UT administrator highlights UT's green growth in NITI Aayog meet
Chandigarh: Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria participated in the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on Saturday.
Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the meeting was attended by chief ministers, lieutenant governors and administrators from 24 states and seven union territories, under the theme "Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @ 2047."
In his address, Gulab Chand Kataria highlighted Chandigarh's remarkable transformation from a city originally designed for a population of 5 lakh to now housing over 12.43 lakh residents.
With the recent inclusion of 13 villages into the Municipal Corporation and development in line with the Master Plan 2031, Chandigarh is experiencing rapid social, physical, and economic development.
Kataria stressed that Chandigarh's growth is deeply rooted in principles of green, inclusive, and sustainable development. He pointed out that the city is transitioning from 'grey to green' across every sector—be it green mobility, energy-efficient buildings, or adoption of clean energy solutions—reinforcing its identity as the 'City Beautiful.'
Focusing on human capital, the administrator articulated Chandigarh's ambition to become a national skill hub specialising in green technologies. He emphasised the need to establish reputed institutions that prepare the youth for emerging job markets, particularly in green tech sectors. However, he also candidly highlighted the limitations faced by Chandigarh due to its union territory status, which restricts its ability to offer financial incentives essential to attracting investments and fostering economic growth.
To overcome these challenges, Kataria appealed for the creation of a special incentive framework for Chandigarh, akin to the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) model. He proposed that this framework should encompass tax exemptions, subsidies, incentives for IT and ITES sectors, and exemptions under the Companies Act to make Chandigarh more competitive and attractive for green technology investments and skill development initiatives.
Kataria further showcased Chandigarh's significant achievements, including the privatisation of electricity distribution—the first of its kind among UTs—the development of the Zirakpur Bypass, which will decongest key city areas, and the city's outstanding performance in education with the highest Gross Enrolment Ratio. He underscored the expansion of Skill Hubs aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, which aims to prepare the youth for future-ready careers.
Further, he highlighted Chandigarh's ongoing efforts to promote innovation, especially among women entrepreneurs, to stimulate inclusive economic growth.
Aligning with the Prime Minister's call to develop world-class tourist destinations, Kataria reaffirmed Chandigarh's commitment to enhancing its tourism infrastructure with a focus on sustainability, citizen-centric services, and renewable energy integration.
He also emphasised the need for reforms to enhance women's participation in the workforce and reiterated Chandigarh's dedication to creating an environment that supports women's empowerment and economic inclusion.
The administrator concluded by reiterating Chandigarh's readiness to contribute robustly to the national vision of Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @ 2047 and stressed that cooperative federalism is the cornerstone of India's continued progress.
MSID:: 121383248 413 |
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Don't count countries above India in per capita GDP. Look at the population instead
As we celebrate India's GDP reaching the fourth position, it is equally important to understand how this was made possible and how the Indian economy can be made stronger by learning from the contemporary world and history. For international comparison, another universally accepted figure is GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. On the PPP scale, India had become the third-largest economy much earlier, in 2011. This happened because the purchasing power of the Indian rupee in India is nearly four times the market value of the dollar. According to the World Bank, India's GDP (PPP) in 2014 was approximately $7.4 trillion, which has increased to $17.4 trillion in 2025. In 2014, India was the 10th largest economy in the world, with a GDP of $2.07 trillion. In 2025, it became the fourth-largest economy with a GDP of $4.18 trillion—in merely 11 years, according to NITI Aayog's CEO BV Subrahmanyam. India's per capita income—and the population It is argued in some circles that though India has surpassed Japan in GDP, the latter's per capita income is still 11.6 times more than India's. However, if we compare the per capita income of these two countries on a PPP basis, Japan's per capita income is only 4.16 times that of India's GDP per capita. There is yet another view that we need not celebrate this achievement because India still stands at 136th position in terms of per capita GDP in nominal terms, and even in purchasing power parity, it is placed at 119 in the list of 190 countries. But these numbers reveal less than they hide. Instead of counting the number of countries above India in terms of their per capita GDP, it would be more appropriate to look at the population of those countries, because poverty transcends national boundaries and our resolve should be to eradicate poverty for all. Most of those above India in per capita GDP are high-income and middle-income countries; their number is large, though the population residing in those countries is much less. There are 18 populous countries that have per capita GDP above India, with a total population of nearly 3.4 billion, while the remaining 100 countries have a total population of only 14 crore (0.14 billion)—that is, 3.54 billion, or just 43 percent of the world population. Thanks to the higher rate of growth of per capita income, both in nominal terms as well as in PPP terms, India is rising fast on the