Memoirs of general who predicted 1962 out soon

Top army officer reviews ongoing anti-terror operations in hilly areas of Jammu

From bombing to covert spy missions, 5 operations that define MiG-21’s 6-decade flight with IAF

Sudarshan Chakra will be ‘mother of all air defence systems combined’: CISC Air Marshal Dixit

androth, second of submarine-hunting ships, to commissioned on Oct 6

Rajnath inaugurates Tata’s military vehicle making plant in Morocco

When Portugal met Porus: Roman mosaic rekindles Kangra’s legacy

The Ismaili Singhs of upper Chitral: An untold story of Sikh legacy in the mountains of Pakistan

Chandigarh’s realty reality

Nurpur Fort: Where legends sleep and heritage waits to awaken

Builder-bank nexus: SC allows CBI to register six more FIRs

50 years on, Centre shows green signal to Rajpura-Mohali rail link

Will cut travel distance by 66 km; approval also for Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat

Lt. Gen. SPP Thorat’s note written to the government on October 8, 1959 was seen by Prime Minister only in October 1962 after the debacle in NEFA.

TODAY (September 24), in Pune, the Indian Army will pause to honour one of its most remarkable but under-recognised soldiers. The autobiography of Lieutenant General SPP Thorat is being re-released in the presence of the Chief of Defence Staff, 

NEW DELHI: Events leading up to the 1962 India-China war will be in sharp focus again next week when chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan releases the revised edition of the autobiography of the late Lieutenant General SPP Thorat, one of the most respected army officers of that era and whose prescient warning about Chinese intentions were ignored by the government at the time.

The CDS will release the revised edition of the book, From Reveille to Retreat – An Autobiography, in Pune on September 24; the book was first published in 1985 and went into its last reprint two decades ago. The latest version, published by Hedwig Media House, omits some portions that are no longer relevant and includes many previously unpublished papers and photographs.

One of the chapters in the autobiography deals with the North-Eastern Frontier, capturing the aggressive Chinese actions along the northern borders in the late 1950s, the government’s refusal to admit any danger to India, the stark differences between the political and military leadership, Thorat’s strained relations with the then defence minister VK Krishna Menon and the defence of the North-Eastern Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh) being entrusted to the para-military force Assam Rifles and not to the army.

Search operation is underway in Seoj Dhar forest connecting Dudu-Basantgarh in Udhampur district with Bhaderwah in Doda district

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of White Knight Corps Lt Gen P K Mishra on Monday reviewed the ongoing anti-terror operations in the hilly areas of Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir following recent encounters with terrorists, officials said.

While a massive search operation is underway in Seoj Dhar forest connecting Dudu-Basantgarh in Udhampur district with Bhaderwah in Doda district since Friday evening following the killing of a soldier in a gunfight with terrorists, another operation was launched in Keshwan forest of Kishtwar district after a brief encounter on Sunday afternoon, the officials said.

Accompanied by GOC, counter-insurgency force (Delta) Maj Gen A P S Bal, the corps commander flew in a helicopter to Seoj Dhar to review the ongoing operations this morning, the officials said.

They said though there was no contact with the terrorists after the initial gunfights in Seoj Dhar and Keshwan forests, helicopters were seen hovering over the dense forests which remained besieged with joint parties of army, police and CRPF on the ground carrying out the combing operation.

Drones and sniffer dogs were also deployed in the area to help track down and neutralise the terrorists, the officials said.

Meanwhile, security forces also launched a cordon and search operation in Malhar area of Kathua district after getting information about suspected movement of two terrorists.

The operation is going on but there was no trace of the suspected persons so far, the officials said.

A deal with the Soviet Union was signed in 1962 and the first batch of eight pilots trained at Lugvoya Airbase in Kazakhstan. The first batch of 10 aircraft arrived in April 1963, forming No.28 squadron, the First Supersonics at Chandigarh.

In 1961, the Indian Air Force (IAF) opted to procure the Soviet-origin MiG-21, a third generation jet fighter aircraft, over several other Western competitors such as the  British English Electric Lightning and the US F-104 Starfighter.

A combination of strategic, economic, political and operational factors influenced this decision. Not only was the MiG-21 cheaper than its Western counterparts, it came with the Soviet offer of full transfer of technology and rights for manufacture in India, something the West was unwilling to do.

