics
argue that the L-G could politically exploit these unbidled powers to hamper the government’s administrative
work and thus turn the political tides against the incumbent if he so desires.
 It is against the spirit of ‘Federalism.”
Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022
 According to the new Act, the three MCDs—East Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal
Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation—will be merged into one and called the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi (MCD)

Key Provisions
 Unification of Municipal Corporations in Delhi: The Act replaces the three municipal corporations by one
Corporation named the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
 Powers of the Delhi government: The 2011 Amendment gave numerous powers to the Delhi government.
 This included deciding the total number of seats of councillors, number of seats reserved for members
of the Scheduled Castes, division of the area of corporations into zones and wards, delimitation of
wards etc.
 However, these powers would now be exercised by the Union Government.
 Number of Councillors: The earlier Act provided 272 seats in the three corporations taken together.
 Now the total number of seats in the new corporation should not be more than 250.
 Removal of Director of Local Bodies: The earlier Act provided for a Director of Local Bodies to assist the
Delhi government and discharge certain functions which include: (a) Coordinating between Corporations; (b)
Framing recruitment Rules for various posts, and (c) Coordinating the collection and sharing of toll tax collected
by the respective corporations.
 The amended Act omits the provision for a Director of Local Bodies.
 E-governance System for Citizens: The amended Act adds some obligatory functions of the new corporation.
 This will include establishing an e-governance system for citizen services on an anytime-anywhere basis
for better, accountable, and transparent administration.
 Conditions of Service for Sweepers: The earlier Act provided that a sweeper employed for doing house
scavenging of a building would be required to give a reasonable cause or a 14 days’ notice before
discontinuing his service. The new act seeks to omit this provision.
Rationale Behind Amendment
 Unequal Resource Distribution: The trifurcation divided resources unequally and created a financial crisis
in the civic bodies.
 Due to the demography of Delhi, the South body ended up with the most ‘posh’ colonies – A and B
category taxation zones that paid higher property taxes.
 The North body, on the other hand, got more un-authorized and lower taxation category colonies,
which pay less tax, or not at all.
 Stress on Municipalities: The trifurcation tripled the number of officers, increased costs and resulted in
unequal distribution of assets and liabilities.
 The North, being the owner of the biggest civic body, also became the most top heavy.
 The North Corporation is struggling with a deficit of over Rs 1, 300 crore and East of around Rs 800
crore.
 Rising Discontent: Safai karamcharis, medical staff, healthcare workers, engineers, doctors and nurses have
gone off the streets since 2015 at least 50 times, in protest against salary delays, bonuses and cashless
medical cards.
Criticism
 Large Scale Usurpation: The Centre has taken away significant powers from the Government of Delhi. This
includes: (a) Power to determine the number of wards, extent of each ward, reservation of seats, number of seats
of the Corporation; (b) Power to decide on matters such as salary and allowances, leave of absence of the
Commissioner, the sanctioning of consolidation of loans by a corporation etc.
 Against Decentralisation: The interference of the Centre in matters such as municipal issues appear against
the model of decentralisation.
 A reduction in the degree of decentralisation may further impede grassroot democracy and local
governance.
 Lack of Consultation: The Act has been passed without any consultation with the Delhi government.
 Undermines the 2018 Judgement of the Supreme Court: The Court said that the Constitution has mandated
a federal balance wherein certain independence is assured to the State Governments.
 It also said that a balanced federal structure mandates that the Union does not usurp powers of States
and the States enjoy freedom without any unsolicited interference from the Central Government.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023
Highlights of the Bill:
 The Bill establishes the National Capital Civil Services Authority. It consists of the Chief Minister, Chief
Secretary of Delhi, Principal Home Secretary of Delhi. This authority will make recommendations to the
Lieutenant Governor (LG) regarding transfers and postings of officials and disciplinary matters.
 It empowers the LG to exercise his sole discretion on several matters including those recommended by the
National Capital Civil Services Authority, and the summoning, prorogation and dissolution of the Delhi
Legislative Assembly.
 It authorises department secretaries to bring to the notice of the LG, the Chief Minister and the Chief
Secretary any matter that may bring Delhi Government into controversy with the Central Government.
Issues With the Bill
 The National Capital Civil Services Authority may break the triple chain of accountability that links the civil
services, ministers, the legislature and citizens.
 This may violate the principle of parliamentary democracy.
 The LG has been granted sole discretion in several matters including when the Legislative Assembly will
convene.
 It may restrict the power of the Chief Minister to convene a session needed for essential government
business.
 Department secretaries will bring certain matters directly to the LG, Chief Minister and the Chief
Secretary, without consulting the concerned minister.
 This may go against the collective responsibility of the Cabinet.
Delhi Excise Policy Scam
 Some AAP leaders are accused of corruption and later arrested in 2023 in relation to the Delhi Excise Policy
2021-22, which came into force in November 2021 but was scrapped in July 2022.
Allegations in the “Delhi Excise Policy Scam”
 The allegations arose out of a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor
(LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, pointing to alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the
policy.
 The report said “arbitrary and unilateral decisions” taken by Manish Sisodia in his capacity as Excise Minister
had resulted in “financial losses to the exchequer” estimated at more than Rs 580 crore.
 It alleged that “kickbacks…received by the AAP Delhi government and AAP leaders” from owners and
operators of alcohol businesses for preferential treatment such as discounts and extensions in licence fee,
waiver on penalties and relief due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, etc. were used to
“influence” the Assembly elections held in Punjab and Goa in early 2022.
 The report was referred to the CBI and led to Sisodia’s arrest.
 The report also flagged the “blanket relaxation” given for default in the payment of licence fees, which was
allegedly approved by Sisodia without the concurrence of the Council of Ministers and the LG.
 It said licence fees worth Rs 144.36 crore were waived in January 2022 “on pretext of COVID restrictions
as relief to the Liquor Cartel”.
Delhi’s New Excise Policy
 The policy envisaged the exit of the state from the liquor business to allow it to reach its full potential.
 Delhi was divided into 32 zones, each of which had 27 liquor vends — that is two-three private liquor shops
in each of the 272 municipal wards.
 The stated goal of the policy was to shut down black marketing and the liquor mafia, increase revenue,
improve the consumer experience, and ensure equitable distribution of liquor vends across the capital.
 The licensees were allowed to offer discounts and set their own prices instead of selling at the MRPs fixed
by the government.


