Infrastructure

Defination:
Infrastructure is the set of physical and organizational structures (e.g. roads, water supplies,
hospitals) needed for the operation of an enterprise or the society as a whole.
It comes from the French word ‘Infra’, which means below. This shows the literal significance of
infrastructure which forms the basis of all enterprises in modern society.
Infrastructure Deficit is the condition of a society which does not have enough infrastructure to
facilitate its population’s aspirations. Certain areas and sectors in India witness a deficit of
critical infrastructure.

Classification of Infrastructures:
• Based on Ownership:
• Public infrastructure: is owned by the government. These are non-exclusive
goods (i.e. which are open to all for utilization) which help the enterprises and
society to function. For example, National Highways.
• Private infrastructure: is owned by private entities. These are exclusive goods
which are privately utilized by an enterprise for its own economic growth. They
may or may not benefit society directly. Forexample, Google’s data storage
centres.

• Based on Tangibility:
• Hard Infrastructure: Physical systems needed to run an economy, such as
transportation systems, energy, communication lines etc.
• Soft Infrastructure: These represent the institutions and processes which are
necessary to run the economy. For example, financial institutions, civic agencies
etc.
• Based on Use:
• Physical infrastructure: includes all the facilities and structures that directly
improve the economic activity (i.e. production and distribution). For example,
electricity distribution network.
• Social infrastructure: includes all the services that lead to human resource
development, such as schools, colleges and hospitals etc.

Common Characteristics of Infrastructure:

Despite the diverse categories, all infrastructures have certain common characteristics. These
are:
• Public good: Most of them have some element of public good in them.
• Hidden Benefits: Even if infrastructure might not be financially viable, it may have a
social advantage. For example, if all schools are run to generate profit, society might
have an under-skilled population.
• Monopolies: Some users have greater access to them than others. For example,
people in better localities have greater access to roads and urban transport systems.
• Indivisibility: Often, it is difficult to distribute a project to distribute the benefits to
the wider public.
 • Investment-Intensive: They require a large amount of investment in huge chunks.
• Public sector dominance: Often, only the government can arrange enough financial
resources to build large infrastructure.

Importance of Infrastructure:
• Improves productivity of labour:
• especially the social infrastructure, leads to better health and skill levels for the
workforce. Even access to physical infrastructure such as public transport eases
mobility and saves effort.
• Eases Mobility:
• From enhancing access to the markets to reducing the wastage of perishable
items like vegetables, easy mobility helps all sectors of the economy.
• Market development:
• Deeper inroads into far-flung areas expand the markets as well as the financial
capacity of the population therein.
• Attracts Investment:
• Infrastructure is an investment-intensive sector. The annuity models developed
over the years for the various types of projects create a regular channel of
income. This helps attract investment from financial institutions and the general
public.
• Attracts foreign exchange:
• Foreign financial institutions (FIIs) often find developing markets like India more
profitable in terms of return on investment.
• Employment Generation:
• Investment in infrastructure creates construction-related jobs and maintenance-
related jobs as well as facilitates businesses in their operations, creating
opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
• Penetration of Technology:
• Each infrastructural project facilitates the skilling of thousands of workers, who
can help in the penetration of the technology further in the future. For example,
the success of the Delhi Metro Project made it easier for Metro rail technology to
penetrate dozens of cities across India.
• Promotes Growth:
• Infrastructure has a multiplier effect on the economy. It creates jobs, business
opportunities, returns on investment etc., thus affecting all sectors of the
economy. For this reason, during the recession phase in the economy, the
government stresses Infrastructure creation to boost growth.

In fact, better infrastructure is often synonymous with development. Developed countries are
those which have better infrastructure and, therefore, a better quality of life.

Classification of Infrastructure in India:

In India, the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, looks after the infrastructure
funding and therefore is the biggest stakeholder.
The Department of Economic affairs classifies infrastructure into five sub-sectors:
 • Transport and Logistics Infrastructure: Transport includes

Roads
Context
Road infrastructure in India has been an important driver of economic development and social
inclusion. In the recent three decades, the emphasis of various governments has been on
improving the road infrastructure in India. Increase of total road-length and improvement
of road-quality are the two pillars of improved road infrastructure. Adoption of various
organisational and technological innovations have helped India in improving the road
infrastructure. India now has the second-longest road length in the world after USA.
What is the progress of India in improvement of road Infrastructure over decades?
India has tremendously improved its road infrastructure over decades. Since, India now has the
second largest road length in the world, it is pertinent to look at the progress over decades.
Year Road Length Observation
1951 4 lakh Km
In the 40 Years between 1991 and 1951, India added 19 lakh km of roads.
1991 23 lakh Km
However between 1991 and 2019, India added 40 lakh Km of road. India has
2019 63 lakh Km
made rapid progress during this period in road infrastructure.
Also, the table mentioned below shows the present six fold classification of Indian roads and
their compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in percentage terms since 1991.

Source-Yojana
Observations on Present Road Infrastructure in India
*Rural roads constitute over 70% of the road infrastructure in India
*The CAGR of NH has been the highest since 1991 followed by rural roads.
*Many SH have been reclassified as NH for upgradation.
What are the various steps undertaken for improvement of Road Infrastructure in India?

Improvement of Road Infrastructure has been achieved by the following organisational and
technological innovations, which have been taken over decades-

Organisational Innovations
• Delinking Road Development and Direct Employment- Until 1991 (liberalisation), the
road development was connected with direct labour employment. The Nagpur
Plan (1943-1963), Bombay Plan (1961-1981) and the Lucknow Plan (1981-2001), focused
on using the road development projects as a means of direct employment generation.
However post liberalisation, there has been increase in the use of capital-intensive high-
tech road making equipments. This led to increase in both quantity and quality of roads
in India.
• Creation of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)- In February
1995, NHAI became operational to directly drive the development of National Highways
(NH). Prior to the formation of NHAI, the NH development and maintenance was the
responsibility of the states with funding from the centre. There was lowing carrying
capacity of NHs (2% of NHs carried 40% of the traffic). However after NHAI formation,
NH length have registered the largest compounded annual growth Rate (CAGR) since
1991.
• Creation of State-level Road Development Corporations- With the creation of NHAI,
many states also brought changes in their organisational structure for road
development. They de linked the state expressway projects from their Public Works
Department (PWD). Maharashtra was the first state to set up the Maharashtra State
Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDCL). Uttar Pradesh (UP) is developing its
expressways through these corporations.
• National Highways Development Project (NHDP)- NHDP was started in 1998. NHDP
consequently grew to seven phases involving a total length of 49,260 km. In 2018, most
of the NHDP has been completed and the remaining works were subsumed under the
larger Bharatmala Pariyojana.
• New Focussed organisations apart from NHAI- Apart from NHAI, new organisations
have been created for better focus on road development. National Highways and
Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) was incorporated in 2014, to
carry out road development projects in the border areas. National Highways Logistics
Management Limited (NHLML) was set up in 2020 for the first/last mile port connectivity
projects.
• Focus on Rural Roads through Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY)- PMGSY has been one of the most successful projects in India. The success of
PMGSY has also encouraged projects like the Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(MMGSY) in many states. The reasons for success of PMGSY are– selection of Villages on
objective criteria, independent agencies like World Bank doing the over sight and
housing the project under Ministry of Rural Development (demand side) rather than
MoRTH (supply side). Because of interventions like PMGSY, rural roads today constitute
over 70% of the road infrastructure of the country.
• Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and Viability Gap Funding (VGF)- PPP investments
were increased through the introduction of financial/project models like the Viability
Gap Funding (VGF). These models were introduced to reduce the financial risks of
private players in road development.
• Evolution of the Model Concession Agreement (MCA)- The first MCA for the road sector
was brought in 2000. It has evolved over time for better allocation of risk between the
PPP player and the development authorities.
• New Contracting models and Asset Monetisation- Apart from the Classical tendering
through the Engineering,Procurement and Construction (EPC) or the Build, Operate and
Transfer (BOT), several new contracting models have emerged. Hybrid Annuity
Model (HAM) and Toll, Operate and Transfer (TOT) are being used extensively for road
 development. The Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InVITs) have been operationalised to
enable asset monetisation of built roads.
Technological Innovations
• Introduction of new Road Making Technologies- With the roll out of the NHDP, the
import of the road-making equipment was brought under the open general licence to
ease their procurement process. Further, steps have been taken for enhanced
Technology Transfer in the road making equipments. New and environmentally
sustainable materials like fly ash, steel slag etc. are being used in road development.
• Introduction of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC)- Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) has been
introduced to reduce the toll collection time and traffic congestions at the toll Plazas.
• Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM)

