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Preface
This is our 8th edition of Yojana Gist released for the month of November, 2015 on
Transport and related issues. Yet the message delivered in the last edition remains the
same. Yojana magazine (released by Ministry of I&B) is increasingly finding a place in
the questions of both UPSC Prelims and Mains.
Every Issue of Yojana deals with a single topic comprehensively sharing views from a
wide spectrum ranging from academicians to policy makers to scholars. The magazine is
essential to build an in-depth understanding of various socio-economic issues.
From the exam point of view, however, not all articles are important. Some go into
scholarly depths and others discuss agendas that are not relevant for your preparation.
Added to this is the difficulty of going through a large volume of information, facts and
analysis to finally extract their essence that may be useful for the exam.
We are not discouraging from reading the magazine itself. So, do not take this as a
document which you take read, remember and reproduce in the examination. Its only
purpose is to equip you with the right understanding. But, if you do not have enough
time to go through each and every Yojana magazine, you can rely on the content
provided here for it sums up the most essential points from all the articles in Yojana.
You need not put hours and hours in reading Yojana and making its notes in pages. We
believe, a smart study, rather than hard study, of Yojana can improve your preparation
levels.
Think, learn, practice and keep improving! That is the key to success

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SUMMARY OF YOJANA-November, 2015

URBAN TRANSPORT
Facts on urban transport
Urban transport has got attention first time in the 10 th FYP with National Urban
Transport Policy, 2006.
National Urban Transport Policy, 2006 objective: Sustainable Urban Transport i.e. a
shift from personal to public and non-motorized transport.
The growth rate in the number of vehicles has been much faster than that of
population in urban areas in the country.
Rapid growth in motor vehicles reduced the share of public transport vehicles like
buses and metro rails.
A bus carries 4.5 times more passengers as compared to a car in urban areas.
AMRUT and Smart City Mission focuses on efficient public transport like buses as one
of the important components in developing urban transport.
What are the impacts of rapid motorization?
Congestion
Reduced travel speeds
Threat to safety
Air pollution
Increase in energy consumption
New options for urban transport
Bus Rapid Transit Systems (At present, only 7 BRTS projects operational in the
country)
Metro Rail
Non motor transport
E-rickshaws
Intelligent Transportation Systems Traffic/Transport Management Applications
Use of alternate fuels like Biogas
Use of Electric Vehicles
Innovative methods of financing infrastructure for urban transport like additional tax
on gasoline, increasing parking fees etc.
Urban transport planning should be people focused rather than engineering
focused.

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SMART PORTS FOR SAGARMALA

Sagarmala An ambitious project which aims at port-led economic development

The project can realise its goal if the existing ports are transformed into Smart
Ports
At present there are 180 ports (small and big) in the country
Of these, only 12 are major ports which are government owned ports
These major ports operate as Trusts under the Major Ports Trust Act, 1963, except
for the Port of Ennore, which is a company under the Companies Act
There are legacy issues with these govt owned major ports- They do not keep pace
with emerging technology, requirements of international trade, emerging trends in
containerisation, flexible rules, size of ships etc.
This model of port being operated as a trust is widely believed to be unsustainable

What can be done to make our ports smart

Ports should be registered as Companies under Companies Act

The port administration should only look after the provisions of infrastructure and
safety and not day-to-day running of the port
The excess human resource should be retrained and redeployed
Pension liabilities should be reduced
Large tracts of land lying vacant in some ports like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Kandla
ports should be put to use
There is a crying need to bring accountability in the port administration
To be more competitive, ports should be well coordinated with railways, customs,
health, environment and other departments of the government
There is still no regulation to control the trade practices. Hence, there is a dire need
to introduce a regulatory architecture that takes care of ex-ante declaration of rates
of services.
Several ports like NhavaSheva Mumbai, Adani port at Mundra and Kandla port have
set up SEZs to back their industrial demand mechanism and internationalization

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GREEN TRANSPORT
What is Green Transport?
Any kind of transportation that is eco-friendly and does not have negative impacts
on the environment
Use of renewable energy for transport like Solar, Wind, Electricity, Bio-Fuels etc.
Conceptually, the green element of a transport system can be measured in three ways:
i.
ii.
iii.

