Bengaluru among world’s top 10 most densely populated cities: UN report
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New Delhi: Bengaluru has been ranked among the world’s top ten most densely populated cities, according to a new UN report, World Urbanisation Prospects 2025: Summary of Results.
The report highlights a dramatic rise in megacities (urban areas with 10 million or more residents). Their number has jumped from just eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025, with Asia accounting for 19 of them. By 2050, the tally is expected to reach 37, with cities such as Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Dar es Salaam (United Republic of Tanzania), Hajipur (India) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) projected to cross the 10-million mark.
The report released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs notes that out of the world’s 50 most crowded cities, 12 are in India. Mumbai leads globally with nearly 30,000 people per sq km. Four Indian cities, Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru—rank among the top ten. Bengaluru alone has a population density exceeding 20,000 people per sq km.
The report further adds that urban areas are now home to 45% of the world’s 8.2 billion people. Among the 33 megacities identified, India hosts five: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru—one more than China, which has four.
Globally, Jakarta leads as the most populous city with nearly 42 million residents, followed by Dhaka with 37 million and Tokyo with 33 million. India’s New Delhi, with 30 million people, and Kolkata, with 22 million, also feature in the top ten. Cairo (Egypt) is the only non-Asian city among the top ten.
The release of the report coincides with the UN climate summit in Brazil, where nations are negotiating emission cuts and expanding carbon sinks to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population.
“As governments convene at COP30 to advance global climate commitments, the UN underscores the pivotal role of urbanisation in driving sustainable development and climate resilience across all settlement types,” Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs said in a statement. “Urbanisation is a defining force of our time. Countries must adopt integrated national policies that align housing, land use, mobility, and public services across urban and rural areas.”
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
