Geography: Class 12 (Part 2) — Chapter 2: HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

• The rural settlements derive their life support or basic economic needs from land-based primary economic activities, whereas urban settlements depend on processing of raw materials, manufacturing of finished goods, and a variety of services.
• Cities act as nodes of economic growth, providing goods and services to their rural hinterlands in return for food and raw materials. This functional relationship is facilitated by transport and communication networks.
• Rural and urban settlements differ in social relationships. Rural social relations are intimate and less mobile, whereas urban life is complex, fast, and social relations are formal.

Clustered, agglomerated or nucleated settlements are compact or closely built-up areas of houses. The living area is distinct and separated from surrounding farms, barns, and pastures. They present recognizable geometric shapes like rectangular, radial, or linear. Commonly found in fertile alluvial plains and northeastern states. Examples include Bundelkhand and Nagaland (for security) and Rajasthan (due to water scarcity).

Semi-clustered or fragmented settlements result from segregation or fragmentation of a large compact village. One or more sections of society are forced or choose to live away from the main cluster. Generally, the land-owning dominant community occupies the central part, while lower strata and menial workers settle on the outer flanks. Widespread in Gujarat plains and parts of Rajasthan.

Hamleted settlements are fragmented into several units physically separated from each other but bearing a common name. Locally called panna, para, palli, nagla, or dhani. Frequently found in the middle and lower Ganga plain, Chhattisgarh, and lower valleys of the Himalayas.

Dispersed or isolated settlements appear as isolated huts or hamlets in remote jungles or on small hills with farms or pastures on slopes. Caused by fragmented terrain and land resource bases. Found in Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala.

According to the Census of India, 1991, urban settlements must meet the following criteria:

• Presence of a municipality, corporation, cantonment board, or notified town area committee.
• A minimum population of 5,000 persons: $$\text{Population} \ge 5000$$
• At least 75% of male main workers engaged in non-agricultural pursuits.
• A density of population of at least 400 persons per square kilometer: $$\text{Density} \ge 400 \text{ persons/km}^2$$

Indian towns can be classified based on their evolution period:

• Ancient Towns: Developed as religious and cultural centers with histories spanning over 2000 years. Examples: Varanasi, Prayagraj (Prayag), Patna (Pataliputra), Madurai.
• Medieval Towns: Developed as headquarters of principalities and kingdoms, often as fort towns. Examples: Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Agra, Nagpur.
• Modern Towns: Developed by the British and other Europeans, starting as trading ports (Surat, Daman, Goa, Pondicherry) and consolidating around nodes (Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata). Post-independence, administrative headquarters (Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar) and industrial centers (Durgapur, Bhilai, Sindri) were established.

The objective of the Smart Cities Mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and give a decent quality of life to their citizens through smart solutions.