History of Chandigarh in Timeline

Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, functioning as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. It lies near the Shivalik Himalayas, bordering Haryana to the east and Punjab on the other sides. Chandigarh forms the core of the Chandigarh Capital Region, encompassing Panchkula (Haryana) and Mohali (Punjab). It's situated 260 km northwest of New Delhi, 229 km southeast of Amritsar, and 104 km southwest of Shimla.

1947: Withdrawal of Britain

In 1947, Britain's accelerated withdrawal from its empire left its former colony in states of disarray, requiring the new Indian government to address issues such as rural depopulation, urban congestion, and poverty.

1947: Partition of Punjab

In 1947, as part of the partition of India, the province of Punjab was divided into East Punjab (India) and West Punjab (Pakistan), with Lahore becoming part of Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru envisioned a new city to serve as the capital of Punjab, which eventually became Chandigarh.

1949: Albert Mayer Commissioned to Design Chandigarh

In 1949, Albert Mayer was commissioned to design Chandigarh, carved out of approximately fifty villages in East Punjab. Mayer developed a superblock-based city with green spaces, cellular neighborhoods, and traffic segregation.

1950: Matthew Nowicki's Death and Le Corbusier's Recruitment

In 1950, after the death of his architect-partner Matthew Nowicki, Albert Mayer stopped working on Chandigarh. Government officials recruited Le Corbusier to succeed Mayer and Nowicki.

1951: Population Growth Rate in Chandigarh

The population growth rate decreased from 394.13% in 1951-1961.

1952: Nehru's visit to Chandigarh site

In 1952, Nehru visited the site of Chandigarh and envisioned it as a symbol of India's freedom, a new town unfettered by the past, expressing the nation's faith in the future.

September 1953: Capital City Shifted to Chandigarh

On September 21, 1953, the capital city was officially shifted from Shimla to Chandigarh.

October 1953: Formal Inauguration of Chandigarh

In October 7, 1953, Chandigarh was formally inaugurated by India's first president, Rajendra Prasad.

1956: Incomplete Monuments in Capitol Complex

In 1956, construction began on Geometric Hill and Martyrs Memorial, two of the six monuments planned in the Capitol Complex but these were never completed.

1958: Creation of Sukhna Lake

In 1958, Sukhna Lake, a 3 km artificial rain-fed lake in Sector 1, was created by damming the Sukhna Choe.

1961: Population Growth Rate in Chandigarh

The population growth rate decreased from 394.13% in 1951-1961 to 17.10% in 2001-2011.

November 1966: Reorganization of Punjab and Chandigarh's Status

In November 1966, the state of Punjab was split into Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh, located on the border of the two states, became a union territory controlled by the central government and served as the shared capital.

1971: Planned cities created

Between India's independence and 1971, 112 planned cities were created throughout India, including Chandigarh, to absorb migration and provide hubs for growing industries.

1981: Language Demographics in Chandigarh

In 1981, 36% of the population in Chandigarh spoke Punjabi.

1984: Governor of Punjab as Administrator

Since 1984, the Governor of Punjab has concurrently served as the administrator of Chandigarh.

1998: Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary Established

In 1998, Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary was officially declared a wildlife sanctuary.

2001: Chandigarh Census Data

As of the 2001 India census, Chandigarh had a population density of about 7,900 persons per square kilometre.

2001: Population Growth Rate Comparison

Between 2001 and 2011, Chandigarh experienced a population growth rate of 17.10%.

2011: Chandigarh Census Data

As of the 2011 India census, Chandigarh had a population of 1,055,450, with a density of about 9,252 persons per square kilometre.

2011: Population Growth Rate Comparison

Between 2001 and 2011, Chandigarh experienced a population growth rate of 17.10%.

2011: Language Demographics in Chandigarh

In 2011, the percentage of Punjabi speakers in Chandigarh had fallen to 22%, while Hindi speakers increased to 78%.

2011: Population Statistics from 2011 Census

In 2011, the sex ratio in Chandigarh was 818 females per 1,000 males, and the child-sex ratio was 880 females per thousand males. The effective literacy rate was 86.77%.

June 2012: RBI Ranking of Chandigarh

As of June 2012, the Reserve Bank of India ranked Chandigarh as the third-largest deposit centre and seventh-largest credit centre nationwide.

