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The government has merged the urban development and housing and urban poverty alleviation ministries. Now this will be known as Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). This is third time the ministries have been merged.

Why the ministries merged ?

The government has merged the ministries of urban development, and housing and urban poverty alleviation — involved in policy making in urban areas — to form the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The merger would help ensure cohesiveness in formulating policies related to urban issues and cut the flab in bureaucracy.

Background

A panel of secretaries in February this year had recommended the merger of the two ministries to increase efficiency in governance. It had recommended that the ministries of housing and urban poverty alleviation, and urban development be merged and that the pharmaceuticals and AYUSH ministries be brought under the health ministry.

With this merger, the government now has 51 ministries. In 2004, the number was 42. The first government in independent India had just 17 ministries.

Source : Pib

GS II : Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity