Patna: With Bihar’s cities struggling with mounting infrastructure deficits, traffic congestion, water and sanitation problems, environmental stress and weak urban governance, the state on Thursday got its first Centre for Urban Policy and Governance at Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU)-Patna.The centre was inaugurated in the presence of Shamika Ravi, member of the economic advisory council to the Prime Minister, Union minister of state for jal shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary and MP Shambhavi Choudhary.The initiative comes at a time when rapid urbanisation is creating a paradox for Bihar — expanding economic opportunities on one hand and intensifying pressure on civic infrastructure and municipal institutions on the other.AKU vice-chancellor Sharad Kumar Yadav said the centre was conceived not as another academic unit but as a platform to address the state’s emerging urban challenges through evidence-based research, policy dialogue and practical solutions. Housing, transport, drinking water, sanitation, public health, employment, environmental protection, technology and climate resilience would form part of its research agenda.He stressed that Bihar’s urban problems could not be tackled through a single discipline and called for an interdisciplinary approach involving economics, sociology, engineering, environmental studies, public administration, public policy and data science.Ravi lauded the initiative, saying universities must move beyond classrooms and engage directly with real-world governance challenges. She said academic institutions had a crucial role in generating research and strengthening dialogue between policymakers and researchers.Choudhary underlined the need for better urban infrastructure, sanitation, drinking water, transport and citizen-centric administration. Shambhavi stressed that urban development must go beyond roads and buildings to encompass transparency, accountability, green spaces, citizen participation and social inclusion.The centre plans field studies, policy research, interdisciplinary projects, workshops, training programmes and expert dialogues, and collaborates with government departments, urban local bodies and research institutions.
