Context:
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched a series of initiatives to modernise India’s maritime infrastructure.
MAITRI:
- Stands for – Master Application for International Trade and Regulatory Interface
- Aim – To streamline trade processes, reduce bureaucratic redundancies and simplify clearances
- Has a major role in operationalising the Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC) between India and the UAE.
- Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC) is an initiative aimed at enhancing trade efficiency and reducing costs by leveraging digital technologies.
- Aligned with India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC)
- Expected to expand to BIMSTEC and ASEAN nations
Sagar Ankalan:
- Aims to standardize and streamline port operations, and reduce inefficiencies
- The initiative includes the Logistics Port Performance Index (LPPI) for the fiscal year 2023-24
- LPPI evaluates the performance of major and non-major ports in India based on key performance indicators such as cargo handling, turnaround time, berth idle time, container dwell time, and ship berth-day output.
- Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and the National Logistics Policy, 2022
Source: PIB
Previous Year Question
With reference to India’s projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:
1. East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.
2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.
3. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
The East-West Corridor is a part of this project and connects Silchar in Assam to Porbandar in Gujarat. So, Statement 1 is not correct.
The IMT Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in the Indian state of Manipur with Mae Sot in Thailand, passing through Myanmar. Statement 2 is not correct.
The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) is expected to run from Kunming in China, through Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and eventually reach Kolkata in India. So, Statement 3 is not correct.