Energy-efficiency
Carbon-intensity
Extent to which it produces local pollutants that are harmful to human health

Green Transport Hierarchy

It enlists the hierarchy of modes of green transportation. The best green transportation
used is by the walking pedestrian which occupies largest portion and the least green being
the single occupant vehicles which is the smallest portion.

PEDESTRIANS
BICYCLES
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
SERVICE AND FREIGHT
VEHICLES

TAXIS
MULTIPLE
OCCUPANT
VEHICLES
SINGLE
OCCUPANT
VEHICLE

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Need for green transport

With increasing number of vehicles, air quality and public health is deteriorating
The problem is exacerbated with the coming of diesel cars
Sulphur levels in fuel remain high, well above the maximum of 10 ppm required for
the best clean vehicle technologies to function optimally
Most of the Indian cities are still following Bharat Stage III norms; only few cities
have adopted Bharat Stage IV norms
Central Pollution Control Board identified in 2008 that around 70 cities are not
complying with the emission standards

Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification &

Maintenance) Policy, 2015

AIM: To promote greening of the highway corridors

1 per cent of the total project cost of all highways will be kept
for the highway plantation and its maintenance
The NHAI will act as a fund manager for maintaining a green
fund
The policy will generate employment opportunities for about
5 lakh people from rural areas
There will be strong monitoring mechanism in place by using
ISROs GAGAN and BHUVAN satellite systems

Way forward
Clear, strict Recall policies and punitive measures for non-compliant vehicles and
fuels
It should be made compulsory that a new Auto Fuel Policy Committee be formed
every five years, as recommended by Mashelkar Committee in 2003 but it has not
yet been implemented.
Any urban transport plan should integrate non-motorized transport as an integral
part, as recommended by Kirit Parikh Committee on Low Carbon Strategies for
Inclusive Growth.
Once non-motorized transport is facilitated and public transport is provided, parking
fees should be raised to reflect adequately the social cost of congestion
Enough space should be provided for pedestrians, pavements, cycle paths
Dedicated and non-lapsable Urban Transport Funds (UTF) should be set up at
national, state and city levels
Implementation of Green Highways Policy
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Statistics related to the transport sector and its impact

Transportation accounts for almost 23 per cent of worlds total carbon
dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion
Of these total CO2 emissions, road transport accounts for 75 per cent
oil; this corresponds to 69 per cent of worlds total oil consumption
The transport sector accounts for nearly 18 per cent of the total energy
consumed in India, second only to the industrial sector.
Nearly 98 per cent of the energy needs of transportation are met
through petroleum products, and almost half of the total consumption
of petroleum products in India occurs on account of transport activities.

IMPACT OF TRANSPORT IN 3 DIMENSIONS

DIMENSION

PERSPECTIVE-IMPACT

Economic Efficiency

Improvements in mobility brings welfare,

accessibility to jobs and services, and
support to economic growth

Environmental Sustainability

Reduce energy intensity

Reduce GHG emissions
Reduce particulate matter emissions

Social Sustainability

Enhanced access to basic services

Protection from harm

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INDIAN RAILWAYS

Indian Railways is the third largest transportation and logistics network of the world
operating 21000 trains per day.
Energy consumed by Railways is one sixth of corresponding energy consumed on
road traffic
The biggest challenge facing Indian Railways today is its inability to meet the
demands of its customers, both freight and passengers.
Apart from the quantum of investment, quality of service delivery is also an issue.
Other issues
o Cleanliness
o Punctuality of services
o Quality of terminals
o Capacity of trains
o Quality of food
o Security of passengers
o Ease of booking tickets
A new department of Housekeeping has been created to implement the mission of
Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat
IR and DRDO together have developed Bio-toilet tanks
IT enabled Integrated Coaching Management System (ICMS) has been launched
which helps in online monitoring of running of trains

Safety overview: A summary

In terms of global benchmarking, IRs safety record compares favourably with that of
advanced systems of European Railways.
Highest numbers of fatalities over IR occur due to accidents at unmanned level
crossings. These can be minimized with the construction of road over bridges and
road under bridges.
Accidents on account of running staff in terms of Signal Passing of Danger (SPAD) are
a major cause of concern. Hence, Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), an
indigenous solution, to avoid collisions and drivers passing signal at danger needs to
be expedited.

