- Why in news
- On 12 April 2026, the Ministry of Railways said 100 projects worth ₹1.53 lakh crore, covering over 6,000 km, were sanctioned in FY 2025-26 under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
- What it is
- PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is a framework for planning infrastructure projects in a coordinated way across ministries. Railway projects such as new lines, doubling and multitracking are aligned with it to cut logistics cost and ease congestion. The aim is faster freight movement and better connectivity to remote areas.
- Comparison with FY 2024-25
- The previous year saw 64 projects worth ₹72,869 crore over 2,800 km. Approvals rose 56%, route length over 114% and investment over 110%.
- Lead states
- Maharashtra has 17 projects, Bihar 11, Jharkhand 10 and Madhya Pradesh 9.
- Tribal connectivity
- The Rowghat–Jagdalpur line in Chhattisgarh and corridors in Jharkhand and Odisha are highlighted for tribal and remote regions.
- Freight link
- The projects are aligned with the Mission 3000 MT initiative to raise cargo capacity; energy corridors dominate and the Rail Sagar Corridor improves port connectivity.
Don’t confuse with Sanction vs completion: Sanctioned projects are approved with funds committed; they are not yet built, and construction takes years.
Don’t confuse with Gati Shakti vs National Logistics Policy: Gati Shakti is a planning platform for coordinated infrastructure; the National Logistics Policy targets logistics efficiency and cost across sectors.
Economy terms and data: 42 Prelims questions since 2013, rising in recent years; they test what a term or instrument means. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Doubling, multitracking and new lines add capacity on congested routes, improving punctuality and freight movement.
- Rail links to tribal and remote regions widen access to markets, health and education, and support regional balance.
Problems
- Land acquisition, forest and environmental clearances often delay rail projects and raise costs.
- Sanctions do not guarantee timely completion; funding and execution capacity must keep pace.
Way forward
- Use Gati Shakti's shared planning to clear land and utility issues before work begins.
- Track physical progress and cost overruns publicly, and give priority to freight corridors and last-mile links.
Put in your answer
Mission 3000 MT: A cargo-capacity target that the projects are aligned to, with energy corridors for coal and minerals.
- 2022Mains GS2 · Q6Role of government-private coordination in achieving Gati Shakti connectivity goals.
- 2022Mains GS3 · Q1Need for PPP in infrastructure; role in railway station redevelopment.
- 2023Mains GS1 · Q3Socio-economic effects of railway introduction in different countries.
- 2023Prelims Q10Statements on East-West Corridor, Trilateral Highway, BCIM corridor connectivity.
- 2025Prelims Q82Statements on National Rail Plan, Kavach system components and features.
- 2026Prelims Q66Which ASEAN-India connectivity projects include Kaladan, Trilateral Highway, Agartala-Akhaura rail.
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: Lasting infrastructure topic with figures, but routine annual sanction data; economy-kind Prelims questions focus on terms and features, so no practice question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.