• Hybrid Annuity model is a mix of the EPC (engineering, procurement and

construction) and BOT (build, operate, transfer) models.
• In this model the project cost is shared by the government and the private player in
ratio of 40:60, respectively.
• The private player is responsible to construct and hand over the roads to the
government which will collect toll.
• Private player is paid a fixed sum of economic compensation (called ‘annuity’) by the
government for a fixed tenure. The private player which demands the lowest annuity
(in bidding) gets the contract.
What are the advantages of developed road infrastructure in India?
Listed below are the major advantages of developed road infrastructure-
• Transportation of people and goods- Roads are the primary mode of transportation in
India. 90% of the passenger traffic and 60% of the freight traffic are carried by roads.
• Promotes the development of trade and commerce- Properly developed roads promote
the development of trade and commerce by facilitating the movement of goods and services
across the country.
• Increase in employment opportunities- The construction and maintenance of roads
provide employment to millions of people in India. According to NHAI report, the
construction of highways and expressways has created around 55,000 direct
jobs and 1,00,000 indirect jobs per 1,000 kms of road construction.
• Facilitation of socio-economic development- The development of roads in rural and remote
areas is crucial for promoting overall socio-economic development. According to the
Ministry of Rural Development, around 91% of rural areas in India are connected by
roads which enables them to access essential services like healthcare, education and
markets.
 What are the Challenges with the Road Infrastructure in India?
• Lack of Focus on Safety Standards- Unsafe road designs and construction practices are the
biggest causes of India’s unsafe roads. Lack of buffer lanes, low number of crash
barriers, lack of scientific signage are some of the examples of these unsafe practices. India’s
unsafe roads kill the maximum number of people in any country.
• Challenges with Land Acquisition for road projects- In a study conducted by NHAI on 106
projects, worth over ₹1.5 billion, facing implementation delays, issues pertaining to land
acquisition were identified as one of the important causes for the delay in almost 50 percent
of the projects. Also, the government’s burden to acquire land has risen after the passage of
the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Act, 2013, that mandates it to pay four times the market value of acquired
land in rural areas and two times in urban areas.
• Issues with India’s Urban Roads- India’s urban roads have not been getting enough
attention as the rural roads have got in recent times. There are coordination issues with
urban Public Transport, lack of parking spaces and heavy traffic congestions. India’s urban
roads lead to wastage of time, poor last mile connectivity and poor urban goods movement.
• Disputes with the PPP Players- Contractual disputes between the development authority
and the PPP Player also considerably slows down the road development projects. Untimely
release of funds financially hurt the PPP players to execute the road development projects.
• Lack of use of Origin to Destination (OD) Data- There is lack of use of Origin to Destination
(OD) traffic flow data while planning the road development projects. The OD data must be
integrated with the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC).
What Government initiatives for the road sector in India:
• Bharatmala Pariyojana: Launched in 2017, the Bharatmala Pariyojana is a flagship
initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways aimed at improving road
connectivity across the country. Under this initiative, around 34,800 km of National
Highways are to be developed at an estimated cost of INR 5.35 lakh crore (USD 73
billion).
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): Launched in 2000, PMGSY is a
centrally sponsored scheme aimed at connecting rural areas with all-weather roads.
Under this initiative, around 1,25,000 habitations have been connected with roads,
improving access to essential services like healthcare, education, and markets.
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): NHAI is a statutory body under the
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways responsible for the development,
maintenance, and management of National Highways in the country. NHAI has
been implementing several measures to improve road safety, including the
installation of crash barriers, median barriers, and road signs.
• India’s Gati Shakti program: has consolidated a list of 81 high impact projects, out
of which road infrastructure projects were the top priority. The major highway
projects include the Delhi-Mumbai expressway (1,350 kilometres), Amritsar-
Jamnagar expressway (1,257 kilometres) and Saharanpur-Dehradun expressway
(210 kilometres). The main aim of this program is a faster approval process which
can be done through the Gati shakti portal and digitized the approval process
completely.
 • Road Asset Management System (RAMS): Launched in 2020, RAMS is a web-based
platform for the management of road assets, including National Highways and State
Highways. RAMS aims to improve the efficiency of road maintenance activities and
ensure the optimal use of resources.
• Road Safety: The government has launched several initiatives to improve road
safety in the country, including the implementation of the Motor Vehicles
(Amendment) Act, 2019, which provides for higher penalties for traffic violations,
the installation of speed cameras and red light cameras, and the promotion of road
safety awareness through campaigns and training programs.
What should be the way forward ?
Although India has made substantial progress in the road infrastructure sector, we are still way
behind in achieving a fully developed road infrastructure in India. The following measures need
to be undertaken to ensure further development of road infrastructure in India.
• Improvement of land Acquisition process- Streamlining the land acquisition process,
ensuring transparency and providing adequate compensation to landowners will help in
expediting the road development projects and reducing their costs.
• Ensuring safe road designs- There is need to ensure that the road designs are compatible
with the Indian Roads Congress Standards. Also the material testing facilities must be
enhanced at the construction site. Proper construction of the roads must be improved.
• Use of Technology- Use of technologies like sensors to monitor traffic flows, intelligent
transport systems and smart road infrastructure will improve the road safety and efficiency.
• Focus on Road Maintenance- The government needs to prioritise regular maintenance of
roads like resurfacing, pothole filling and drainage system maintenance.
• Increase investment- The government must explore options like road bonds, green bonds for
highway development. The sector should be made financially lucrative to draw maximum
FDI inflows.
• Incorporation of lane capacity measurement while measuring road capacity- As more and
more multiple-lane roads get constructed, it is important to focus on the measurement of
lane Kilometers rather than road kilometres. This will provide a true picture of India’s road
capacity.
Railways - Infrastructure:
Railways :
Ministry of railways will take care of raily related operation's and Duties
Indian Railways, the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s second-largest railway system
under a single management, plays a crucial role in India’s transportation infrastructure.
Here are some key points about Indian Railways:
History:
The history of Indian Railways is a fascinating journey that began over a century and a half ago.
Let’s delve into the key milestones:
First Passenger Train:
• On April 16, 1853, India witnessed its inaugural passenger train journey. The train
chugged from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Thane, covering a distance of 34 kilometers
with 14 coaches and 400 passengers 1.
• This historic event marked the dawn of a new era as India took its first steps toward
modern rail transportation.
Amalgamation of Princely State Railways:
• After India gained independence in 1947, it inherited a fragmented rail network. About
40 percent of the railway lines were in the newly created Pakistan.
• The existing rail networks, owned by 42 railways from the former Indian princely states,
were amalgamated to form Indian Railways.
Growth and Modernization:
• Post-independence, Indian Railways embarked on a journey of continuous progress.
• In 1952, the existing rail networks were divided into six Zones for administrative
purposes 1.
• The network stood at 55,000 kilometers after independence, and it has since expanded
significantly.
Indigenous Locomotive Production:
• India took a momentous step by manufacturing steam locomotives domestically.
• In 1960, the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) produced the first 1500 V DC electric
locomotive for the Bombay Area Lokmanya .
• By 1985, steam locomotives were phased out, and electric and diesel locomotives took
their place
Electrification and Modernization:
• Electrification became a priority for Indian Railways to control fuel costs, reduce
pollution, and improve operational efficiency.
• Benefits of electrification include cost-effectiveness, traction economy, and the use of
clean energy sources like solar and wind.
• The network currently has 42.4 percent electrified tracks, hauling 64.8 percent of freight
traffic and 51.3 percent of passenger traffic.
Notable Achievements:
• Indian Railways constructed the world’s highest railway bridge and the longest railway
tunnel in India.
 • The contribution of electric traction toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions is
significant.
• In summary, Indian Railways has evolved from its humble beginnings to become one of
the world’s largest rail networks, connecting millions of people across the country

Network and Operations:

• Indian Railways operates an extensive network of 123,236 kilometers of tracks, making it
the fourth-longest rail network globally 2.
• Approximately 21,000 trains run daily, transporting 23 million passengers and 3 million
tonnes of freight 2.
• Recent Reforms and Goals:
• The Niti Aayog strategy for New India @75 outlines several goals for railway
infrastructure:
• Electrification: The aim is to electrify 100 percent of the broad gauge track by 2022-23.
• Speed Enhancement: The goal is to increase the speed of infrastructure creation from
the current 7 km/day to 19 km/day
Interesting Facts:
• Indian Railways is constructing the world’s highest railway bridge, which will be five
times taller than the Qutub Minar and 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower 3.
• The Pir Panjal tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in India, connecting the Kashmir Valley
with Banihal in Jammu.
• The station with the shortest name is Ib in Odisha, while the station with the longest
name is Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta
Vision for the Future:
• The government aims to make Indian Railways 100% safe, fast, and reliable for both
passengers and freight.
• Factors such as rising passenger and freight traffic, urbanization, increasing incomes, and
private sector participation contribute to the growth of Indian Railways 4.
• In summary, Indian Railways continues to evolve, connecting people across the vast
landscape of India and contributing significantly to the nation’s development.
Why Railways Infrastructure is so Important ?
Indian Railways, with its extensive network and rich history, plays a vital role in India’s economy
like
1. Transportation of Goods and People:
Indian Railways serves as a key mode for transporting goods and passengers across the
 country.
It facilitates the movement of raw materials, finished products, and agricultural produce,
contributing to economic growth.
2. Industrial Development:
By connecting different regions, Indian Railways supports the development of industries.
It enables the movement of goods to factories, markets, and ports, fostering
industrialization.
3. Tourism Industry Support:
Indian Railways is an essential component of the tourism industry.
It provides affordable travel options for tourists exploring diverse destinations within
India.
4. Employment Generation:
With a workforce of over 13.6 lakhs employees, Indian Railways is one of the largest
employment providers in India.
It generates both formal and informal employment through its forward and backward
linkages.
Service sector is playing vital role in the development of Indian economy. Railway being
an important part of service sector also contributing to nation’s economic development
directly as well as indirectly.
Indian railways are not only generating formal employment but also a large scale of
informal employment through its forward and backward linkages. Service sector is
gradually improving its share in employment.
5. Energy Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness:
Rail transportation is six times more energy-efficient than road transport and four times
more economical.
The social costs related to environmental damage are significantly lower in rail transport.
6. Economic Integration:
Indian Railways acts as a major integrating force by connecting different regions.
It supports economic activities, trade, and commerce across the country.
7. Future Initiatives:
Ongoing projects like the Diamond Quadrilateral Scheme aim to create a high-speed rail
network connecting major metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai).
These expansions will enhance movement of goods and reduce lead time for businesses.
Extensive network expansions through the “Diamond Quadrilateral Scheme” will help in easier
movement of goods and reduce the lead time for businesses. This massive project is aimed at
creating high speed rail network in India which would connect four metro cities in India i.e.
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. In the first phase, segregated rail corridors will be
upgraded using conventional technology to train speeds of 160 to 200 km/h. In the second
phase, key intercity corridors will be identified and state of the art high speed corridors will be
developed up to 350 km/h using public private partnership and state ownership. The objective
is to develop at least 4 corridors of 2000 km by 2020 and have at least 8 other corridors in
different stages of progress. Current development is focused on creating six corridors:
Delhi – Kolkata corridor : New Delhi – Aligarh – Agra – Kanpur – Lukhnow – Sultanpur – Varanasi
– Buxar – Gaya – Patna – Dhanbad – Asansol – Bardwan – Kolkata
Delhi – Mumbai corridor : New Delhi – Gurugram – Rewari – Jaipur – Ajmer – Bhilwara –
Udaipur – Himmatnagar – Ahmedabad – Anand – Vadodra – Surat – Vapi – Boisar – Virar –
Thane – Mumbai
Mumbai – Chennai corridor : Thane – Navi Mumbai – Lonavala – Pune – Kolhapur – Belagavi –
Hubballi – Davangere – Tumkur – Bangaluru – Banagarpet – Chennai
Kolkata – Chennai corridor: Kolkata – Haldia – Cutttack – Bhubaneshwar – Vijayanagram –
Vishakapatnam – Rajahmundry – Nellore – Chennai
Delhi – Chennai corridor : New Delhi – Agra – Gwalior – Guna – Bhopal – Itarsi – Betul – Nagpur
– Nizamabad – Hyderabad – Vijaywada – Ongole – Chennai
Mumbai – Kolkata corridor : Thane – Nashik – Aurangabad – Akola – Nagpur – Durg – Raipur –
Bilaspur – Rourkela – Kharagpur – Kolkata
The social costs in terms of environment damage or degradation are significantly lower in rail.
Rail construction costs are approximately six times lower than road for comparable levels of
traffic.
It is the only major transport mode capable of using any form of primary energy.
Thus we see that Indian Railway contributes to major part in GDP through employment
generation, freight collection, e-catering services etc. Adding to the transparency, the recent
move toward e-tendering will also help in assessing the profitability and contribution towards
development on the whole.
In summary, Indian Railways continues to be the lifeline of the Indian economy, fostering
growth, connectivity, and development.

