Panjab University to assist UT Administration in transforming Chandigarh to Resurgent Smart City

Chandigarh, October 4, 2024: Panjab University (PU) has bagged the Lead Knowledge Institution (LKI) tag for UT Chandigarh under the Niti Aayog’s State Support Mission initiative. UT Administration has nominated Panjab University (PU) as the Lead Knowledge Institution (LKI) to collaborate with the 'Chandigarh Institute for Transformation' under NITI Aayog's State Support Mission, aiming to guide the city towards achieving its long-term development goals, collectively referred to as ‘Chandigarh@2047’.
 
As the LKI, PU shall be providing research inputs for the preparation of development strategies to achieve the vision for Chandigarh@2047. It will facilitate institutional collaboration among other academic institutions, research institutions and think tanks to leverage their expertise and domain-specific knowledge, organize capacity-building workshops and training of concerned stakeholders. It will be assisting UT Chandigarh in collecting and collating best practices as well.

Panjab University has a long tradition of pursuing excellence in teaching and research in science and technology, humanities, social sciences, performing arts and sports, providing a platform for the fructification of ideas, knowledge and action.
 
With an illustrious past of over 140 years, Panjab University is one of the oldest Universities in India, established in 1882 at Lahore, now in Pakistan. With its campus spread over 550 acres in two Sectors of the City Beautiful Chandigarh, the campus is a self-contained mini township.

By virtue of its age, experience, achievements and philosophy, Panjab University is a premier University of international character and stature, in so far as it draws its faculty and students from all over the country and abroad.
 
Prof Renu Vig, Vice Chancellor informed that the PU will be assisting UT in becoming a resurgent smart city while handling issues like drastic increase in traffic due to population explosion, unpredictable climatic changes, depleting resources and increasing expenditures.
 
Prof Harsh Nayyar (former Director Research) who led the team of Professors from PU to formulate and pitch the proposal to the Adviser UT Chandigarh said, “PU with its vast knowledge base and experience in handling complex problems will support UT administration and its officials for making Chandigarh a better city”.

In different spheres of capacity building, policy making and strategizing, PU would take a lead in coordination with many institutions of the city to transform the city beautiful by social re-engineering, he added.