Union Territory government
The President administers Chandigarh through an Administrator under Article 239. It has no Legislative Assembly or Council of Ministers. The Municipal Corporation is a separate elected local body with statutory functions.
Union Territory dossier 2 · Chandigarh
Chandigarh since 1948.
A source-led record of the planned capital, Union Territory administration, parliamentary representation, people, economy, modernist heritage, urban ecology and accountability.
Boundary rule: the planned city, its regulated periphery, the 114 km² Union Territory and the wider Chandigarh Tricity are not interchangeable geographic or statistical units. Chandigarh is the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana but belongs to neither State.
1Lok Sabha constituency
0Legislative Assembly seats
1,055,450Census 2011 population
1UNESCO World Heritage component
Constitutional and urban journey
A post-Partition capital project became a Union Territory and the shared seat of two State governments.
MAR 1948Foothill site approved for East Punjab’s new capital
1952Foundation stone laid as the planned city took shape
1 NOV 1966Punjab reorganisation made Chandigarh a Union Territory
2016Capitol Complex inscribed within Le Corbusier World Heritage property
Chandigarh Administration history · Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
Administration and democratic representation
Current offices · verified 3 September 2026
Gulab Chand Kataria is Administrator and H. Rajesh Prasad is Chief Secretary. The Governor of Punjab conventionally serves concurrently as Chandigarh’s Administrator.
Lok Sabha elections and parties
| Election | Winner | Political record |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Kirron Kher | BJP |
| 2019 | Kirron Kher | BJP |
| 2024 | Manish Tewari | INC |
The Union Territory forms one unreserved parliamentary constituency. Lok Sabha, Municipal Corporation and village-level mandates are separately recorded.
People, economy and urban services
| Measure | Figure / frame | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,055,450 | Census 2011 |
| Area | 114 km² | Union Territory administrative area |
| Population density | 9,258 per km² | Census 2011 |
| Economic frame | Public administration, trade, business services, education, health, construction and manufacturing | UT and Tricity activity require separate boundaries |
GSDP, per-capita income, municipal revenue, Union grants and audited expenditure are different fiscal measures. Housing, mobility, water, waste and peripheral growth link the original sector plan to a much larger urban region.
World Heritage, design and ecology
Capitol Complex
The Capitol Complex is India’s component of the transnational UNESCO property “The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier.” The Secretariat, High Court and Assembly serve living institutions; proposed works require heritage-impact scrutiny.
Planned city
Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry shaped the sector plan and architecture. Credit, conservation and later adaptation require building- and author-specific records.
Sukhna and Shivaliks
Sukhna Lake, its catchment, seasonal choes and Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary connect urban recreation with erosion, water and habitat management. Administrative and ecological boundaries differ.
Living cultural landscape
The Rock Garden, Government Museum, markets, neighbourhoods and villages represent later civic life beyond the monumental core. Formal heritage status and public affection are not the same category.
UNESCO Le Corbusier property · World Heritage conservation decision.
Audits and public accountability
CAG Union Territory, municipal and departmental reports are tied to audited periods and official replies. Land allotment, housing, transport, waste, water, heritage interventions and procurement require document-level evidence.
Political allegation, audit observation, inquiry, charge, judgment and appeal remain separate statuses.
Comptroller and Auditor General of India · accountability methodology.
Source ledger
Formation and administration: India Code, MHA and Chandigarh Administration · elections: ECI · population and economy: Census India and Chandigarh statistics · heritage and ecology: UNESCO, Administration, Forest and pollution-control authorities · accountability: CAG, Parliament and Municipal Corporation. Checked 3 September 2026.