Consider the following statements: 1. 'Right to the City' is an agreed human right and the UN-Habitat monitors the commitments made by each country in this regard. 2. 'Right to the City' gives every occupant of the city the right to reclaim public spaces and public participation in the city. 3. 'Right to the City' means that the State cannot deny any public service or facility to the unauthorized colonies in the city. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Option 4 : 2 and 3 only

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

Right to the City as Human right.

• It is an agreed human right and the UN-Habitat monitors the commitments made by each country in this regard. 
• Many countries do not categorically prove that there is an “agreed” right to the city, they (international organizations) are only proposing to do so, and therefore the first may be statement is wrong. 

​Right to the City and Resources

• The right to the city is far more than the individual liberty to access urban resources.
• It is a right to change ourselves by changing the city.
• It is, moreover, a common rather than an individual right since this transformation inevitably depends upon the exercise of a collective power to reshape the processes of urbanization. 
• The Right to the City means the “right of all inhabitants, present and future, permanent and temporary to use, occupy and produce just, inclusive and sustainable cities, defined as a common good essential to a full and decent life.”
• The original definition of the right to the city goes beyond basic human rights and access to resources.
• It is a renewed access to urban life, one that empowers city dwellers’ to shape the city as they see fit through rights to participation and active civic engagement. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
• In 1996, the Istanbul Declaration and the Habitat Agenda reinforced the responsibilities of all governments to the provision of adequate housing, as exemplified by their creation of ministries or agencies, their allocation of resources, and their policies, programs, and projects.
• It also stated that the provision of the right to adequate housing required joint action by government organizations, communities, and local authorities, as well as partner organizations and entities of the international community.

Unauthorized Colonies and 'Right to the City'

• Unauthorized Colonies (UACs) are a specific form of unplanned housing – built on land which is either not zoned for residential purposes or does not fall under the ambit of the development area of the city's master plan.
• UN-Habitat in India is working closely with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for championing India’s New Urban Agenda and has crafted a new strategic partnership with the Government of India on mutually agreed technical cooperation initiatives in support of sustainable urbanization in India.
• Many changes happening in this regard and the state should not deny any public service or facilities to the unauthorized colonies in the city. Hence, Statement 3 is can be considered correct.

Counterarguments for Unauthorized Colonies and Right to the City:

• The state has denied public services or facilities to the unauthorized colonies in the city.
• Many court judgments are also in support of the state's steps in the denial of services or facilities to the unauthorized colonies. (Ex. The Supreme Court of India on August 31, 2021, ordered the removal of about 48,000 slum dwellings situated along the railway tracks in Delhi.)