Chandigarh showcased its achievements in education, healthcare, sports, and sustainability at the 11th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria presented the Union Territory as a model of inclusive development.
Meeting Focus
Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and themed “Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047,” the meeting emphasized accelerating human development and cooperative federalism.
Educational Achievements
Kataria highlighted that Chandigarh has achieved a literacy rate of 99.93% and secured the highest Prachesta-1 grade in the Performance Grading Index 2.0 for the second consecutive year. Class X results improved to 88.25%, with 475 students scoring above 90% in the 2025-26 academic year. Initiatives such as Project Udaan and Shikhar-26, along with AI and data science courses in government schools, were also noted. The UT's higher education Gross Enrollment Ratio stands at 64.8%.
Healthcare and Sports
In healthcare, Kataria pointed to Project SARATHI, where NSS volunteers assist patients—a model now replicated in over 1,400 hospitals nationwide. On sports, Chandigarh's medal tally nearly doubled from 297 to 488 in two years, and the city is set to host the 2027 Asian Relay Championships.
Sustainability Measures
Kataria also flagged sustainability measures, including full solarisation of government buildings, a top-10 finish in the Swachh Vayu Survey 2025, and the National Energy Conservation Award. He noted Chandigarh's push for clean mobility and its status as India's first slum-free UT.
Reaffirming focus on human capital, Kataria said Chandigarh will continue contributing to the goal of a developed India by 2047.