What is the National Rail Plan?

The National Rail Plan aims to offer a long-term perspective plan for boosting the railway
network in India.
1. The vision of the National Rail Plan (NRP) is to develop capacity, infrastructure and enhance
rail freight share ahead of the demand.
2. It also aims to develop capacity by 2030 that will cater to the expanding demand up to 2050.
3. One of the key tasks of the NRP was to map the entire Indian Railway Network at GIS
(Geographical Information System) Platform along with their respective attributes and line
features. This gigantic exercise was carried out as part of the study and the entire network was
mapped on the GIS platform.
National Rail Plan Objectives:
The objectives of the NRP are mentioned below.
1. To generate capacity ahead of demand by 2030, which in turn would cater to growth in
demand up to 2050.
2. To raise the modal share of Railways from the current 27% to 45% in freight by the year 2030
as part of a national commitment to decrease carbon emission and to continue to sustain it.
3. To forecast traffic growth in both passenger and freight year on year up to 2030 and on a
decadal basis up to 2050.
4. To frame strategies based on both operational capacities and commercial policy programmes
to heighten the modal share of the Railways in freight to 45% by 2030.
5. To bring down the transit time of freight significantly by enhancing the average speed of
freight trains from the current 22 kmph to 50 kmph.
6. To diminish the overall cost of rail transportation by almost 30% and pass on the benefits to
the customers.
7. To map the growth in demand on the Indian Railway route map and simulate the capacity
behaviour of the network in future.
8. To identify the bottlenecks that would arise in the future based on the above simulation.
9. To select projects along with appropriate technology in both track work, signalling and rolling
stock to reduce these bottlenecks well in advance.
National Rail Plan Vision 2024
Vision 2024 has been launched to hasten the implementation of some major projects by 2024.
The
following are some of the key projects under this:
• 100% electrification (by December 2030)
• Multi-tracking congested routes
• Upgrade of speed in the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes to 160 km/h
• Upgrade of speed on all other Golden Quadrilateral-Golden Diagonal (GQ/GD) routes to 130
km/h
• Elimination of all Level Crossings on all Golden Quadrilateral-Golden Diagonal routes
Other Features of the NRP
• Three Dedicated Freight Corridors, namely East Coast, East-West & North-South have been
identified along with timelines.
• Future projects (beyond 2024) have been identified in track and signalling with timelines.
• New high speed rail corridors have been identified.
• The plan also assesses the total capital requirement for all the projects.
• It identifies new financing models and streams including those based on public-private
partnerships.
National Rail Plan Significance:
The Indian Railways is the fourth-largest rail network in the world. In FY 2017-18, the railways
carried 8.26 billion passengers and transported 1.16 billion tonnes of freight. To cater to the
aspirations of economic growth and development, it is imperative that the railways are
modernised and optimised.
According to some experts, importance was accorded to the passenger services of the railways
and not enough to the freight services. Therefore, even towards the end of the 19th century
and the first decade of the 20th, railways didn’t contribute as much to growth as it did in other
countries. (Bibek Debroy, Financial Times, Feb 11, 2021).
The NRP seeks to rectify this bias against freight by aiming to increase the share of railways in
freight.
Another significant aspect of the NRP is that it maps the railway network on a GIS platform and
identifies gaps. In the GIS map, besides digitization of railway lines, digitization of railway
stations has also been undertaken on the basis of type of railway station. Stations and Junctions
identified for the upcoming Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) are also digitised based on the
location provided in the proposed alignment and digitised.
Schemes under Ministry of Railways
Avataran:
Avataran is an umbrella program consists of 7 missions such as,