The need of the hour is to undertake massive infrastructure expansion and decongestion
programme coupled with up gradation of technology and judicious electrification of tracks
along with the enhancement of terminal capacity.

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INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR NORTH EAST

The Government of India incorporated the National Highways and Infrastructure
Development Corporation Ltd.(NHIDCL) with the objective to fast pace the construction of
national highways and other infrastructure in the North Eastern states.
How to achieve this?
The plans for infrastructure development should be made on the basis of social
necessity and economic viability.
The geological features of NE region are extremely diverse. The soil ranges from hard
rock to extremely loose. Hence new technologies should be used for soil
stabilisation, construction of tunnels etc.
Establish a North-Eastern Infrastructure Fund for easy financing infrastructure
projects at soft loans
Development of local youth and contractors would certainly pay the way for
inclusive development of the region
Both Union and States should coordinate with each other. For example, forest
clearances, utility shifting remains with the State Govt.; for Highways, cost of the
project, identification of implementing agency etc. rests with the Centre.
If infrastructure requirements of various sectors like Civil Aviation, Communications,
Industry, Power, Transport, Tourism etc. are mapped together and planned for
development with futuristic perspective of 30-40 years following a unified approach
the economic, environmental and social costs can be reduced to a large extent and
pace of infrastructure development be enhanced significantly.

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MANAGING CONGESTION WITH URBAN TRANSPORT

Why congestion is increasing?
Primary cause is the imbalance in the use of road space
Use of high capacity modes of transport i.e. buses and mass rapid transit (MRT) is
limited
Use of low capacity modes of transport i.e. 2-wheelers, 3-wheeler tempos and cars is
increasing
What are the challenges faced by cities?
Urbanization
Migration from rural to urban areas and from small to big cities
Increase in urban population
Requirement of huge funds for urban infrastructure and services
Unlike other urban services like water, electricity and housing, at present, there is no
dedicated agency in most cities to manage urban mobility
What is the way forward in managing congested traffic?
Develop public transport
Small and medium cities (population < 1 million) should introduce or augment city
bus services
Large cities (population > 1 million) should introduce or augment mass rapid transit
modes such as metro rail, light rail transit, bus rapid transit and mono rail as per
demand
The quality of bus services is poor overcrowded, unreliable and not user-friendly.
This should be changed.
Most of the city bus services operate on losses due to low fares. An SPV could be
setup to manage the finances for bus services.
Traffic engineering and management, both area wise and corridor wise maintains
mobility on the road network and hence should be in sync with the mass rapid
transit network
There must be an integration and coordination between the agencies that manage
rail transit services and bus services. Separation of functions only exacerbates the
working
Congestion cannot be reduced by increasing the capacity of the road network. Experience
shows that congestion returns within a few years. Congestion has to be managed. An
efficient city wide public transport network that provides reliable on-time service will
promote its use and help reduce road congestion. A walk-able city, however, is a necessary
adjunct to manage congestion.

