UPSC Prelims 2021 Q81: Current Affairs – International Organisations & Groupings
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1 and 2
- (d) 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 2 and 3
Explanation
Right to the City
| Statement | Claim | Verdict | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agreed human right; UN-Habitat monitors country commitments | FALSE | Right to the City is a concept popularised by French philosopher Henri Lefebvre (1968), not a formally agreed international human right. UN-Habitat's New Urban Agenda (2016, Quito) recognises the concept but does NOT bindingly monitor country commitments. |
| 2 | Gives every occupant right to reclaim public spaces and public participation | TRUE | Core idea: cities should be for all inhabitants, not just property owners. Right to public space, mobility, participation, cultural expression. |
| 3 | State cannot deny public services to unauthorised colonies | TRUE | Related idea - the right implies access to basic services (water, sanitation, transport, health, education) regardless of residency status or authorised/unauthorised colony distinction. Indian court judgments (Olga Tellis 1985) partly reflect this. |
Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Answer: (d).
Answer: (d) 2 and 3.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Right to the City is NOT a legally agreed human right; UN-Habitat does not monitor commitments.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 2 is correct but not alone - statement 3 is also correct.
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 1 is wrong (not a formal human right).
- (d) CORRECT. Statements 2 (right to reclaim public spaces and participate) and 3 (state cannot deny services to unauthorised colonies - equity implication) are correct. Statement 1 is wrong - Right to the City is a concept, not a legally binding international human right monitored by UN-Habitat.
Key point
Right to the City = concept by Henri Lefebvre (1968), extended by UN-Habitat's New Urban Agenda (2016). NOT a formal legally binding human right. Two key components: (i) reclaim public spaces + participation, (ii) equitable access to services regardless of residency status. Statements 2 and 3 correct.
Remember
Right to the City means (2) every occupant has the right to reclaim public spaces and participate in city life, and (3) the state cannot deny basic services to unauthorised colonies. But it is NOT a legally agreed human right monitored by UN-Habitat (statement 1 wrong). It is a concept popularised by Henri Lefebvre. Answer: (d) 2 and 3.
Common mistakes
- Confusing 'Right to the City' concept with formal human rights (UDHR, ICCPR, ICESCR).
- Not knowing Henri Lefebvre coined the term in 1968 book 'Le Droit a la ville'.
- Missing UN-Habitat's New Urban Agenda (Quito 2016) as the current international framework endorsing (but not binding) the concept.
Exam tip
Right to the City: (i) Concept by Henri Lefebvre (1968), (ii) Endorsed in New Urban Agenda (UN-Habitat, Quito 2016), (iii) Adopted in constitutions of Ecuador (2008), Brazil, Mexico City, (iv) Reflected in Indian court rulings (Olga Tellis 1985 on right to livelihood of slum dwellers).
Sources
- Henri Lefebvre - Le Droit a la ville (1968)
- UN-Habitat - New Urban Agenda (Habitat III, Quito 2016)