With geopolitical shifts, India also sought to diversify sources of Defence equipment, which till then had been dependent on the West. Strengthening ties with the erstwhile Soviet Union also offered a strategic balance against China and Pakistan.

A deal with the Soviet Union was signed in 1962 and the first batch of eight pilots trained at Lugvoya Airbase in Kazakhstan. The first batch of 10 aircraft arrived in April 1963, forming No.28 squadron, the First Supersonics at Chandigarh.

The MiG-21’s Mach 2 speed, agility and climb rate, as well as other characteristics such as a simpler design and ruggedness as compared to western fighters suited India’s requirements.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited began licence production of the MiG-21 in 1966 at its Nashik plant. A total of 1,200 aircraft of different variants were procured till 2010, with later variants undergoing significant upgrades. At its peak, over 400 MiG-21 aircraft were in service with the IAF. The fleet, however, also came under scrutiny for the high number of accidents it suffered.

As the last of the remaining MiG-21 prepare to fly into the sunset on September 26, after being a game-changer in the skies over the Indian subcontinent for 62 years, here are five prominent operations that mark their journey with the IAF:

1. Bombing of Governor’s House in Dacca, 1971

In the eastern theatre during the Liberation of Bangladesh Campaign, MiG-21s played an instrumental role, not only in achieving air superiority but also undertaking ground attack roles. A key operation was attacking the Governor House in Dacca (now Dhaka), considered by military historians as the final nail in the coffin that led to the collapse of the Pakistan Army in the east.

On December 14, 1971, following intelligence reports of a top-level meeting at the Governor House, four MiG-21s armed with rockets were launched from the Guwahati airbase. Around 12:55 pm, they hit the house with pinpoint accuracy, causing its roof to collapse. The building was hit two more times, first with two MiG-21s, followed by two Hunters.

Following the bombing, the Governor of East Pakistan, AM Malik, who was until then undecided on whether to resign, submitted his resignation to the United Nations (UN). The entire East Pakistan government followed, resigning to the UN, leaving the defence of Dacca in the hands of Pakistan’s eastern army commander Lt Gen AAK Niazi, who surrendered two days later.

The MiG-21s also rendered the Tezgaon airfield at Dacca out of action by carrying out never-attempted-before steep glide bombing missions to crater the airstrip. This resulted in the IAF gaining air superiority over East Pakistan, paving the way for unrestricted ground, air and naval operations.

2. Photographing Skardu airbase, 1985

As Operation Meghdoot, India’s campaign in the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield, which began in 1984 was under way, a MiG-21 is said to have executed a daring photo-recce mission in 1985 of which little is known publically.

Equipped with an underbelly Type-96 pod carying a Vinten panoramic camera, it streaked through the Shyok valley, flying just a couple of hundred feet above the ground and made an arduous run over Skardu in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, photographing its newly laid runway and adjacent areas to collect intelligence on Pakistani aircraft, airfield status and logistics.

The pilot employed low-level penetration at high speed to evade radar, navigating by maps and visual landmarks due to limited aids available in the remote terrain. Other fighter aircraft provided cover.

Skardu was and continues to be a strategic Pakistan Air Force forward airbase located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region and its monitoring its activities was critical due to its role in supporting Pakistan military operations in the Siachen Glacier region.

Even in the 1971 India-Pakistan War, Skardu had been a high-value target for supporting enemy operations in the Northern Sector. The IAF conducted a daring bombing raid on Skardu on December 17, 1971, using Canberra bombers and An-12 transports to damage the runway, thereby preventing Pakistani operations. Even then, recce flights by MiG-21s were conducted to confirm the damage, marking one of the aircraft’s early forays into the fighter-recce role.

3. First into combat during Kargil conflict

MiG-21s were among the first fighters to go into combat on May 26, 1999, when the Indian Air Force formally entered the Kargil conflict along the Line of Control in northern Jammu and Kashmir.

MiG-21s, alongside MiG-23s and MiG-27s, launched the opening attacks at 6:30 am, targeting enemy camps, logistic routes and supply dumps overlooking key areas along the frontlines in Dras, Kargil and Batalik sectors.

Flying out of Srinagar and Avantipur airbases, the MiG-21s were primarily used for ground attack missions and close air support, besides undertaking photo-reconnaissance and battle damage assessment missions as well as combat air patrols.

