Context:
8 years of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik)
UDAN:
- A Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation
- Launched in 2016, as a component of National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016.
- Duration – 10 years
- Type – Central Sector Scheme
- Implementing Agency – Airports Authority of India (AAI)
- Currently 5th phase of the scheme is ongoing
- Purpose – To develop the regional aviation market and providing connectivity and financial incentives to un-served and underserved airports of the country
- Mode of funding – Viability Gap Funding (VGF)
- Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) was created to meet the viability gap funding requirements under the scheme
Key features of UDAN 5.0:
- Airlines are required to cap airfares for 50% of the total seats at Rs. 2,500 per hour of flight.
- No restriction on the distance between the origin and the destination of the flight.
- VGF to be provided will be capped at 600 km (earlier 500 km) stage length for both Priority and Non-Priority areas.
- No predetermined routes would be offered.
- Same route would not be awarded to a single airline more than once
- Exclusivity of operation provided to an airline will be withdrawn if the average quarterly Passenger Load Factor (PLF) is higher than 75% for 4 continuous quarters.
- Airlines would be required to commence operations within 4 months (earlier 6 months) of the award of the route.
- Novation process for routes from one operator to another has been simplified and incentivized.
- Novation is the process of substituting an existing contract with a replacement contract, where the contracting parties reach a consensus.
Other types:
- Krishi UDAN – To assist farmers in transporting agricultural products so that improves their value realisation
- Lifeline UDAN – Intends to transport essential medical cargo to remote parts of the country amid the lockdown to support India’s fight against Covid-19.
- International UDAN – To connect India’s smaller cities directly to key foreign destinations in the neighbourhood
Source: PIB
Previous Year Question
With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements:
1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. It, among other things will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy.
3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
