The Centre launched a web portal envisioning it to be a permanent platform for any kind of data related to all Indian cities

The Centre unveiled an online site on November 13 to make it a permanent resource for any type of information about cities in India.

According to an official statement, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry's "AAINA Dashboard for Cities" initiative aims to build a comprehensive database of the key performance metrics of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) that can be accessed by all stakeholders and will eventually open for public viewing once it is filled in. 

Through an easy-to-fill data input form on the site, all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) nationwide are eligible to take part in this programme and voluntarily contribute their vital statistics regularly.

The dashboard would display the information provided by the ULBs based on metrics from five major pillars: finance, planning, citizen-centric governance, political and administrative structure, and basic service delivery. 

The dashboard's main goals are to assist cities in assessing their performance in comparison to other cities, to motivate them by highlighting opportunities and areas for development, and to provide them a chance to interact and learn from frontrunners. 

Through the dashboard's interface, the ULBs will contribute their data, including audited accounts and self-reported performance measures.