No. of cities in U.P. which are covered under the 'Smart City' Scheme
- (a)10
- (b)12
- (c)15
- (d)18
Correct — A, 10. Under the Smart Cities Mission (launched 25 June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs), 100 cities were chosen nationwide through the competitive 'City Challenge' rounds. Uttar Pradesh has one of the largest shares — 10 selected cities: Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Jhansi, Bareilly, Moradabad and Saharanpur. So the count is 10.
- (b)12 — An overcount. Uttar Pradesh's selection under the Smart Cities Mission is 10 cities, not 12.
- (c)15 — Too high — no more than the 10 named UP cities were admitted to the mission; 15 is a distractor.
- (d)18 — Far above UP's actual share of 10 cities under the mission.
The Smart Cities Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme launched on 25 June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to develop 100 cities through 'area-based development' and 'pan-city' technology solutions. Cities were picked competitively over several rounds, and each runs a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to plan and execute projects. Uttar Pradesh, with 10 cities, holds one of the biggest state shares.
It is a pure recall fact, so the trap is guessing a rounder or larger number. Anchor to the memorised roster of 10 UP cities (the four biggest — Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi — plus Prayagraj, Aligarh, Jhansi, Bareilly, Moradabad and Saharanpur) rather than to the national total of 100.
- Smart Cities Mission launched 25 June 2015 (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs).
- 100 cities selected nationwide via the competitive City Challenge.
- Uttar Pradesh's share = 10 cities.
- UP cities: Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Jhansi, Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur.
- Each selected city runs a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for implementation.
- Confusing UP's 10 smart cities with the national total of 100 cities
- Mixing up Smart Cities Mission cities with AMRUT cities (a different, larger list)
UPPSC asks state-specific counts and city lists ('how many UP cities under scheme X'); UPSC tends to ask the scheme's ministry, launch year or SPV/funding structure.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Smart Cities Mission of the Government of India was launched in which year?
- (a)2014
- (b)2015
- (c)2016
- (d)2017
Answer(b) 2015 — launched on 25 June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which body implements projects for a city selected under the Smart Cities Mission?
- (a)The State Planning Board
- (b)A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)
- (c)The District Collector's office
- (d)NITI Aayog
Answer(b) A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) — set up as a company for each selected city.