- Why in news
- On 13 January 2026, PIB reported progress under the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals Policy: 306 terminals approved and 118 commissioned.
- Policy origin
- The GCT Policy was introduced by the Ministry of Railways on 15 December 2021 to speed up modern cargo terminal development.
- Freight rebate
- Terminals with 1 million tonnes or more of outward traffic get a 10% freight rebate on mid-section Block Hut/Block Station costs.
- Construction deadline
- Agencies granted approval must complete construction within 24 months.
- Engine-on-load
- Under EOL, the locomotive stays at the terminal during loading or unloading, waiting at railway cost within the free time, so the train leaves at once.
- Maintenance support
- Railways maintain track, signalling and OHE, excluding the yard and loading/unloading lines.
Don’t confuse with GCT Policy 2021 vs Master Circular 2022: The 2021 policy sets the framework. The 2022 Railway Board Master Circular gives detailed implementation guidelines.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Multimodal terminals cut delays and handling time, lowering logistics costs, now 7.97% of GDP as per the release.
- Shifting freight from road to rail saves emissions and supports decarbonisation.
Problems
- Terminals depend on private investment and on last-mile road and rail links.
- Only 118 of 306 approved terminals are commissioned, so delivery lags approvals.
Way forward
- Expand private participation and site terminals by industry demand and regional balance.
- Use the Gati Shakti digital platform for real-time tracking and planning.
Put in your answer
Logistics cost: Logistics costs are now 7.97% of GDP.
Road-to-rail shift: Since 2014, 2,672 million tonnes of freight shifted to rail, saving 143.3 million tonnes of CO₂.
New Sanjali GCT: New Sanjali in Gujarat is the first GCT on private land along the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.
- 2022Mains GS2 · Q6Discuss government-private coordination needed for Gati Shakti connectivity goals
- 2022Mains GS3 · Q1Why PPP is needed in infrastructure; its role in railway station redevelopment
- 2014Mains GS2 · Q8Will rail tariff regulation benefit consumers, Railways, or private container operators?
- 2026Prelims Q24How Vizhinjam port signals a structural shift in maritime logistics policy
- 2000Prelims Q71Which Indian port handles the highest tonnage of import cargo?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: A lasting logistics policy with numbers, but largely data. Schemes are 16% of news-linked Prelims questions; a question is unlikely here.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.