Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced and inaugurated Chandigarh development projects worth over ₹4,700 crore. The package covers healthcare, education, road infrastructure, digital governance, and urban sanitation. For UPSC, the important theme is not the ceremony itself but the policy link between urban infrastructure, public health, and ease of living.

What happened

The Prime Minister said the Chandigarh package includes the foundation stone laying and dedication to the nation of multiple projects. The release said more than ₹2,500 crore has already been spent on making the city high-tech through systems such as an Integrated Command and Control Center, Smart Traffic Management, and Digital Governance.

The release also said the healthcare component at the local medical institute includes a Neuroscience Center, a Mother and Child Center, and a Critical Care Hospital Block. The Prime Minister also mentioned educational and housing-related additions at Punjab Engineering College, including the Kurukshetra Boys Hostel and new research scholar accommodations.

Background and earlier position

Chandigarh has long functioned as a shared administrative and service hub for Punjab and Haryana, and the release described the city as a healthcare hub for the wider region, including parts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister also referred to the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita beginning in Chandigarh, but the release did not add legal detail on the code itself.

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