MiG-21s were adapted for precision ground attacks in narrow, high altitude valleys and confined spaces, targeting small enemy outposts, bunkers and supply lines through manual aiming and unguided bombs and rockets, requiring exceptional skills. These strikes were critical in softening enemy positions.

In the absence of advanced navigational aids, IAF pilots innovatively used hand-held GPS and stopwatches for navigation in low-light conditions, achieving effective results without advanced technology. By mid-July, when the war started winding down before its cessation on July 26, the MiG-21s had carried out about 580 strike missions and 460 air defence sorties.

4. Pakistani Atlantique shoot down, 1999

On August 10, 1999, a few weeks after the Kargil conflict, a MiG-21 intercepted and shot down a Pakistani Navy Breguet – 1150 Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft over the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

The French-built, twin-turboprop aircraft from Pakistan Navy’s No. 29 Squadron had taken off from Mehran Naval Base at 9:45 am. Around 10:51 AM, the IAF ground radar at Naliya airbase in Gujarat detected the aircraft approaching the border near Badin.

Two MiG-21s from No. 45 Squadron, the Flying Daggers, were scrambled. According to official accounts, the Pakistani aircraft intruded 10 km into India twice and was repeatedly warned. The Atlantique ignored commands and turned aggressively towards the MiG-21s.

At 11:17 am, Sqdn Ldr RK Bundela, flying the lead MiG-21 fired an R-60 infrared-homing air-to-air missile from a 3 km range, hitting the Atlantique’s port engine. The plane caught fire, descended, and crashed near the border village of Talhar.

All 16 Pakistani crew members, including five officers and 11 trainees, were killed. Sqn Ldr Bundela and the ground-based fighter controller, Wg Cdr VS Sharma were decorated with the Vayu Sena Medal.

5. Post-Balakot air duel, 2019

MiG-21s were among the aircraft that were deployed to counter Pakistan’s aerial activities in the wake of the IAF’s strike on terrorist camps at Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan in the aftermath of a terrorist strike at Pulwana in Jammu and Kashmir in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in 2019.

The MiG-21, the oldest fighter in the IAF’s inventory was pitted against the F-16, the most advanced aircraft that the Pakistan Air Force flaunts, with the IAF claim that an F-16 was shot down in an aerial duel over the skies of Jammu and Kashmir close to the Line of Control (LoC).

Two MiG-21 Bisons were scrambled from an operational readiness platform to intercept four Pakistani aircraft that intruded into Indian airspace in Rajouri sector.

One of the pilots, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman, fired an R-73 missile at an F-16 resulting in a radar blip being tracked as an F-16 from its signature vanishing from the screen, according to a top IAF officer.

Varthaman’s own MiG-21 was also hit after he reportedly transgressed across the LoC in the heat of the moment and he landed inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir after ejecting. He was captured but later repatriated to India and was decorated with the Vir Chakra.

Like ‘Make in India’, you have to start ‘Think in India’ and ideate, he urged the defence industry

ndia’s proposed air defence system Sudarshan Chakra will be the “mother of all air defence systems combined together” and will include counter-drone, counter-UAV and counter-hypersonic systems among others, a top military official said on Tuesday.

In his address at a conference ‘Counter UAVs & Air Defence Systems: Future of Modern Warfare’ here, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit also said that the adversary has learnt from Operation Sindoor and so “we will have to be two steps ahead” of them in military thinking and planning.

The event saw participation of senior military officers, representatives of various firms in the defence industry and domain experts.

Air Marshal Dixit gave references to the recent Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war and how relatively much cheaper drones have played a critical role in inflicting huge damage to expensive military assets of the other side.

They have created an “innovation adaption cycle” and Indian industry, think-tanks, academia job should be to think “two steps ahead” to say ahead of the adversary, as it is “like a game of chess”, he said.

Like ‘Make in India’, you have to start ‘Think in India’ and ideate, he urged the defence industry.

On Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal Dixit said certain drones which “we caught were sophisticated, using… AI, visual means, and even if we jam their GPS, they were able to reach somewhere close”.

“They are also working and becoming better, so we have to go one step ahead,” he said.

Air Marshal Dixit, however, asserted that it seems “our counter-drone and GPS-jamming systems worked well, as damage caused by these drones have been almost nil”.

So, that is a “success story in anti-drone”, but unfortunately, same thing cannot be repeated next time, the other side’s system will also grow, because “they have also learned about our capabilities”, he said.

And, this harping on self-reliance, Atmanirbharta, because, it “gives a surprise element”.

