08 Jul PM Gati Shakti Platform
This article covers “Daily Current Affairs” and the topic details “PM Gati Shakti Platform”. The topic “PM Gati Shakti Platform” has relevance in the “Economy” section of the UPSC CSE exam.
For Prelims:
What is PM Gati Shakti? What is its institutional structure?
For Mains:
GS3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways.
Why in the news?
Recent news reports indicate that the government is developing a system to facilitate the sharing of data on multi-modal connectivity, as well as various physical and social infrastructure encompassed within the PM Gati Shakti platform.
PM Gati Shakti Scheme:
- The Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti (PMGS) scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on October 13, 2021.
- Its main goal is to eliminate inter-ministerial barriers and foster the integration of infrastructure project planning.
- Through the Gati Shakti digital platform, 27 Ministries, including Railways and Roadways, will collaborate to achieve coordinated implementation and integrated planning of infrastructure connectivity projects.
The aims of PM Gati Shakti are:
- Coordinate with different ministries during the planning stage to identify areas of collaboration.
- Schedule projects to avoid overlaps and delays.
- Develop standard designs for projects to expedite approval.
- Implement standardized procedures across all agencies to reduce project delays.
PM Gati Shakti is based on six pillars:
Institutional Framework for PM GatiShakti:
- PM GatiShakti is a government program that coordinates 27 central government ministries under a single institutional structure. It aims to foster a whole-of-the-government approach to infrastructure development.
- An Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) has been constituted to oversee the implementation of PM GatiShakti. The EGoS is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and includes representatives from 23 infrastructure and user ministries of the Government of India.
- An integrated multimodal Network Planning Group (NPG) has been operationalised to examine projects and put them up to the EGoS for approval. The NPG is represented by heads of the Network Planning Divisions of 8 various infrastructure ministries.
- The Logistics Division of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is the Secretariat of the NPG.
- The Technical Support Unit provides technical support to the NPG, which includes a group of domain/subject matter experts who support the evaluation process.
Significance of PMGS
- Inter-departmental coordination: There is a lack of coordination between different Departments, for example, once a road is being constructed, other agencies dig up the constructed road again for activities like laying of underground cables, gas pipelines etc. This not only causes great inconvenience but is also a wasteful expenditure.
- Reduce Logistic Costs: India’s logistics costs are 13% of GDP, compared to 8% in the rest of the world, making it difficult for Indian exports to compete globally.The PM Gati Shakti Master Plan will reduce logistics costs in India by improving infrastructure, streamlining processes, and promoting multimodal transportation. The plan will also help to reduce delays and improve efficiency.
- Ease of Living: Multi-modal connectivity will make it easier for people, goods, and services to move from one mode of transportation to another. It will also improve last-mile connectivity and reduce travel time.
- Attracting Investments: PM GatiShakti is a national infrastructure plan that will provide information about upcoming connectivity projects, business hubs, industrial areas, and the surrounding environment. This will help investors plan their businesses at suitable locations, leading to enhanced synergies.
- Utilization of resources: The plan will also create multiple employment opportunities and boost the economy. Additionally, it will lead to optimum utilization of the country’s resources as everyone will be able to make their plans with complete information.
- Improved Competitiveness: It will improve the global competitiveness of local products by cutting down logistics costs, improving supply chains, and ensuring proper linkages for local industry and consumers.
How will PM GatiShakti Work?
- PM GatiShakti will address past issues by institutionalizing comprehensive planning for stakeholders involved in major infrastructure projects. Instead of separate and isolated planning and design processes, these projects will be conceived and executed with a unified “silo-less” vision.
- The initiative will integrate infrastructure schemes from various Ministries and State Governments, such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN, etc. Additionally, it will encompass Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defense corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, and agri zones, thereby enhancing connectivity and improving the competitiveness of Indian businesses.
- The extensive use of technology will play a crucial role, including the utilization of spatial planning tools with ISRO imagery developed by BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics).
Sources:
Govt to soon share infrastructure data from Gati Shakti portal with industry, investors – The Hindu
doc20221124135401.pdf (pib.gov.in)
plutus ias current affairs eng med 8th July 2023
Q1. With reference to PM Gati Shakti Platform seen in the news, consider the following statements:
- PM Gati Shakti seeks to Coordinate with different ministries to ensure a silo- centric approach.
- The Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGS) oversees the implementation of PM Gati Shakti which is chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
- The Logistics Division of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is the Secretariat of the Network Planning Group (NPG).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Q2. Consider the following statements:
- India’s logistics costs are 8% of GDP, compared to 12% in the rest of the world.
- PM Gati Shakti Portal envisages an monetisation through the leasing of core assets of the Central government and Public Sector Units.
- The extensive use of technology with spatial planning tools will play a crucial role in PM Gati Shakti Portal.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (a)
Q3. What role does PM Gati Shakti and the National Monetization Pipeline play in India’s future infrastructure development?
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