INDIAN MEDIUM TOWNS: An Appraisal of their Role as Growth Centres

While metropolitan areas and big cities have always received serious attention from all quarters – social scientists, development planners, administrators and policy makers – the small and medium towns have largely been neglected by all. It is only recently that the importance of medium towns for diffusing regional development has been realized by the government, and considerable attention is being focused on initiating a number of schemes and projects to stimulate them.

This volume, reflects the concern for the problem of structurally imbalanced Indian urban system. It brings fresh insight to the urbanization process and patterns in India, and also offers some concrete suggestions for reorienting the urbanization process. For the first time, it has been fully realized that medium towns have to be readied to absorb large increments to population, particularly those who live below the poverty line. The book would be of immense use to urban planners, geographers and demographers.