“Like all surprises, it can only be utilised once. So, next time, again, we have to give a surprise element,” he said.

In his address, Air Marshal Dixit also mentioned about India’s envisioned air defence system Sudarshan Chakra, saying it will be “mother of all air defence systems combined together, along with some weapon systems”.

“We are still in ideation phase, but counter-drones, counter-UAV… counter-hypersonic, all these kind of things, and some things else also, which cannot be spoken about, all those combined together is Mission Sudarshan Chakra, with counter drone in the lowest layer of the system,” he said.

Later, the air marshal said, “It is in ideation phase, but I can tell you that it will be all-encompassing.”

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan in his address at a tri-service seminar in August had said that the proposed air defence system will work as “a shield and a sword’, and had suggested it will be on the lines of Israel’s Iron Dome all-weather air defense system, known as a very effective missile shield.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the 10-year project during his Independence Day address this year.

Sudarshan Chakra will entail a colossal amount of integration of sensors, missiles, surveillance apparatus and artificial intelligence tools, the CDS had said.

In his address, Air Marshal Dixit also emphasised on war’s impact on economy and commercialisation of drones.

One has to take economic view also, “I cannot go bankrupt while winning a war,” he said.

It is 77.6 m long, with a gross tonnage of over 1,490 tonnes

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

The Indian Navy is set to commission ‘Androth’ — its second state-of-the-art the next-generation ships — capable of detecting enemy submarines in shallow waters.

Called the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW-SWC), Androth will be commissioned Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.  The first ship of the class called INS Arnala was commissioned in June this year.

The Androth — derives its name from Island by the same name in in the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian sea.

The ship is made by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkatta, a public sector company which is in public-private-partnership with private company L&T having a shipyard at Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu.

The Navy is getting 16 such ships being made at cost of nearly Rs 13,000 crore.  Public Sector shipyards the Cochin Shipyard Limited and GRSE have been contracted to manufacture eight ships each.

The primary role of these ships is to detect, track and prosecute enemy submarines, particularly in coastal and shallow water regions. Equipped with advanced underwater sensors such as the hull-mounted sonar Abhay, underwater acoustic communication system and low-frequency sonar, these vessels are capable of comprehensive underwater surveillance.

To neutralise underwater threats, the ships feature a state-of-the-art weapon suite, including lightweight torpedoes, rockets, anti-torpedo decoys and advanced mine-laying capabilities.

The warship incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L&T, Mahindra Defence, and MEIL.

The project has engaged over 55 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), promoting domestic industry and generating related economic activity.

The facility will manufacture the ‘Wheeled Armoured Platform’ (WhAP), an indigenously developed 8×8 combat vehicle jointly designed by TASL and the Defence Research and Development Organisation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Moroccan counterpart Abdelatif Loudyi on Tuesday jointly inaugurated Tata Advanced Systems Limited’s (TASL) state-of-the-art defence manufacturing facility in Berrechid, Morocco.

Singh described the occasion as “a historic moment”, saying it was not just the opening of a new plant, but “the beginning of a new chapter in friendship between India and Morocco”.

The facility will manufacture the ‘Wheeled Armoured Platform’ (WhAP), an indigenously developed 8×8 combat vehicle jointly designed by TASL and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Spread over 20,000 square metres, the plant will produce multiple WhAP variants for the Moroccan armed forces.

The WhAP is a modern, modular combat platform equipped with advanced mobility, protection and mission adaptability. It features a survivable hull with ballistic and mine protection and is powered by a high-performance engine to ensure superior off-road capability.

Configurations include infantry fighting vehicle, armoured personnel carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, command post, mortar carrier and even ambulance variants. Options for manned or unmanned remote weapon stations and anti-tank guided missile integration further enhance its versatility, the Ministry of Defence said.

Under its contract with the Government of Morocco, TASL will deliver WhAP 8×8 vehicles to the Royal Moroccan Army, with initial deliveries scheduled to begin next month. The facility became operational three months ahead of schedule, and production has already commenced. It is Morocco’s largest defence manufacturing unit and marks the first such plant set up by an Indian private company in Africa.

Singh said the project is expected to generate significant defence-related employment and foster a robust local ecosystem of engineers, technicians and suppliers. About one-third of the components and sub-systems will be sourced and assembled locally from the outset, with local value addition expected to rise to 50 per cent in the coming years. Dedicated partners are also engaged to provide critical subsystems and technologies, ensuring in-country product support.

