Chandigarh might get India International Centre

CHANDIGARH: If all goes as the UT Administration has planned, Chandigarh will soon have its own India International Centre on the pattern of Delhi’s famous knowledge hub.


UT administrator VP Singh Badnore declared this on Tuesday at TOI’s summit, It’s Chandigarh’s Time, in the presence of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, his Haryana counterpart, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Pramod Kumar, social scientist who proposed this centre as a non-governmental, non-commercial institution for public service activities, run by a registered society. Badnore said: “The centre will aim at making Chandigarh an international city, preserving the culture of north-western India, and promoting dialogue.”

The administration will lease land to this society for the development of “Chandigarh India International Centre” (CIIC) and write to both Punjab and Haryana for contributing to its construction. Pramod Kumar said: “The centre will be developed as a place where intellectuals, diplomats, national leaders, policymakers, scientists, writers, artists, and members of civil society come together for the exchange of new ideas and knowledge.”

Artist's impression

The centre will form study groups and discussion clubs. It will include a world-class library that runs on modern technology and collects audio, video, and printed material. The society will give the centre on rent to the bodies that have similar objectives. This will be on a no-profit-no-loss basis. The centre will have multiple auditoriums, conference rooms, and residential facilities for members.

Chandigarh has no convention centre for large gatherings. “This is why corporate tourism is not picking up in the city,” Chandigarh hospitality association president and Chandigarh tourism advisory board member Ankit Gupta said. “The centre will help attract MICE (meeting, incentive, conference, exposition) tourism.”

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Le Corbusier’s dream

Chandigarh’s master architect Le Corbusier had proposed a Museum of Knowledge at Capitol Complex, with objectives similar to that of the proposed Chandigarh India International Centre. The centre will help serve the purpose for which the museum was proposed. Museum of Knowledge is the only building in the original plan of Capitol Complex that has not been constructed for the past 66 years.