2014: Chandigarh Ranked as Wealthiest Town

According to a 2014 survey, Chandigarh is ranked 4th in the top 50 cities identified globally as "emerging outsourcing and IT services destinations".

2015: Chandigarh Ranked Happiest City in India

In 2015, LG Electronics' survey ranked Chandigarh as the happiest city in India on the happiness index. Also in 2015, the BBC named Chandigarh as one of the few master-planned cities in the world to have succeeded.

2015: Completion of International Terminal at Chandigarh Airport

In 2015, an international terminal was completed at Chandigarh Airport, leading to the start of international flight routes to Dubai and Sharjah.

July 2016: Chandigarh's Capitol Complex Declared a World Heritage Site

In July 2016, Chandigarh's Capitol Complex was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO during the 40th session of the World Heritage Conference as part of a global ensemble of Le Corbusier's buildings.

2016: Chandigarh Ranked Second Cleanest City

In 2016, Chandigarh was recognized as the second cleanest city in India.

2016: Unpopular Tax and Tariff Increases

The increase in the waste collection charges, water tariff and property tax rates during the last five years 2016 to 2021 were unpopular among the public.

2017: Metro Rail Proposals Scrapped

In 2017, long-standing proposals to develop a metro rail system in Chandigarh were formally scrapped.

2019: Chandigarh Metro Project Opposition

The work of the Chandigarh Metro was slated to start by 2019 but was opposed by the Member of Parliament from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher, and was turned down owing to its non-feasibility.

September 2020: Sewerage System Upgrade Announcement

In September 2020, the civic body announced it would upgrade and renew the 50-year-old sewerage system.

2020: District Nutrition Profile of Children (Under 5)

In 2020, data was collected on the district nutrition profile of children below the age of 5 years in Chandigarh.

2020: District Nutrition Profile of Women (15-49)

In 2020, data was collected on the district nutrition profile of women in Chandigarh between the ages of 15 and 49 years.

April 2021: Decision Awaited on Water Supply Project

On April 8, 2021, the Chandigarh Smart City Ltd (CSCL) board was yet to take the final decision on the water supply project.

May 2021: Pilot Project for 24x7 Water Supply

The pilot project for the 24x7 water supply was expected to begin in Chandigarh in May 2021.

December 2021: Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Election Composition

As of December 2021, this entry refers to the composition of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation after the 2021 Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election.

2021: Decline in Cleanliness Ranking

In 2021, Chandigarh fell 66 positions in the list of cleanest cities in India, with garbage piling up at the Dadu Majra garbage dump site.

2021: Increase in Water Tariff

In 2021, the BJP-ruled corporation had increased the water tariff by 1.5 to 2.5 times, causing widespread discontent among residents.

2021: Parking Shortage and Rate Increase

In 2021, there was an acute shortage of parking spaces in Chandigarh, aggravated by a 17% increase in parking rates by the Municipal Corporation.

March 2022: Announcement of Central Civil Services Rules

On March 27, 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that Chandigarh employees would transition to central civil services rules from April 1, 2022.

March 2022: Expected Completion of Pilot Water Project

The pilot project for the 24x7 water supply, planned since September 2020 and expected to begin in May 2021, was initially to end in March 2022.

April 2022: Implementation of Central Civil Services Rules

From April 1, 2022, Chandigarh employees transitioned to central civil services rules, a move announced on March 27, 2022.

2023: Chandigarh's Gross State Domestic Product

Chandigarh's gross state domestic product for 2014–15 is estimated at ₹290 billion (equivalent to ₹440 billion or US$5.2 billion in 2023).

2023: Formation of Unified Transport Metropolitan Authority

In 2023, the Unified Transport Metropolitan Authority, Chandigarh was created to plan and execute the transportation needs of the Chandigarh Metropolitan Region.

July 2024: Gulab Chand Kataria as Administrator

Since July 27, 2024, Gulab Chand Kataria has been the administrator of the union territory.

2024: Member of Parliament Elected

In 2024, Manish Tewari (INC) was elected as the Member of Parliament from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency.

2024: Tropical Modernism exhibition

In 2024, designs for Chandigarh were featured in the "Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence" exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.