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ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN RURAL ROADWAYS

Population based criteria for connecting habitations under PMGSY leaves the rural
areas with low population aside. Hence, demand based criteria for connecting rural
areas should be adopted
Construction of roads may not ensure accessibility necessarily. Only those who can
afford to have vehicles can make use of it
Traffic on few rural roads constructed a few years ago has increased tremendously
and thus might not be considered as rural roads any more
If they are categorized as Major District Roads or State Highways, then funding might
be a problem as the state governments do not have enough funds to construct and
maintain them
Cost of constructing rural road is increasing and materials used for construction are
becoming scarce and expensive
How to construct rural roads with minimum cost using locally available resources is a
huge challenge
With increasing high speed motor vehicles plying on rural roads, road safety and
pollution are becoming emerging threats

Facts about rural roadways

The first road development plan 1943-61 is popularly known as Nagpur Plan.
It classified the road system into a functional hierarchy comprising of
o National Highways
o State Highways
o Major District Roads
o Other District Roads
o Village Roads
The last two categories form the rural road systems in the country
Total road network in India is about 4.6 million km of which rural roads are about 2.6
million km.
Constitutionally, the development of rural roads is the responsibility of the State
governments in the country
However, from Fifth FYP onwards, Central Government started funding rural road
projects
Under the PMGSY, a village may be considered as accessible if it is located within 0.5km
and 1.5km band of an all-weather road for plain and hilly desert regions respectively

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AIR TRAVEL IN INDIA

According to Census 2011, there are 4,041 Statutory Towns (all places with a municipality,
corporation, cantonment board, notified town area committee etc.) in India, but only 78 are
connected through air route.
At present there are 10 scheduled air passenger carriers and 9 privately owned. Scheduled
Carrier means those who fly with fares published on the website and with Government
approved timetable.
According to a recent study by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, India is the cheapest country
to fly 100 km among 43 countries sampled from across the globe.

Major issues/problems
Setting up business is a big headache. A report on Doing Business (2015) by World Bank
mentions that in Mumbai, a company needs to complete 13 procedures and to spend
almost 30 days just to complete the basic formalities for starting a business.
Average sales tax on aviation fuel (Aviation Turbine Fuel) is 24 per cent in various states.
This along with various central levies makes fuel much more costly. Fuel alone contributes
up to 50 per cent of the operation cost ofan Indian carrier in comparison to 30-32 per cent
globally.
Despite all these, if India ranks lowest in airfare among 43 countries, that means basic fare is
low and which is why Indian carriers are estimated to have borne a loss of over 7,000 crores
during 2014-15, despite 35 per cent reduction in jet fuel cost during the year.

5/20 RULE
Any Indian carrier can start flying abroad, if it has
completed five years of domestic flying and has at least
20 aircrafts in its fleet. This is called 5/20 rule
Many other countries permit their carriers to fly abroad
from the day 1 even if they have 4-5 aircrafts.

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INLAND WATERWAYS AS NATIONAL WATERWAYS

The Government of India has approved the proposal for enactment of Central Legislation for
declaring 101 additional Inland Waterways as National Waterways for navigation
Central government can undertake development of inland waterways for navigation, only
when it is declared as National Waterways by an Act of Parliament.
IWT is recognized as fuel efficient, cost effective and environment friendly mode of
transport especially for bulk goods, hazardous goods and over dimensional cargo.

Indias 5 National Waterways

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Allahabad-Haldia of Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly system

Dhubri-Sadiya of Brahmaputra
Kottapuram-Kollam along west coast
Kakinada-Puducherry of Godavari and Krishna
Stretches of East coast canal, Brahmani river, and Mahanadi delta

The IWT sector presently has a meagre modal share of 0.4% in India compared to 42% in
Netherlands, 8.7% in China and over 8% in USA. This is a great economic opportunity loss to
the country.

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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 Consider the following statements
1. There are only 5 National Waterways in the country
2. Central Govt can undertake development of an inland waterway for navigation, only
when it is declared as National Waterways by an act of Parliament.
3. Making laws on shipping and navigation on inland waterways which are classified as
national waterways comes under Union List.
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 2 and 3
Only 1
Only 3
All of the above

ANS: D

Q. 2 Consider the following statements about National Mission for Sustainable Habitat,
2009
1. The National Mission for Sustainable Habitat (NMSH), 2009 focuses on greater use of
non-motorized transport as an important strategy for reducing GHG emissions.
2. NMSH, 2009 is one of the eight missions approved under the National Action Plan on
Climate Change
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of the above

ANS: C

Q.3 Consider the following statements on ports in India

1. India has only 12 major ports
2. All the major ports are government owned
3. Kolkata port is the only riverine port in India
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?