QUESTIONS
History and Culture
1. Delhi has a long history, and it has been an important political centre of India as the capital of several empires.
From being mentioned in epics as Indraprastha the capital of kurus, to being the capital of Tomars, Delhi
Sultanate, Mughals and finally British Empire. Why did every ruler make Delhi as their seat of power?
2. Is Delhi still the perfect site for the capital of India?
3. Delhi has three UNESCO world heritage sites to its credit. Can you name them? If given a chance to add a few
more monuments to the present list, what would be your top 3 preference?
Environmental issues
1. We often read in the newspaper about Delhi being one of the most polluted cities in the world. Tell me about
the reasons for Delhi air pollution.
2. What are the steps taken by the Delhi government to reduce pollution? Do you think the government is doing
enough?
3. Stubble burning by the farmers of neighbouring states is said to be one of the prominent causes of pollution in
Delhi. Do you agree?
4. For the last two years, the Delhi government has sprayed a bio-decomposer on farmland in Delhi in an effort to
control stubble burning within the limits of the city. Has it been effective in controlling stubble burning in delhi?
What should be the long-term measures to curb the menace of stubble burning?
5. Do you think that the government has taken enough steps to deal with stubble burning or do you think that
something more should be done?
6. In other countries stubble is used for various purposes, can you name any such use?
7. The Delhi government is in the process of preparing a winter action plan to mitigate air pollution this winter. A
similar 10-point action plan was in place last winter. According to the Delhi Government this 15-point Delhi
Winter Action Plan will act as the blueprint for addressing air pollution in the national capital. Do you agree?
8. The Yamuna water is toxic and highly contaminated, causing severe health problems to Delhiites. What is the
government doing to clean Yamuna?
9. Do you think the government is doing enough?
Education
1. The Government of Delhi is often praised for the work they have done in improving infrastructure of
government schools. Do you think a poor person sending his child to school considers the infrastructure of
school?
Polity and governance
1. Recently parliament has passed The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) act, 2022. What are the key
provisions of the act? Do you think it will lead to centralization of power in Delhi?
2. Due to the absence of statehood for Delhi, there has been a prolonged confrontation on the relative powers
between the elected government of New Delhi and Lieutenant Governor (L-G) (appointed by the Union
Government) for the territorial administration of New Delhi. The dispute between the two occurred on many
occasions including control over agencies, namely the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Civil Services and the
Electricity Board, etc. Further, the 2021 amendment to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi
Act, 1991, points out that the possibility of conflict is not over. Do you think Statehood for Delhi can Solve the
LG vs CM Power Tussle?
3. The demand for statehood has been in existence since 1998, This demand has been central to the friction between
the Aam Aadmi 28 Party government in the National Capital and the centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor. In
the last eight years, the people of Delhi have seen countless tussles for control that have time and again paralysed
the city’s administration. Do you think Statehood for Delhi can Solve the LG vs CM Power Tussle?
4. Do you support statehood for Delhi? Why/Why not?

