Indore, Surat rank first in Smart Cities Awards 2020; UP is top performer among states

Smart cities were evaluated across a gamut of themes like social aspects, governance, culture, urban environment, sanitation, economy, built environment, water and urban mobility.

The Centre on Friday declared the Smart Cities Awards 2020 in which Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Surat (Gujarat) won the award jointly for holistic development. In a first, states were also awarded for the overall performance of their smart cities; in this category, Uttar Pradesh emerged on top, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry evaluated smart cities across a gamut of themes like social aspects, governance, culture, urban environment, sanitation, economy, built environment, water and urban mobility before finalising the winners.