The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), in collaboration with the National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA), successfully concluded the 4^th Season finale of the Student Thesis Competition (STC) on ‘Re-Imagining Urban Rivers’. The 4^th Season of STC was co-hosted at the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, on 6^th - 7^th August, 2024. The discussions and deliberations during the STC Finale provided valuable opportunities for co-learning. Participants gained a deeper sensitivity toward river management in both personal and professional contexts.

Since its inception in 2019, the STC was introduced as a national-level thesis competition with a vision to explore innovative solutions for re-imagining the outlook and management of rivers, cities and their associated features. NMCG and NIUA remain committed to equipping cities with the knowledge and skills needed to adopt a fresh approach to river management. The STC exemplifies this commitment by harnessing students’ creativity and encouraging innovative thinking in urban river management. Out of 90 submissions, 17 finalists were shortlisted, (8 undergraduate and 9 postgraduate students). The 17 shortlisted finalists received continuous support from NMCG and NIUA to shape and refine their respective ideas.

From diverse subjects to public health concerns related to hospital wastewater to innovative solutions for urban heat island mitigation, the students covered a wide spectrum of critical urban issues. The event witnessed in-depth analyses of sustainable transportation, smart city governance, disaster preparedness, and mental well-being, all with a focus on their impact on urban rivers. Furthermore, the research presented also delves into topics such as waste management, heritage conservation, water quality, affordable housing, gender equality, tourism, climate change adaptation, urban informality, digital governance, inclusive public spaces, and urban agriculture. These diverse perspectives enrich our understanding of the complex and dynamic challenges facing our cities.

The breadth of research during the competition has been diversified from 13 academic institutions across the country (IIT Roorkee; IIT BHU Varanasi; School of Planning & Architecture, Vijayawada; School of Planning & Architecture, Bhopal; Amity University, NOIDA; Sushant School of Art & Architecture, Gurgaon; Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh; K. Ramakrishnan College of Technology Samayapuram, Trichy; Institute of Design, Planning and Technology, Sarvajanik University; National Institute of Technology, Calicut; SVNIT Surat; MNIT Jaipur)

The valedictory session witnessed the esteemed presence of Shri Rajeev Kumar Mital (Director General, NMCG), Dr. Debolina Kundu (Director, NIUA), Professor Manoj Kumar Tiwari (Vice-Chancellor, TISS, Mumbai), Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra (former DG, NMCG and Chief Advisor, NIUA), Professor Amita Bhide (Dean, School of Habitat Studies, TISS) and Shri Gopal Jhaveri (Mumbai’s Riverman).

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VM

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