Consider the following statements: 1. 'Right to the City' is an agreed human right and the UN-Habitat monitors the commitments made by each country in this regard. 2. 'Right to the City' gives every occupant of the city the right to reclaim public spaces and public participation in the city. 3. 'Right to the City' means that the State cannot deny any public service or facility to the unauthorized colonies in the city. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: D. Statements 2 and 3 are correct; Statement 1 is wrong. THE 'RIGHT TO THE CITY' (RtC) is a normative concept articulated by French philosopher HENRI LEFEBVRE in his 1968 book 'Le Droit à la Ville' and developed by urban scholars including David Harvey. It asserts the right of all city residents — not just property owners — to participate in producing, transforming, and inhabiting urban spaces. Statement 1 is WRONG. The 'Right to the City' is NOT AN AGREED INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHT, and UN-Habitat does NOT monitor country-specific commitments to it. While UN-Habitat (the UN Human Settlements Programme) and the NEW URBAN AGENDA (Habitat III, Quito 2016) reference the concept and several countries (Brazil's City Statute 2001, Mexico City's Constitution 2017) have legislated forms of it, it is NOT a binding internationally recognised human right with monitoring machinery comparable to ICCPR or ICESCR rights. Statement 2 is CORRECT. The Right to the City CENTRES the RECLAIMING OF PUBLIC SPACES and PARTICIPATORY URBAN DEMOCRACY. It asserts the right of every occupant (residents, workers, the homeless, migrants — not just property owners) to: - Participate in city decisions and planning. - Use and shape public space. - Resist enclosure and privatisation of commons. This is Lefebvre/Harvey's core formulation. Statement 3 is CORRECT. A major implication of the Right to the City is that the STATE CANNOT ARBITRARILY DENY BASIC PUBLIC SERVICES (water, sanitation, electricity, healthcare, schools) to UNAUTHORISED/INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS. The principle holds that being a city dweller — formal status notwithstanding — entitles one to basic services and habitation rights. Indian Supreme Court judgments on slum eviction and right to shelter (Olga Tellis 1985) reflect parallel principles. Source: UN-Habitat New Urban Agenda 2016 / Henri Lefebvre 'Le Droit à la Ville' (1968) / David Harvey 'Rebel Cities'.