National Urban Conclave 2026 ends in Bhubaneswar with three new portals
Why in the news
The National Urban Conclave 2026, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, concluded in Bhubaneswar on 25 October 2026 after two days and seven technical sessions.
Key facts
- Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, gave the closing remarks and said more than half of India’s legacy waste has been remediated.
- Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog, urged more powers and funds for urban local bodies (ULBs).
- Used Water Marketplace (AMRUT 2.0): a digital platform for ULBs to sell treated used water to industries and other buyers.
- UCF Portal: a single interface to submit, appraise and track Urban Challenge Fund projects.
- Online Interactive Municipal Finance Data Hub: real-time data on ULB revenue and spending.
- PM SVANidhi: development of 18 Street Food Hubs began with release of the first tranche.
- MoU: JICA and CPHEEO agreed to cooperate on circular use of treated used water.
- Also released: CPWD Nirman app, CPWDway learning platform and a children’s book, Swachhata Ke Superheroes.
Main recommendations
| Session | Key suggestion |
|---|---|
| Model Municipal Law | Five-year tenure and executive powers for Mayors; revise the 2003 model law |
| Right to Walk | Include walking rights in statutory plans |
| Model Building Bye-Laws | Digital approvals, risk-based scrutiny, self-certification |
| Affordable Housing | Reserve land; link housing to transit and jobs |
About the conclave
The conclave brought together Union and State governments, ULBs, industry and academia. Satendra Singh, Secretary, Department of Urban Development, said cities should be judged by service quality, not just completed projects.
Exam angle
- Venue: Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- Used Water Marketplace is linked to AMRUT 2.0.
- JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency; CPHEEO: Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation.