Syllabus
GS Paper III – Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Context
The PM Gati Shakti program marked the third anniversary of its launch.
PM Gati Shakti
Introduction
The PM Gati Shakti program recently celebrated its third anniversary, highlighting significant strides in India’s infrastructure development. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2021, the initiative aims to create a comprehensive, integrated platform for faster, efficient, and cost-effective execution of infrastructure projects across the country. By bringing together 16 ministries on a common digital platform, the program focuses on streamlining project planning and implementation, enhancing connectivity, and improving logistics for seamless movement of goods and services. As it enters its third year, Gati Shakti continues to play a key role in India’s vision of becoming a global economic powerhouse.
PM Gati Shakti
- Overview: PM Gati Shakti is a National Master Plan aimed at enhancing multi-modal connectivity. Launched on October 13, 2021, it seeks to revolutionize India’s infrastructure and transportation systems.
- Integrated Digital Platform: This platform unifies the efforts of multiple ministries, including Railways and Roadways, to enable coordinated planning and synchronized execution of infrastructure projects.
- Primary Objective: The program’s goal is to deliver smooth and efficient connectivity for the transportation of people, goods, and services through various transport modes, improving last-mile connectivity and cutting down travel time.
- Unified Infrastructure Schemes: The program consolidates several existing infrastructure initiatives from different ministries and state governments, including Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, and UDAN.
- District-Level Expansion: A District Master Plan (DMP) portal is being developed to extend the program’s benefits to the district level, enabling local authorities to collaborate for better infrastructure planning, identifying gaps, and ensuring effective scheme implementation.
- The DMP portals will be phased out across all districts, with full implementation targeted by March 31, 2025.
- Use of Advanced Technology: PM Gati Shakti incorporates advanced technologies like GIS-based spatial planning tools to monitor and manage infrastructure development efficiently.
- Progress So Far: The National Master Plan (NMP) under PM Gati Shakti has onboarded 44 Central Ministries and 36 States/UTs, with a total of 1,614 data layers integrated into the platform.
- State-Level Integration: All 36 states and Union Territories have created their own State Master Plan (SMP) portals, aligned with the national platform, to synchronize their infrastructure assets and boost regional growth.
Achievements of PM Gati Shakti
- Identifying Infrastructure Gaps: The program identified 156 critical infrastructure gaps related to first and last-mile connectivity in key sectors such as coal, steel, fertilizer, ports, and public distribution.
- Road and Rail Network Development: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) planned over 8,891 km of roads using the platform, while the Ministry of Railways (MoR) planned more than 27,000 km of railway lines.
- Petroleum and Gas Pipelines: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) accelerated the Detail Route Survey (DRS) process, reducing reporting time from 6-9 months to just one day with the use of electronic DRS (eDRS).
- Green Energy Corridor: A 13 GW renewable energy project from Leh (Ladakh) to Kaithal (Haryana) was planned using NMP principles, leading to optimized alignment of the Green Energy Corridor for interstate power transmission.
- Disaster Management: Goa employed the platform to craft a disaster management plan for flood-prone areas along the Amona River.
- Education Sector Development: Uttar Pradesh used the State Master Plan (SMP) portal to identify sites for new schools in underserved regions through the Pahunch Portal.
- Coastal Corridor: Gujarat utilized NMP to plan its 300 km coastal corridor, reducing the need for NoC permissions from 28 to 13.
- Skill Development: The Department of School Education and Literacy linked PM Shri Schools with local industries for targeted skill training, while the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship identified sites for new training centers near economic clusters.
- Healthcare Infrastructure: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare utilized the platform to map internet shadow areas and plan new healthcare facilities accordingly.
- Anganwadi Centers Expansion: More than 10 lakh Anganwadi Centers were strategically mapped using the National Master Plan to improve service delivery.
- Scheme Integration: The Ministry of Rural Development integrated various schemes such as PMGSY and PMAY-G to improve planning and execution of assets.
- Tribal Development: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs used the PM JanMan Portal to identify infrastructure needs for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG).
- Universal Broadband Access: The Gati Shakti Sanchar portal was launched to expedite the rollout of telecom infrastructure, facilitating the rapid deployment of 5G services from October 1, 2022.
- It is a Centralized Right of Way (RoW) Portal, allowing telecom service providers and internet providers to apply for approvals with ease.
Benefits of PM Gati Shakti
- Integrated Approach: The program adopts a ‘whole-of-government’ approach, involving 44 Central ministries and 36 States/UTs to ensure coordinated execution of projects.
- Accelerated Project Completion: It has enabled streamlined planning and execution, ensuring faster completion of infrastructure projects.
- Breaking Down Silos: The establishment of the Network Planning Group (NPG) has eliminated isolated working practices, leading to greater synchronization among ministries.
- Reduced Logistics Costs: The program has improved multimodal connectivity, enhancing the efficiency of goods and people movement across different modes of transport, such as roads, rail, ports, and air, leading to reduced logistics costs.
- Boosting Competitiveness: Improved logistical efficiency and reduced costs have increased the competitiveness of Indian industries, boosting their position in the global market.
- Resolving Supply Chain Bottlenecks: By addressing infrastructure bottlenecks, the initiative ensures smooth movement of goods and reduces disruptions within the supply chain.
- Employment Generation: The large-scale implementation of projects has created numerous direct and indirect job opportunities, improving livelihoods.
- Sustainable Infrastructure Development: The initiative promotes the development of a sustainable logistics network, focusing on green and smart solutions that align with India’s climate goals and environmental commitments.
Issues and Concerns
- Inter-Ministerial Coordination: While the program aims for a unified approach, ensuring seamless collaboration between 44 Central ministries and 36 States/UTs can be challenging due to differing priorities, bureaucratic delays, and resource constraints.
- Data Integration and Accuracy: The success of PM Gati Shakti heavily depends on accurate and updated data integration across ministries. Discrepancies or delays in data input can hinder project planning, monitoring, and execution, impacting overall efficiency.
- State-Level Capacity: Many states, especially those with limited resources or technical capacity, may struggle to fully utilize the GIS-based planning tools and other digital infrastructure, creating a disparity in the program’s implementation across regions.
- Funding and Financial Constraints: Large-scale infrastructure projects require substantial funding, and aligning financial resources for all projects under the plan could face budgetary constraints, delays in fund allocation, or reliance on external financing.
- Environmental and Social Concerns: The push for rapid infrastructure development can lead to environmental degradation or displacement of communities if not managed properly. Balancing development with environmental sustainability and social equity is a key challenge for the program.
Way forward
- International Expansion of PM Gati Shakti: The initiative can be extended to the international level by promoting its use in neighboring countries, leveraging its integrated planning framework and geospatial technology for regional infrastructure development.
- Geospatial Technology in Regional Planning: Encouraging the adoption of geospatial technology in infrastructure planning in neighboring nations could enhance cross-border connectivity and facilitate coordinated regional development.
- Data Access for Non-Government Stakeholders: Granting non-governmental entities access to non-sensitive, shareable data related to infrastructure projects can boost collaboration, innovation, and efficiency in project planning and execution.
- Fostering Regional Partnerships: Promoting regional cooperation in infrastructure development by sharing best practices and expertise under the PM Gati Shakti framework could strengthen cross-border economic and trade linkages.
Conclusion
The PM Gati Shakti program, as it marks its third anniversary, has made notable strides in transforming India’s infrastructure planning and execution. By fostering inter-ministerial coordination and leveraging digital tools like geospatial technology, it has improved project efficiency, reduced logistics costs, and bolstered economic competitiveness. However, challenges such as inter-ministerial coordination, data integration, and state-level capacity need to be addressed for more impactful outcomes. As India aims for holistic development, the program’s continued focus on sustainable infrastructure and regional cooperation will be crucial in achieving long-term economic growth and enhancing connectivity within and beyond its borders.
Reference: PIB
Related PYQ
“Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth.” Discuss in the light of India’s experience. [UPSC CSE – 2021 Mains]
Practice Question
Discuss the significance of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan in improving India’s infrastructure and logistics efficiency. What are the major challenges faced in its implementation, and how can they be addressed? [250 words]
Guidelines to Answer
- Introduction:
- Briefly introduce PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, its objectives, and its launch date.
- Body:
- Significance:
- Highlight how the plan improves multi-modal connectivity, streamlines project execution, and reduces logistics costs.
- Mention its impact on economic competitiveness and job creation.
- Challenges:
- Discuss key challenges like inter-ministerial coordination, data integration, funding issues, and state-level capacity constraints.
- Solutions:
- Provide solutions like improving data accuracy, enhancing capacity building for states, and ensuring adequate funding.
- Significance:
- Conclusion:
- End with a balanced conclusion on the long-term potential of PM Gati Shakti and its importance for India’s infrastructure and economic growth.