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a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 1 and 3
Only 1 and 2
All the above

ANS: D
Q.4 Consider the following statements on Sagarmala project
1. The major aim of the Sagarmala project is to boost the economy by undertaking
port-led development
2. According to this project, the entire country has been divided into 7 maritime zones,
coinciding with the 7 maritime states in India
Which of the two statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of the above

ANS: A
[India has 9 maritime states (coastal states) and the project divides country into 9
maritime zones]

Q.5 Consider the following statements about energy consumption of the transport sector in
India
1. Transport sector is the second largest energy consumption sector after Industry
2. Petroleum products contribute a major part in meeting the energy needs of
transport sector
Which of the above statements is/are FALSE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of the above

ANS: D

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Q.6 Consider the following statements on roadways in India

1. The road networks in India is the second largest in the world
2. The National Highways constitute less than 2 per cent of the entire road network in
India
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of the above

ANS: C

Q.7 Consider the following statements on Green Highways Policy, 2015

1. 100 per cent of the total project cost of highways development should be set aside
for plantation and its maintenance
2. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will act as a fund manager for
maintaining the green fund
3. A strong monitoring mechanism will be put in place using ISROs GAGAN and Bhuvan
satellite systems
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

All the above

Only 2 and 3
Only 1 and 2
Only 1 and 3

ANS: B[Only 1 per cent required for plantation]

Q. 8 Consider the following statements on Indian Railways

1. Indian Railways is the third largest transportation and logistics network in the world
2. Indian Railways has recently developed environment friendly Bio-toilets for use in
coaches in collaboration with ISRO
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of the above
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ANS: A
[Its Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Railways together
developed Bio toilets]

Q.9 Consider the following statements

1. The Diamond Quadrilateral is a roadway project that connects Delhi-MumbaiChennai-Kolkata
2. The Golden Quadrilateral is a high speed rail network that connects Delhi-MumbaiChennai-Kolkata
Which of the two statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of the above

ANS: D
[Diamond Quadrilateral: rail network; Golden Quadrilateral: highway project]

Q. 10 What is e-Hastakshar, which was launched recently?

1. It is a new project which aims at improving literacy rate in the country through
online education
2. It is an online typing tutorial launched by the Govt of India
3. It is an online electronic signature service which allows citizens to sign documents
digitally
4. All the above
ANS: 3

Q.11 Who among the following is the chairman of High Level Safety Review Committee
appointed for Indian Railways?
a)
b)
c)
d)

K V Kamath
Sam Pitroda
A K Bhargava
Anil Kakodkar

ANS: D

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Q.12 Consider the following statements

1. Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana was aimed at improving road connectivity in rural
areas.
2. It provides all-weather roads to all the habitations having population of 1000 and
above in the plains and 500 and above in hilly, desert and tribal areas.
3. World Bank has provided financial support to the programme
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1 and 2
Only 2
Only 3
All the above

ANS: D

Q.13 The Government of India has recently agreed to set up Indian Sign Language Research
and Training Centre (ISLRTC). Consider the following statements regarding ISLRTC.
1. It is a research and training centre for developing new languages in the field of
literature
2. It comes under the Ministry of Human resource and Development
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of the above

ANS: D
[ISLRTC provides for increased accessibility for the hearing impaired in education, in the
workplace and in all activities of public life. It comes under Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment.]

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Q.14 Consider the following statements about Rural Access Indicator

1. It is defined as the proportion of number of rural people who live within 2 kilometres
of an all-weather road to the total rural population
2. Under PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana), a habitation is considered to
have connectivity if there is an existing all weather road within 500 metres of the
habitation
3. The Rural Access Indicator was developed by World Bank
Which of the above statements is/are TRUE?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Only 1
Only 2 and 3
Only 1 and 3
All the above

ANS: D

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IASbaba

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