1. Mission 25 Tonne – It aims to increase revenue by augmenting carrying capacity.

2. Mission Zero Accident – It comprises of two sub missions such as Elimination of
unmanned level crossings on broad Gauge in the next 3-4 years and Equipping 100% of
the High Density Network with Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
3. Mission PACE (Procurement and Consumption Efficiency) – It aims to improve
procurement and consumption practices to improve the quality of goods and services.
4. Mission Raftaar – It targets doubling of average speeds of freights trains and increasing
the average speed of superfast mail/express trains by 25 kmph in the next 5 years. It will
complement Mission 25 Tonne to increase throughput of the railway system.
5. Mission Hundred – Under this mission, at least a hundred sidings will be commissioned
in the next 2 years. Siding refers to low-speed track section / track branch distinct from a
running line.
6. Mission beyond book-keeping – It will establish an accounting system where outcomes
can be tracked to
7. Mission Capacity Utilisation – It proposes to prepare a blueprint for making full use of
the huge new capacity that will be created through two Dedicated Freight Corridors
 between Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi- Kolkata scheduled to be commissioned by 2019.
VIKALP:
The Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (VIKALP) scheme aims to facilitate waitlisted
passengers to get an alternative train accommodation within 12 hours of the original train.
The waitlisted passengers will get confirmed accommodation in next alternative train if they opt
for it while booking.
No extra charges will be paid by the passenger to avail this scheme.
Clone train services:
The proposed service will run‘ on high-demand routes within an hour of a scheduled train‘s
departure to accommodate those on its waiting list.
The idea is to ensure that they reach their destination around the same time they had originally
envisaged.
Rail Safety Fund:
The new rail safety fund called ―Rashtriya Rail SanrakshaKosh to be utilized for track
improvement, bridge rehabilitation work, improved inspection work etc.
It is a non-lapsable fund created by Ministry of Finance, since the union and railway budgets will
be merged for the first time.
It receives fund from this year budget allocation and also from the Central Road Fund.
The Central Road Fund is collected by levying Cess on diesel and petrol for safety-related work.
The Rail Safety Fund was setup based on the recommendation of a committee headed by Anil
Kakodkar, former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Chairman.
Operation Swarn:
Operation Swarn is launched by the Railway Ministry to improve services in Rajdhani and
Shatabdi Express
Under the project, the Indian Railways will focus attention on 10 key areas — punctuality,
cleanliness, linen, coach interiors, toilets, catering, staff behaviour, security, entertainment,
housekeeping and regular feedback.
Nivaran:
It is the grievance redressal portal launched by the Ministry of Railways.
It is the first IT application to be launched on the Rail Cloud.
It is a platform for resolution of service related grievances of serving and former railway
employees.
Initiatives by Ministry of Railways:
SRESTHA: – New R&D organisation to serve the future technology needs of Railways.
SUTRA – A special unit for Transportation Research and Analytics.
The team will be involved in World class data analytics, simulation softwares, network
optimisation and decision support systems.
“Sampark, samanvay and Samvad” is a conclave organized by the Ministry of Railways to
discuss and deliberate ―Vision for New Railway – New India 2022‖.
The conclave is aimed at breaking the boundary put up by railway organization in sharing
information (sampark), improves co-ordination (samanvay), find solutions (samvad) to the
critical issues facing Indian Railways.
It encouraged all officers to give inputs and bring out the ground realities and potential
impediments to implementation of new policies and reforms.
Project Saksham:
It is a comprehensive training programme launched by Indian Railways.
It is an up skilling exercise to upgrade skill and knowledge will be held for all employees of
Indian Railways.
Under this plan, all employees in each zone will be put through a week‘s training in skills and
knowledge relevant to their work area over next one year.
The training, as per the calendar, will be completed within 9 months
Project Saksham - Ministry of Finance: Its objective is to develop a New Indirect Tax Network
(Systems Integration) of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
Project Saksham - Ministry of Railways: It is a comprehensive training program for all
employees of Indian Railways to boost productivity & efficiency
Saksham(Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav) Ministry Of Petroleum and Natural gas: It is an
annual flagship event to create focused attention on fuel conservation through people centric
activities
Saksham - Ministry of Rural Development Capacity Building program – a training module that
uses Remote Sensing and GIS tools for project planning and monitoring component.
Saksham Scholarship Scheme Ministry of HRD: Encouraging economically weaker
differently-able students to pursue technical education at Diploma and Degree levels.
Mission Satyanishtha:
Indian Railways has launched the mission Satyanishtha:
It aims at sensitizing all railway employees about the need to adhere to good ethics and to
maintain high standards of integrity at work.
It is the first ever such mission by any government organisation.
The objectives of the Mission are
To train every employee to understand the need and value of ethics in Personal and Public life.