ladder. In 2014, India ranked 147th out of 190 countries in per capita GDP in nominal terms; by 2025, its position has improved to 136th. And in per capita GDP in PPP terms, India has moved up from 126th position in 2014 to 119th now. Also read: India's GDP victory over Japan is still a year away. Here's why India's success in poverty reduction Another point we need to elaborate is the well-being of Indians in absolute terms, and also the well-being of those with much higher GDP per capita. In this context, there is yet another bright spot of the Indian economy in terms of its achievement in eliminating extreme poverty. The most notable improvement we see is in terms of the stark reduction in multidimensional poverty, as per the definition of UNDP. According to the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2015 (based on 2005-06 and 2011-12 data), around 41.3 percent of India's population was multidimensionally poor in 2005-06. Major deprivations were manifested in nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, sanitation, and cooking fuel. With rural poverty significantly higher than urban poverty, India accounted for over 30 percent of the world's multidimensionally poor. UNDP reports that between 2005–2006 and 2019–2021, India's Multidimensional Poverty Index (on a scale of 1.000) plummeted from 0.283 to just 0.069—perhaps the fastest reduction among countries facing acute multidimensional poverty. Interestingly, the UNDP has praised India for this achievement. As per NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index Report (2023) and the UNDP Global MPI 2023, the headcount ratio was reduced to 11.28 percent (as of 2022–23), and 24.82 crore people exited multidimensional poverty between 2013–14 and 2022–23. Deprivations fell significantly in terms of access to electricity and clean cooking fuel, sanitation, housing, school attendance, maternal and child health. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan saw the highest reduction in multidimensional poverty. If we look at extreme poverty (people with a daily income of $2.15), according to the World Bank's latest report (2025), India has virtually eliminated extreme poverty by global standards. In 2011, an estimated 27.12 percent of India's population lived in extreme poverty—approximately 34.45 crore people. Extreme poverty has come down to around 5.3 percent by 2022-23, that is, an estimated 7.52 crore people live in extreme poverty in the country. But this is the scenario of extreme poverty in India at a time when the World Bank has raised the threshold for extreme poverty from $2.15 to $3 per day. This implies that if we retain the earlier threshold of $2.15, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty would be hardly 2.3 percent of the population—about 3.36 crore people. This reduction has been made possible due to direct benefit transfers (DBT), free food distribution, and access to basic services—namely sanitation, health, banking, and electricity. Some argue that GDP numbers showing India becoming the fourth-largest economy are at odds with the government distributing free rations to more than 80 crore people. But we have to understand that the distribution of free food is not unique to India. Even in developed countries like the US and the UK, a significant proportion of the population enjoys free rations. In fiscal year 2023, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, served an average of 4.21 crore people per month in the US, representing 12.6 percent of the population. In the UK, during 2022-23, around 23 lakh people (approximately 3 percent of the population) lived in households that had used a food bank in the previous 12 months. This included 6 percent of children, 3 percent of working-age adults, and about 1 percent of pensioners. Also read: GDP data revisions—why India still struggles with sharp variations Global poverty trends and India's achievement in context An interesting trend is emerging in present-day developed countries: poverty has been increasing over the years, and this trend has accelerated since the 2008 economic crisis. According to the US definition of the poverty line, nearly 18 percent of the population lives in poverty—and the situation is not much different in many European countries. UNICEF reports that between 2014 and 2021, child poverty increased sharply in some of the world's richest nations. Notably, the UK saw a 20 percent rise in child poverty, while France, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland reported increases of around 10 percent. When it comes to relative poverty and inequality, OECD data show significant variation across countries. For example, the US has a relative poverty rate of 18 percent, whereas countries like Denmark and Finland report much lower rates, between 5 and 7 percent. Women and the elderly are especially vulnerable, with disproportionately higher poverty rates observed in these groups. In Norway, despite generally low overall poverty, the rate increased from 7.7 percent to 9.7 percent between 2013 and 2017. In Australia, as of 2019–2020, 13.4 percent of the population lived below the relative poverty threshold, including 16.6 percent of children under 15. While it is certainly a reason to celebrate that India has become the world's fourth-largest economy—and is poised to become the third-largest within the next 2–3 years—this economic milestone is only part of the story. India's progress in reducing both multidimensional and extreme poverty is equally, if not more, significant. These reductions have occurred at a much faster pace than in many peer countries. Although the road ahead is long, the journey so far has been remarkable. It is important to acknowledge these facts so that we may continue on the right path with clarity and purpose. Ashwani Mahajan is a professor at PGDAV College, University of Delhi. He tweets @ashwani_mahajan. Views are personal. (Edited by Prashant)
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
India's aviation sector set for exponential growth
