Smart cities and Academia Towards Action & Research (SAAR) program

In news– Smart Cities Mission has launched “Smart cities and Academia Towards Action & Research (SAAR)” program recently.

About SAAR program-

It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Institute of Urban Affairs and leading Indian academic institutions of the country.
Under the program, 15 premier architecture & planning institutes of the country will be working with Smart Cities to document landmark projects undertaken by the Smart Cities Mission.
The documents will capture learnings from best practices.
It will provide opportunities to students for engagement on urban development projects and enable real-time information flow between urban practitioners and academia.

The first activity envisaged under SAAR is to prepare a compendium of 75 landmark urban projects in India under the Smart Cities Mission.
These 75 urban projects are innovative, multi-sectoral, and have been implemented across geographies.
The program marks the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

National Institute of Urban Affairs-

It is an institute for research, training and information dissemination in urban development and management in New Delhi, India.
It was established in 1976 as an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act.
The Institute is supported by the Ministry of Urban Development, State Governments, urban and regional development authorities and other agencies concerned with urban issues.
The Institute’s policies and directions are determined by the Governing Council consisting of a President, who is appointed by the Government of India.