5. Why hasn't Delhi been given statehood?
6. Over the years, there has been friction between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over
power sharing. To resolve it the parliament of India has passed the Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment)
Act, will this act be able to resolve the issue?
7. Have you heard of Delhi’s Master Plan-2041, what is it about? Do you think it has the potential to make Delhi
a sustainable and liveable city?
8. Recently MCD Elections in Delhi took place and one of the most talked about issues was landfills and waste
dumping, why Delhi has not been able to solve this problem?
9. Does it have any policy or program in place for waste management?
Social Justice
1. Whenever we talk about the most Unsafe Cities for Women in India Delhi Tops the List. Crime Against Women
in India's capital on Rise, in fact according to the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) most recent report,
two young girls were sexually assaulted every day in the nation's capital during the last year. Not only this,
Delhi witnessed a significant surge of over 40 percent in crimes against women in 2021, the data revealed. All
this suggests that Delhi is considered unsafe for women, do you agree? And what is the reason behind it?
2. Has the Delhi government taken any steps for women safety?
3. Delhi is often called as the rape capital. Why is it so? Do you think that present laws are effective to ensure
women's safety?
4. Few of Asia's largest slums are in Delhi and Mumbai where unplanned urbanisation led to polluted water, health
issues and rising rate of crimes. Also, migration will continue as urban areas act as a centre of economic growth.
Problem of slums is about to increase and thus leading to many challenges for the government system.
Do you think governments’ lackadaisical approach towards illegal colonies is the main reason behind haphazard
urban development?
5. Among all states, Delhi has one of highest share of inter-state migrants in its total population, an indicator of
the attraction it holds for outsiders. How Delhi has become the migrant capital of India.
6. After the implementation of the new liquor policy in November 2021, the Delhi government exited the liquor
trade entirely, shutting all government-run vends, and the sale of liquor was handed over exclusively to private
players. However, the new excise policy was soon embroiled in controversy with the opposition parties
vehemently opposing it on moral and ethical grounds. Which finally led to the government taking a U-turn on
its own stand. Do you think going back to old policy is the right decision?
7. The Delhi government had said the policy would eliminate the liquor mafia, increase revenue for the government,
and enhance the consumer experience. Should we completely eliminate private operators from liquor sale?
Other
1. What do you think are the major challenges facing Delhi today?
2. How do you think the government can address these challenges?
3. What do you think are the most important issues that need to be addressed in Delhi?
4. What do you think are the most effective ways to improve the quality of life in Delhi?
5. What do you think are the most important steps that need to be taken to improve the infrastructure in Delhi?




IGP 2023 States - New Delhi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

IGP 2023 States - New Delhi

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

IGP 2023 States - New Delhi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No.

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 2

 For Slot booking you can visit: https://pwonlyias.com/interview-guidance-program-2023/

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 3

Prehistory and Ancient Phase

 Delhi has experienced continuous habitation since the 6th century.

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 4

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 5

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 6

 For Slot booking you can visit: https://pwonlyias.com/interview-guidance-program-2023/

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 7

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 8

PLACES (HERITAGE SITES, TANGIBLE, INTANGIBLE)

Qutub Minar and Its Monuments

The Red Fort or Lal Qila

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 9

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 10

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 11

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 12

State Emblem Uses the National Emblem of India

स�मेव जयते Satyameva Jayate

State Animal Nilgai

State Bird House sparrow

State Flower Alfalfa

State Tree Gulmohar or royal poinciana

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 13

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 14

Sub-Region Name of the Districts Area (in sq kms)

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 15

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 16

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 17

Indicators Delhi All india level

Age Group (years) Share

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 18

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 19

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 20

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 21

Hotel and Tourism Industry

Challenges of Service Sectors

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 22

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 23

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 24

 For Slot booking you can visit: https://pwonlyias.com/interview-guidance-program-2023/

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 25

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 26

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 27

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 28

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 29

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 30

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 31

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 32

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 33

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 34

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 35

 For Slot booking you can visit: https://pwonlyias.com/interview-guidance-program-2023/

IGP 2023: States – New Delhi Page No. 36

You might also like