City Profile: Patna, India

Abstract

This profile of Patna focuses on the historical evolution of the city when the city has seen both extreme prosperity as well as destitution. After its glorious past during the Magadh Empire, Patna re-emerged as an important city during the British rule due to its locational advantage but witnessed another decline post-independence period. Being the capital city of the federal state of Bihar, Patna has experienced significant growth in population during the past four decades due to rural–urban migration and physical expansion of the city. However, there has not been a commensurate expansion in the infrastructure and services to accommodate this influx of people to the city. After the inclusion of Patna in the Smart City Mission, it is witnessing initiation of a plethora of infrastructure projects, which is expected to improve the urban service delivery in the near future. This city profile discusses the various dimensions of the city’s development and major policy initiatives undertaken during the recent period.