Raghav Guleria

In Dharamsala, a hill town long steeped in history, echoes of one of India’s greatest battles found an unlikely resonance — in a Roman mosaic discovered thousands of miles away in Portugal. At a seminar hosted by Government College, Dharamsala, and the Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum, scholars traced the fabled Battle of the Hydaspes, where Alexander the Great confronted King Porus, to a mosaic unearthed in Alter do Chão.

Portuguese archaeologist Jorge Antonio and Indian historian Dr Arunansh B Goswami suggested the artwork may well depict Alexander’s campaign in India, transforming the find into a symbolic bridge between continents. For the Katoch dynasty of Kangra, descendants of Porus, the connection carried intimate meaning.

“This mosaic is proof that our history is not just myth. It’s part of global memory,” said Mehran Singh Katoch, a young participant moved by the recognition. His words mirrored the pride of many who see in Porus a figure whose defiance still inspires.

Dr Goswami underscored how Porus and other Indian rulers resisted Alexander with such determination that even the Greeks took notice, not only of their courage but also of Indian philosophy, with some later embracing Hindu and Buddhist thought.

Aishwarya Katoch, scion of the Kangra royal family, reminded the gathering: “This is about reclaiming our narratives. It’s time we tell our stories to the world.”

The seminar, steered by Dr Amit Katoch of Government College, Dharamsala, resonated beyond academic circles. As India and Portugal mark five decades of diplomatic ties, the event became a reminder of history’s enduring threads and of Kangra’s resolve to preserve the legacy of one of the world’s oldest living dynasties.

These Muslim families with the last name ‘Singh’ trace roots to a Sikh soldier from Kashmir in India

Dr Tarunjit Singh Butalia

This summer, I spent several weeks in Lahore. The oppressive heat across the plains of Pakistani Punjab was quite unbearable, so I decided to escape north to Chitral for about 10 days. A few Lahori friends and I hired a 12-passenger van and headed north.

We headed out of Lahore via the motorway — first to Islamabad and then through Mardan (very close to Peshawar), past the Dir mountain ranges to the steep ascent of Lowari Pass (at an elevation of about 10,000 feet), and crossed a 10-km-long tunnel.

On the other side of the tunnel was Chitral Valley. The scene instantly reminded me of the Banihal tunnel in India, on the other side of which lies the lush green Kashmir valley.

Chitral Valley, situated in the northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North West Frontier Province) in Pakistan, is located significantly north of the Indian region of Leh and Ladakh. North of it lies the Afghan-controlled Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land that separates Chitral from Tajikistan.

Chitral is a place of breathtaking beauty, and the locals, seemingly immersed in a deep sense of peace, are a sight to behold. It is no wonder that Chitral is often associated with happiness.

The flat southern area of the valley is referred to as lower Chitral, while the northern mountainous part is upper Chitral.

Upper Chitral has snow-capped mountains rising straight from rivers swollen with ice-cold waters from melting glaciers above. It includes Qaqlasht Meadows, Torkho Valley, and many other gems of nature in Upper Chitral.

During this visit to the small town of Booni in Upper Chitral, I was captivated by a freestyle polo game at the Booni Polo Ground. At half time, a player caught my eye with his polo shirt emblazoned with ‘Singh Polo Club’. This was a surprising sight, as the use of ‘Singh’ as a religious name is typically associated with Sikhs, a community not found in Booni.

As the game progressed, I approached the player during the break. The player, Bashir Singh, revealed to me that they were proud descendants of Sikhs who settled in the Upper Chitral valley in the early 1850s. This revelation was quite surprising and piqued my curiosity, as it was not documented in any book of Sikh history, despite my extensive reading.

Back at my guest house, I delved online into research, but found nothing other than some information on the Sikh regiment from the famous 1895 siege of Chitral — some of whose personnel settled later in the city of Chitral and married local women.

The next day, I met Bashir and Babbar Singh, a well-known Chitrali singer with a melodious voice. Both of them were Ismaili Muslims, who understood spoken Punjabi but could not speak it.

Babbar invited me to meet an elder of their community to gain a better understanding of their history. He drove me from Booni to the nearby rural riverside village of Singhandae (village of Singhs), near Awi, which has over 250 Singh families in the area known as Singhandae.

