Photo Source; Babushahi Bureau
PM Modi created world-class infrastructure in 10 years to power Bharat’s economic rise, say leading Architects, Urban Planners
Babushahi Bureau
Gharuan, (Mohali), April 8, 2024 -- In alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, Chandigarh University on Monday organized "?????? ??????: ?????? ????? ?????" to delve into the dynamics shaping India's urban future with inclusive and sustainable development.
While former Chief Secretary Haryana Vijay Vardhan presided over the event as the chief guest, other dignitaries who attended this summit – jointly organized by the New India Development (NID) Foundation and University Institute of Architecture – included Chief Architect Department of Architecture Chandigarh, Sapna, former advisor Town Planning Department Punjab, Jit Kumar Gupta, Director, Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture (Bhopal) Dr Kailash Rao, former Principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture architect Rajnish Watts, Director, School of Architecture, University of Illinois (Spain), Prof Alejandro Lapunzina, President, Council of Architecture, Abhay Vinayak Purohit, principal architect Raj Rewal Associates, Raj Rewal, principal architect Prem Nath and Associates (Mumbai) Prem Nath, principal architect Creative Group (New Delhi) Charanjit Shah and founder architect of Khanna Manmohan Associates, Manmohan Khanna. Besides the above industry experts from six countries including Prof. (Dr.) Warunee Wang, Khon Kaen University Thailand, Lecturer Ms Patcharawan Kerjaroen, Phuket Rajabhat University Thailand, Prof Milena Zolotareva, University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Russia also attended the summit.
Participating in the summit, leading architects, urban planners, academicians, policymakers, environmentalists, researchers and industry experts from USA, Russia, Bangladesh, Thailand and India said under PM Modi, infrastructure development has picked unprecedented pace and became biggest driver of economic growth and employment creation for a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
They said in past 10 years, PM Modi’s government has steered India away from its colonial baggage of British rule with steps to mark the identity of New India which is symbolised by new Parliament building, renaming of Rajpath as Kartavya Path, installation of the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate and building National War Memorial for brining to life a modern and strong India.
They said by allocating six times more budget than by any previous government for infrastructure development, PM Modi has made India future-ready and created world-class infrastructure in 10 years to transform India into a global economic powerhouse with fastest growing economy in the world.
Industry experts said by spending 1.7 per cent of GDP, on capital expenditure for building roads and railways which is around twice the level in America and most European countries, up from 0.4 per cent of GDP in 2014, PM Modi’s government has used infrastructure development as biggest driver of economic growth and employment creation for a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
They said unlike previous governments, speed of infrastructure development accelerated manifold in 10 years under PM Modi with impressive pace in approval and execution of projects. Under PM Modi government, India emerged as a global leader in building modern infrastructure with faster highways, much improved railways, double number of airports, the industry experts said.
They said in past 10 years, PM Modi’s government has steered India away from its colonial baggage of British rule with steps to mark the identity of New India which is symbolised by renaming of Rajpath as Kartavya Path, installation of the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate and building National War Memorial for brining to life a modern, strong India free.
India has arrived in the world as equals under PM Modi’s leadership, says former Chief Secretary Haryana and Chief Information Commissioner of Haryana, Vijai Vardhan
Former Chief Secretary Haryana and Chief Information Commissioner of Haryana, Vijai Vardhan said in the last 10 years under PM Modi, the growth has become very inclusive. Bringing an end to regional disparities, PM Modi has focused on all area be it is Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East or the tribal areas.
“The second remarkable thing that PM Modi has done is that he has removed corruption in government schemes by introducing digitization in a big manner. So India became the first nation to open 55 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts. Now when you the benefit of a government scheme, there is direct benefit transfer or DBT to your bank account which removes all middle man. So these two are the main achievements of the PM Modi in the past 10 years,” he said.
On PM Modi’s Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi initiative, Vardhan said it’s important for a developing nation to have a sense of pride in its heritage whether it’s religious heritage or cultural heritage. One should not be apologetic about it. As a legacy of colonial rule of the British, we didn’t value our heritage enough. So PM Modi’s this focus on embracing modernism weather its IT or digital technology but remaining rooted in one’s tradition and have a sense of pride in it is very welcome.
“PM Modi has made Indians feel very proud of themselves weather it’s in defense sector or foreign affairs policy you find a new sense of confidence, robustness and sense of self-belief that we represent the most populous nation in the world with one of the most finely educated work force. We have arrived in the world as equals under PM Modi’s leadership. That’s very good,” he added.
India moving in the right direction under PM Modi’s leadership, says President, Council of Architecture, Prof Abhay Vinayak Purohit
The President, Council of Architecture, Prof Abhay Vinayak Purohit said in the past decade under PM Modi, our economy has developed in a fantastic manner, our human resource is ready to provide services to the world and our urban as well as the rural infrastructure has seen a great jump which will be really help in the further development of the nation in the time to come.