To deal with ethical dilemmas in life and Public Governance.
To help understand the policies of Indian Railways on ethics and integrity and the employee‘s
role in upholding the same.
To develop inner governance through tapping inner resources.
Bibek Debroy Committee : -
Dr. Bibek Debroy (Chairman):
Dr. Debroy is an economist and a research professor. He holds degrees from the Presidency
College (Calcutta), the Delhi School of Economics, and Trinity College (Cambridge).Throughout
his career, he has been associated with various institutions, including the Gokhale Institute of
Politics and Economics, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, and the National Council of
Applied Economic Research.Also served as a Consultant to the Department of Economic Affairs
in the Ministry of Finance, as well as the Secretary General of PHDCCI.His expertise spans
economic policy analysis, law, regulation, and the state.Additionally, he is a prolific author,
having written several books, papers, and articles for prominent financial newspapers in the
country1.
Shri K. M. Chandrasekhar (Member):
Shri Chandrasekhar, a retired Indian civil servant, was the 29th Cabinet Secretary of India.He
currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board.His career includes
roles such as Revenue Secretary of India, India’s Ambassador to WTO in Geneva, and Joint
Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce.Shri Chandrasekhar’s
educational background includes studies at St. Stephen’s College, the University of Delhi, and
the University of Leeds1.
Shri Gurcharan Das (Member):
An Indian author, commentator, and public intellectual, Shri Gurcharan Das is known for his
work. His notable book, “The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma”, delves into
the epic Mahabharata.
Bibek Debroy is an Indian financial expert who serves as the CEO of the Prime Minister’s
Economic Advisory Council. Mr Debroy was a member of NITI Aayog, the Indian government’s
research organisation, from its inception in January 2015 to June 2019. He was awarded the
Padma Shri in 2015. He received the US-India Business Summit’s Lifetime Achievement Award in
2016. The Bibek Debroy Committee recommended the formation of a railway board.
The Bibek Debroy Committee is a general council formed by the NDA government after taking
office in 2014. Its goal is to activate resources for significant railway projects and restructure the
Railway Ministry and Railway Board. This report is 319 pages long and covers almost every
aspect of Indian Railways operations. Under Mr Bibek Debroy, the Railway Board formed a
committee to assemble assets for major rail route projects and reconstruct the Railway Ministry
and Railway Board.
The Bibek Debroy Committee’s Agendas
Foundation of Independent Regulator RRAI
According to the Bibek Debroy Committee’s report, an all-encompassing Railway Regulatory
Authority of India (RRAI) should be established as a free administrative agency. The free
controller will:
1. Ensure fair and open access
2. Determine admission fees
3. Lay out levies in circumstances where the market fails to find a price
4. Mediate disputes between the track-owning association, train administrators, and
competitors.
This will allow cargo and passenger trains to compete with IR. The Railway Board should act
solely as a component of the Indian Railways.
Change to Business Bookkeeping
Indian Railways should abandon its complicated bookkeeping, favouring basic business
bookkeeping based on widely accepted and generally recognised standards. It will also assist
Railways in quantitatively analysing the impact of their strategies on the cost of various
administrations.
Smooth Out Enlistment and HR Processes
The current enrollment frameworks for Indian Railways through various channels should be
smoothed out. It was proposed that the Indian Railways’ eight coordinated Group ‘A’
administrations be divided into specialised and non-specialised administrations.
The Indian Railway Technical Service (IRTechS) includes:
1. Three non-specialised administrations: IRAS, IRPS, and IRTS
2. Five specialised administrations: IRSE, IRSSE, IRSEE, IRSME, and IRSS.
Zero in on Centre Regions
Indian Railways should focus on centre exercises to compete effectively with the private sector.
It will distinguish itself from non-centre activities such as running a police force, schools, clinics,
and development and creativity units.
The existing Railway schools were quickly included in the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
structure. Therefore, the needs of Railway officials’ children could be satisfied by funding their
education in non-public or elective schools.
The Bibek Debroy Committee Report on Railways
The Bibek Debroy Committee on the projected rebuilding of Indian Railways (IR) has urged
private sector task investment and the establishment of a free controller to promote
competition. The board’s most recent report has not yet been delivered, although it is in the
works.
“It should be understood that this board does not advocate for IR privatisation,” the board
states. “It does, in any case, embrace private passage with the arrangement of a free controller,”
the council concluded in its final report.
The board also stated that the annual rail line budget could be eliminated if all of its
recommendations for the first five years were implemented. The Gross Budgetary Support (GBS)
to IR could only be referred to as a line item in the Union Budget.
Conclusion
The Bibek Debroy Committee recommended the formation and reorganisation of the Railway
Board. It also suggested the creation of an independent controller, revamping the Group A rail
line administrations, and a change of profit strategy.