- Why in news
- On 24 June 2026, PM Narendra Modi chaired the 52nd PRAGATI meeting. It reviewed four infrastructure projects worth about ₹30,000 crore, the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and cyber crime grievances.
- What it is
- PRAGATI is an ICT-based platform for the Prime Minister to review programmes, projects and public grievances with Union Ministries and State governments. It works as a multi-modal system that brings the Centre and States onto one platform. It was launched in 2015 to speed up implementation and resolve inter-agency delays.
- What PRAGATI is
- An ICT-enabled, multi-modal platform for pro-active governance and timely implementation. It integrates efforts of the Centre and States.
- Who runs it
- The Prime Minister chairs the PRAGATI meetings, which review projects, programmes and grievances.
- Launch year
- PRAGATI was launched in 2015.
- Projects reviewed
- Four infrastructure projects in Road, Power, Industrial Corridor and Metro Rail sectors, across four States, cost about ₹30,000 crore.
- GatiShakti link
- The PM asked for regular updating of project, utility and clearance data on the PM GatiShakti portal so bottlenecks can be spotted early.
- e-Zero FIR
- States were asked to enable e-Zero FIR mechanisms for faster registration and response in cyber fraud cases.
- Chair
- The PRAGATI meetings are chaired by the Prime Minister, who is the final level of review.
- Escalation ladder
- Issues are first handled at Ministry level. Complex and critical ones are escalated through defined institutional mechanisms and reach the PM-chaired PRAGATI meeting last.
- Purpose
- The framework aims at coordinated inter-ministerial action, timely decisions and resolution of implementation bottlenecks in projects of national importance.
- Scope
- It covers programmes, projects and public grievances, and links Union Ministries with State governments.
Don’t confuse with PRAGATI vs PM GatiShakti: PRAGATI is a review and monitoring platform chaired by the PM. PM GatiShakti is a National Master Plan and portal for integrated infrastructure planning using geospatial data.
Don’t confuse with PRAGATI vs CPGRAMS: PRAGATI is a PM-level review platform for projects, programmes and grievances with Centre and States. CPGRAMS is the portal where citizens lodge grievances against government bodies.
Why it matters
- Direct PM-level review makes Ministries and States resolve stalled projects, cutting time and cost overruns.
- It supports cooperative federalism by putting Centre and State officials on one platform.
- Gives top-level, regular review of stalled projects, supporting cooperative federalism by bringing Centre and States together.
- Builds accountability through tech-enabled monitoring and clear escalation levels.
Problems
- Review at the highest level is hard to sustain for the very large number of projects and grievances.
- Outcomes depend on accurate, updated data and on State-level follow-through.
- Review at the top level can cover only a limited number of projects, leaving many issues to lower levels.
- Delays from land acquisition, clearances and State-level capacity may persist despite review.
Way forward
- Keep project data on the GatiShakti portal current so delays are caught early.
- Fix clear ownership and time-bound action among police, banks and digital platforms for cyber fraud cases.
- Strengthen Ministry- and State-level resolution so fewer issues need escalation.
- Publish outcomes and timelines of resolved issues to improve transparency.
Put in your answer
Delay cost: The PM noted that delays in infrastructure projects lead to cost escalation and deprive people and industries of timely benefits.
Citizen-centric grievance handling: On cyber fraud, the PM said citizens should not be made to run from one department or agency to another.
PRAGATI in governance answers: Cite PRAGATI's multi-level escalation, ending in PM-chaired review, as an example of tech-enabled, proactive governance and cooperative federalism.
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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: PRAGATI is a lasting governance platform; the 52nd meeting adds little new, so card only. Schemes and bodies are tested mostly on features.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.