Chandigarh, 11 August 2026: The Hon’ble Governor of Punjab and Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh, Sh. Gulab Chand Kataria, will inaugurate the Third Round of the Intensified IEC Campaign on HIV/AIDS Awareness on 12 August 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at Punjab Lok Bhawan, Sector-6, Chandigarh.

Coinciding with International Youth Day, the launch will mark a mega city-wide digital movement, with the inaugural programme at Punjab Lok Bhawan being simultaneously telecast at multiple locations across Chandigarh, enabling citizens, students and youth to participate in the campaign together.

The Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh will also launch the “Break Free – Know Your HIV Risk” State Campaign, a technology-enabled initiative encouraging citizens to confidentially assess their HIV risk by simply scanning a QR code on their mobile phones.

At the time of the launch, the Break Free QR Code will be displayed on LED screens at prominent locations including Sector-17 Plaza, Elante Mall, Panjab University Student Centre, Punjab Engineering College, Government Multispeciality Hospital, Sector-16, National Institute of Nursing Education and PGIMER. Citizens and students at these locations will be encouraged to participate in the campaign simultaneously.

A Live Digital Participation Dashboard at Punjab Lok Bhawan will showcase the response to the campaign including QR scans, self-risk assessments and participating institutions. This will provide the Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh with a real-time view of city-wide participation.

The campaign is being organised by the Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society (CSACS), Department of Health, Chandigarh Administration, under the aegis of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The campaign will continue for two months with intensified IEC activities across Chandigarh.

The campaign seeks to strengthen HIV prevention, encourage timely testing and treatment, reduce stigma and discrimination and particularly engage the youth in the collective effort towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

“One Scan, One Step Towards Breaking Free” will be the central message of the city-wide initiative, encouraging every citizen to take the first step towards knowing their HIV risk and protecting their health.