- Why in news
- On 6 March 2026, MoSPI announced a revamped public dashboard for the MPLADS eSAKSHI portal, with more data on works and expenditure and new options to upload photographs of completed works.
- What it is
- MPLADS is a Central Sector Scheme under which each MP recommends developmental works in their constituency, funded from an annual entitlement. MoSPI is the Central Nodal Agency. The eSAKSHI portal manages the online fund flow and tracks works from recommendation to completion.
- eSAKSHI start
- The MPLADS-eSAKSHI portal has been in use since 1 April 2023 to manage the revised fund-flow procedure.
- Who runs it
- MPs, the Central Nodal Agency (MoSPI), State Nodal Authorities, District Authorities and Implementing Agencies all get logins on the portal.
- Sanction and execution
- District Authorities sanction the recommended works and designate Implementing Agencies.
- Completion time
- Sanctioned works should generally be completed within one year of sanction.
- Nature of scheme
- MPLADS is a Central Sector Scheme, launched in 1993, in which funds are not lapsable.
Don’t confuse with MPLADS vs MLALADS: MPLADS is a central scheme run by MoSPI for MPs. MLA local area development funds are state schemes with their own rules.
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
- Online tracking improves transparency and public scrutiny of MP-recommended works.
- Photos and stage-wise documents help citizens verify assets on the ground.
Problems
- Data for earlier years (2019-20 to 2022-23) is missing, limiting comparison.
- Data accuracy depends on inputs from many stakeholders, including wrong photos uploaded earlier.
Way forward
- Digitise and add past records so utilisation can be compared over time.
- Verify uploaded data through social audit and independent checks.
Put in your answer
Dashboard upgrade: The revamped dashboard shows works recommended, sanctioned and completed, expenditure, and amounts consented for calamity, with drill-down tabs.
Real-time updates: Portal data is updated in real time from stakeholder logins, an example of e-governance for transparency.
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 scheme with fund-flow features, but this is a dashboard revamp. Schemes are 16% of news-linked Prelims questions; no fresh fact here.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.