Rights Based Approach and Housing for the urban poor: An analysis of the Slum Rehabilitation Schemes in Mumbai

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2006 in the subject Urban and Regional Planning, grade: A, language: English, abstract: The present study seeks to understand and analyze the Slum Rehabilitation Schemes (hereafter SRS), designed specifically in the context of Mumbai, using a rights based approach. The SRS when studied from the rights based approach, is not merely seen as a policy of charity of providing free houses. Instead it is seen as a platform for various players to negotiate on mutually beneficial terms, in a participative manner. With the help of an empirical analysis, the study attempts to understand the translation of this approach into reality through the implementation of a particular programme, catering to a particular segment of population namely the slum dwellers of Mumbai. The study also points out the larger implications of the rights based approach to housing.