Meer Wali Khan Singh, an uncle of Babbar Singh, is a knowledgeable retired school principal. He has a detailed family tree going back to the 1850s. He shared that there were over 500 Ismaili Muslim families in Upper Chitral with the last name ‘Singh’.

He shared the Singh family tree and elaborated that the first Singh to arrive in the upper Chitral Valley was Gulab Singh, a Sikh soldier from the Maharaja of Kashmir. He came to the Mehtar of Chitral in the 1850s in search of better economic opportunities and settled in upper Chitral. The Mehtar saw his leadership skills and appointed him the Hakam (ruler) of the upper Chitral region from Rashun to Gasht near Laspur.

Gulab Singh maintained the Sikh religious identity, followed by Rabat Singh, Budad Singh, and Bahadur Singh, all of whom upheld the Sikh faith. Mehndi Singh, the son of Bahadur Singh, was the first in the family to convert to Sunni Islam, but he retained the ancestral family name of Singh in honour of his Sikh roots.

Meer Wali Khan shared that all Ismaili Singhs of Booni are descendants of Mehndi Singh. Over the past 75 years, they have adopted Ismaili Islam, yet they proudly retain the Singh surname, a testament to their deeply rooted Sikh heritage.

Today, over 500 Ismaili Singh families call upper Chitral their home, with the largest population of about 250 families in Singhandae. Other villages with significant Singh populations in the order of decreasing Singh population are Mehragram, Rashun, Parwak, Dukandeh, and Gasht.

It needs to be noted that these Singhs of upper Chitral did not descend from the early 1800s’ Sikh traders of Chitral or the Sikh regiment that participated in the 1895 siege of Chitral. The 1901 census of Chitral, carried out by the British, indicated that approximately 20 per cent of the population was Sikh — they mostly left for India in 1947, and a few converted to Islam to stay back.

Although the Ismaili Singhs of Upper Chitral do not follow any Sikh religious practices, some of them can understand spoken Punjabi.

The facial features of the Ismaili Singhs are quite Chitrali, but their eyes still reveal their past hidden Punjabi ethnic and Sikh heritage.

The most well-known Singh of Singhandae is a woman, Suriya Bibi, Deputy Speaker of KP Assembly and the first woman ever elected on a general seat in the history of Chitral.

When I visited the village of Singhandae this July, I was told that I was the first Sikh to visit the village since 1947.

Walking around the village, I was struck by the seamless integration of Ismaili Muslim Singhs into the Chitrali society. They have fully embraced the Chitrali way of life, yet they honour their Sikh ancestors by retaining their last name as Singh while practising Islam.

(The writer is a US-based history enthusiast and scholar with deep roots in South Asia and the United States of America. He is a faculty member at The Ohio State University and  Director of Jeevay Sanjha Punjab)

Bids triple, revenues surge, but defaults signal fragile boom

Nitin Jain

Chandigarh’s real estate auctions have become some of the most closely watched property events in North India. What once drew modest bids now routinely sees jaw-dropping figures, with reserve prices doubling or even tripling within minutes of the hammer falling.

Estate Office data reveals auction bids doubling and tripling reserve prices, stamp duty collections hitting new highs — yet repeated cancellations and slowing registrations warn that the city’s land rush is red hot but risky.

From residential plots in Sectors 37, 38 and 40 to marquee commercial and nursing home sites in 19-B, 33-C and 51, the numbers tell a story of staggering escalation. But behind the glitter is a growing shadow — repeated defaults by winning bidders, forcing cancellations and raising serious questions about speculative buying.

Advertisement

HOW THE ESCALATION UNFOLDED

2019: The turning point

In early 2019, residential sites in Sectors 32, 37 and 40 drew bids of Rs 1.7 crore to Rs4.5 crore, nearly double THE reserve prices. By November, a 1,014 sq. yd. site in Sector 33 sold for Rs 15.3 crore against a base of Rs 7.5 crore — more than twice the reserve and became a marker of things to come.

2022: Momentum turns into frenzy

In February–March, a 528 sq. yd. site in Sector 40-B fetched Rs 6.5 crore against a reserve of Rs 3.7 crore. Plots in Sectors 34 and 37 went for Rs 4.2-5.6 crore. Commercial sites also witnessed a surge. An SCO (Shop Cum Office) site in Sector 42 hit Rs 8.5 crore, over twice its Rs 3.7 crore base. Nursing home sites leapt higher — two plots in Sector 51 sold for Rs 8.5-9.3 crore, nearly 40 per cent above reserve. Later in the year, a 744 sq. yd. nursing home site in Sector 33-C fetched Rs 18.25 crore, 2.5 times its reserve.

