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The Making of Smart Citizenry Decoding Smart Citizen

Author

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  • Deepak KUMAR

    (Asian Development Research Institute, Patna)

Abstract

Ayona Datta (2017) highlights how the digital turn in the post-colonial cities in India has allowed the coercive power of state to control and discipline citizenry by making them actively engage in governance; while the active citizenry is just a smokescreen, a proxy to provide the larger legitimacy to the smart city project and rather the citizenry is paternalised and handheld through the emerging technologies of government. She argues, in the process, the emergence of alternative citizenry is cast and their reflections need to be gauged from the perspective of subaltern and others who defy the digital turn and its wider network. In this backdrop, the article examines the discursive construction of smart citizenry under India s Smart Cities Mission. Drawing on the discourse analysis of 100 smart city proposals, the article contends that the Mission creates a false binary of active and passive citizenship with implications on the citizenship rights. It is further argued that that the Mission has a very narrow understanding of active citizenship, limited to just giving tacit consent to smart city projects. This is depicted in proposals calling for smart, active, duty-bearing, responsible citizenry lack of which risk jeopardize the success of smart cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Deepak KUMAR, 2023. "The Making of Smart Citizenry Decoding Smart Citizen," Smart Cities and Regional Development (SCRD) Journal, Smart-EDU Hub, Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies & Public Administration, vol. 7(2), pages 85-96, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:pop:journl:v:7:y:2023:i:2:p:85-96
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Taylor Shelton & Thomas Lodato, 2019. "Actually existing smart citizens," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 35-52, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    smart citizen; smart cities; smart cities mission; citizenship rights;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O35 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Social Innovation

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