Commencing with a historical background of the JNNURM, the book traces the evolution of public policy in India on urban growth. In the process it provides an understanding of the complex urban issues and examines whether the JNNURM is a project response or a policy response to these problems.

The rationale behind the choice of the cities covered by the Mission, the scope and coverage of the work undertaken and the progress till date are extensively discussed. The formidable problems of mega-city governance and the difficulties of correlating rural and urban development at the district level are reviewed.