2025: A record-breaking September

This year underlined how deep-pocketed the demand has become.

Three adjacent 503 sq. yd. plots in Sector 19-B sold for over Rs 22 crore each, nearly triple their Rs 7.4 crore reserve.

A 1,014 sq. yd. site in Sector 33-C set a record at Rs 33.41 crore, more than double its Rs 14.9 crore reserve.

The trend was similar even for smaller plots of 127–200 sq. yds. in Sectors 40 and 44, which sold for Rs 4–6.6 crore, far above their reserve.

On the commercial side, a double SCO site in Sector 8-C touched Rs 20 crore, while constructed booths in Sectors 44 and 45 crossed Rs 2.25 crore, originally reserved under Rs 80 lakh.

THE RECURRING WEAK SPOT: DEFAULTS

For every record bid, the Estate Office has had to grapple with bidders who vanish after winning. Beginning in 2019, multiple defaults were witnessed, including residential sites in Sectors 37 and 38 and booths in Sector 44. Defaults persisted in 2022, seen in Sectors 40-B, 37, 33 and the headline SCO 42 deal (Rs 8.5 crore), which was cancelled after non-payment.

In 2025, successful bidders for constructed booths in Sector 44 failed to deposit the mandatory 25 per cent, leaving officials to decide on forfeiture and re-auction.

Estate Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav admits the problem, saying, “The aggressive bidding reflects Chandigarh’s unique demand-supply equation. But repeated defaults show speculative players are entering auctions without liquidity. We are exploring stricter eligibility criteria so only serious buyers participate.”

A HIGH-WIRE ACT

In just five years, Chandigarh’s property auctions have gone from crores to tens of crores, turning a limited land supply into one of India’s hottest real estate theatres. But with registrations falling and defaults rising, the boom looks less like a straight climb and more like a high-wire act — dazzling, yes, but precariously balanced.

Quote — Unquote

Defaults being firmly addressed

Chandigarh’s planned character and limited land supply makes every auction a high-stakes contest, pushing bids to record highs and significantly boosting revenue. This reflects the strong faith property buyers have in the city’s transparent land governance. While defaults do occur, they are being firmly addressed — in this month’s auctions, for instance, of 13 residential properties, only one case of default was reported. Our priority is to ensure that Chandigarh’s property growth is shaped by serious, committed buyers rather than speculative players.

– Nishant Kumar Yadav,Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer

Why auctions in Chandigarh attract frenzy

• Scarcity of land: With almost no new sectors being carved out, every fresh plot is a prized rarity.
• Planned city premium: Chandigarh’s reputation for regulated development keeps values resilient.
• Rental yields: Commercial SCOs and booths deliver steady, high rental returns, making them magnets for investors.
• Status symbol: A premium house or clinic in central sectors like 19-B or 33-C carries unmatched prestige.

THE CHANDIGARH TREND

Chandigarh’s property market continues to swing between euphoria and caution, reflecting the unique dynamics of a city with finite land and unmatched demand.

Auctions driving big numbers

Every UT Estate Office auction is treated as a high-stakes contest. The city’s planned character and scarcity of land push bidders to outdo one another. Officials stress that aggressive bidding underlines confidence in Chandigarh’s transparent governance framework.

Registrations show sustained demand

Parallel to auctions, the property registration trend paints a consistent picture of demand. Transactions remain buoyant, despite periodic policy changes and fluctuations in stamp duty. High-value transactions — especially in premium sectors — demonstrate that Chandigarh remains on investors’ radar.

Revenue keeps rising

For the UT Administration, auctions and registrations translate into robust revenue. Each crore earned from premiums, transfer charges, and stamp duty strengthens civic infrastructure funding. Recent figures indicate year-on-year growth, driven equally by record auction bids and steady registration numbers. Officials note while defaults impact short-term inflows, strict enforcement ensures minimal long-term loss

The road ahead

The twin drivers — high-value auctions and steady registrations — make Chandigarh one of the most resilient urban property markets in the region. The challenge lies in balancing investor appetite with safeguards that deter speculative defaults, ensuring that growth is anchored in genuine ownership rather than risky churn.