Ethics in Town and Country Planning Education in India: Environments and Contexts

Abstract

Town and country planning is one of the growing academic subjects of education in India and its professional significance is also being recognized by Government of India. Education plays an important role in the development of an individual as well as society. Schools, home, families, community, neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities are the agents for facilitating learning and knowledge building among children, youth, women and old age population. Town and country planning is concerned about creating livable and wholesome human settlements for people. In India, nearly 60 years of planning of human settlements experience has witnessed tremendous growth of towns and cities as well as high levels of urbanization and planned development. Development in social and physical infrastructure and information and communication has also displayed a lot of improvement in rural and urban areas in India. Education and profession in town and country planning in India have accumulated this long experience. Yet people in urban and rural areas struggle for a sustainable living. The fact is that the size and growth of town and country planning education institutions and professional organizations are very low when compared with the size and growth of population and human settlements in India. It is not only the number of educational institutions and professional organizations but also the quality and versatility of planning education and profession are very important and necessary to enhance the quality of life of the people in rural and urban settlements in India. The experience from India shows that the national, state and the local governments and planning institutions pay little attention to the question of planning ethics. This chapter attempts to fill this gap by outlining the significance of ethics in town and country planning education and the link with professional practice.