“India has a great heritage which is best in the world. In the past decade steps have been taken to showcase it to the world. Under the leadership of PM Modi, we are moving in the right direction and this will yield good results in the time to come. Technologically we are doing really well, we also have the right policies in place to improve their standards of life, we are also looking at making India an educational hub which is like reviving the past traditions when we had best ancient universities in India, now we again are having best universities and educational institutions in India. We have the advantage of the biggest number of IT professionals in India along with AI and other technologies. We are capable brining the technology at very reasonable price, the other countries of world will be looking out at India to bring that technology to their country. We when that happens, India will become capable of becoming the Vishwa Guru not in philosophy but also in technology,” he said.
PM Modi’s unprecedented focus on road infrastructure transformed India’s connectivity landscape, says Architect Jit Kumar Gupta
Former Chief Town Planner at Sahara Prime City Limited, Architect Jit Kumar Gupta, said, “Connectivity remains the genesis of all growth and development, and so does the infrastructure. Any country without enough connectivity and provide mobility faces limitations in terms of growth and development. The New Initiatives taken by the government, like introduction of Vande Bharat trains and new road networks, have opened prospects for country’s progress. India is undergoing a new era of growth and development, and these dedicated corridors prioritize economic growth agenda and promise not only linear development but also development in verbal settlements. However, meticulous planning is essential to foster the development of these settlements.”
Gupta further said, “Under PM Modi’s leadership, there has been unprecedented growth in road infrastructure. Previously, while various development projects were underway, the focus on national highways and interconnected roads was lacking. Now, the government has prioritized their development, which will have significant implications as road transport offers greater ease, speed, and efficiency for development.” Lauding the Smart Cities Initiative, he said that cities have a pivotal role in shaping the economy, employment and prosperity of the country, making it extremely important to debate, define and revisit the cities. In fast there is a direct proportion between prosperity and urbanization. And with India on the path of urbanization, its important for cities to be planned, designed, developed, and managed more effectively and efficiently, because country’s economy will depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of the cities.”
Sapna, Chief Architect, Government of Punjab and Former Vice President of Council of Architecture, emphasized the necessity for urban harmony. “Urban symphony is the need of the house as India is moving at a rapid pace of urban development. However, cities are experiencing significant congestion, traffic, waste management challenges, and water conservation issues due to this development.
The panel discussions during today’s summit will revolve around assessing the country's readiness to address these pressing issues such as congestion, traffic, water management, and affordable housing to the people in urban areas. The focus will be on fostering green, sustainable building practices for a future-ready urban landscape,” she said.
Indian architecture is developed now, preserving the historical background, Indian cultural values: Rifat Bin Firoz, student of architecture from Bangladesh
India is having good infrastructure, says architecture student from Russia
Rifat Bin Firoz, student of architecture from Bangladesh said, “With tremendous infrastructure development, the travel distance has reduced significantly in India now. New roads, expressways are built across the country and they are very clean. Indian architects are doing really well. The planning, design, building block patterns; they are applying rules in building construction. Indian architecture is developed now. Its amazing how Indian architecture is preserving the historical background, Indian cultural values.”
Anzhelika Ivanikhina, student, University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, St Petersburg, Russia, “We see really good infrastructure in India be it airports, roads and greenery. So I feel Indian government has done really well to make the life better for its citizens. I think is now a very prosperous country will very good public places. So I think Indian government has done a really good job,”.India holds great significance in global economy today, saw tremendous progress over the years, says Professor Alejandro Lapunzina, Director, School of Architecture, University of Illinois, Spain
Under PM Modi’s initiative, India is seeing large scale development: Maria Anastasiou, Associate Provost for International Programs, UNC Greensboro, University of North Carolina
Professor Alejandro Lapunzina, Director, School of Architecture, University of Illinois, Spain said, “The importance of India in global economy and global scenario has grown significantly. India today being one of the largest economies of the world holds crucial importance not just within India but also at regional and global level. India has seen tremendous infrastructural development. Apart from infra there is development of rich Indian culture based on values and principles. We all are in a mission to ensure safer, equal world society today. Considering that India got freedom from colonialism much later than many other countries, it has seen amazing progress over the years.”
Maria Anastasiou, Associate Provost for International Programs, UNC Greensboro, University of North Carolina said, “I was moving around here in India and was really amazed after seeing all the development that has been happening here. Its amazing to see development projects being carried out on such a large scale.
There are number of hospitals introduced for providing quality healthcare and addressing the great need; so its amazing that health which is one of UN Sustainable Development Goals is being given priority. As part of PM of India’s initiatives great highways and bridges have bene constructed; cities are bustling with life and there is great transportation system in India which is great.