The airports of tomorrow are embracing cutting-edge technology to enhance the entire travel experience. Facial recognition, biometric scans, and AI-driven security checks will become the norm, making the journey from check-in to boarding gate smoother and reducing passenger queuing time by 30-40 per cent. India's remarkable aviation trajectory—now the world's third-largest domestic market, contributes 1.5 per cent to the national GDP and supports 7.7 million jobs. Over the last decade, more than 85 airports have been developed, with a roadmap to scale that number to 350 by 2047 in line with the Viksit Bharat goal. Strengthening digital ecosystems to manage rising cybersecurity risks has also been identified as a crucial area of focus. With over $12 billion already invested in air transport infrastructure, India is setting its sights on capturing a $4 billion share of the global Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) market by 2031, with the aim of establishing itself as a self-reliant aviation hub. Integrated multi-modal transport systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered digital initiatives and net zero terminals are pivotal for creating globally benchmarked, passenger-centric infrastructure. By adopting AI, Machine Learning (ML), RFID, and advanced passenger Information systems, India's aviation sector can shift from manual checks to smarter, targeted interventions. This transformation will make the aviation infrastructure more secure and passenger-friendly, which are both essential for the future of the country's aviation. However, there is a need to build infrastructure that is resilient, adaptive and efficient. Greenfield airports offer the luxury of blank canvas while brownfield sites may face constraints for unique, smart and adaptive design solutions. It is said that the future lies in modular construction, digital first terminal cores that centralize operations, passenger movement and energy management. For that, early-stage collaborations are critical. Further, drawing insights from operations, policy shifts, and tech trends helps avoid costly course corrections. There is also a need for a terminal design language rooted in sustainability, with built-in readiness for climate volatility, aging demographics, rapid digital changes and hybrid spaces that can handle intensity and downtime with equal ease. Aligning this vision with financial models that attract private investment is the key to delivering aviation infrastructure that's future-ready and locally responsive. On the workforce front, India is fast emerging as a global aviation talent hub. But it still faces a significant manpower gap. While pilot eligibility has widened, training for cabin crew and ground staff remains limited to in-house airline programmes. Opening this up to universities and private institutes is the key to scaling talent and meeting both domestic and international demand. With inclusive frameworks and the right incentives, India can not only bridge its local workforce shortage but also position itself as a global training destination, strengthening the country's role in the international aviation ecosystem. Furthermore, given the market dynamics, the aviation sector in India is set for rapid expansion. With under 10 per cent of the population currently flying, the sector needs to prepare for exponential growth by scaling up operations with smart, cost-efficient technologies. The rapid pace of innovation in this space is not only enhancing domestic operations but creating airport solutions the world is now adopting. India has a real opportunity to transform its aviation ecosystem by 2047 when the country celebrates its 100 years of Independence.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Won't meddle in counselling process at GMCH, says HC
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday refused to interfere in the counselling process for post-graduate (PG) courses admissions at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector-32. The vacation bench of justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu and justice HS Grewal dismissed the petition from five students of an institute, orally observing that 'the court was not inclined to interfere in the process.' Detailed order of the proceedings is awaited. The petition was from five students, Avijit Chander, Tanvi, Reeshab Bhatia, Dhriti Garg and Aditya Jain who had said that they were aggrieved with GMCH-32 notification of June 3 on filling up seats within state quota, which is 50% of the total seats. 'In a completely illegal, arbitrary and mala fide manner, the state quota seats which have fallen vacant owing to the quashing of the reservation of seats for UT pool category, have been put in all-India quota seats without there being any power to do so,' they had argued. Post graduate medical courses seats are divided into state and all-India quota. In Chandigarh, before the Supreme Court judgement of January 29, 2025, the state quota pool was further divided into institutional preference(IP) and residence/domicile based. However, with Supreme Court judgement removing domicile quota, UT administration on April 9, 2025, had issued a notice to convert the UT Chandigarh pool seats of state quota into IP for third counselling of PG courses admissions. Some students approached the high court against UT administration notice for various reasons. The high court dismissed the pleas in its order on May 27, 2025 and directed UT administration to carry out admissions to the courses in accordance with Supreme Court judgement of January 29. It was in this backdrop that on June 3, GMCH-32 notified the third counselling of post graduate medical courses for session 2024-25 for the remaining state quota seats on the basis of IP and all-India merit of NEET-PG examination. As per the notice, this time UT decided to fill the seats of state quota on all India merit of NEET-PG-2024 exam. The students had challenged this notice, arguing that due to this all India quota seats have gone beyond 50% limit, which they claimed is 'illegal'. For third counselling, around 35 state quota seats were left.
