Statement
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the details of the railway infrastructure project for which approval has been sought from the Central Government including the scope of track expansion, conversion or new line construction and its expected benefits for connectivity, freight and passenger services particularly in Bihar, 18.03.2026 446 Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; (b) the number of trees and extent of forest land likely to be affected by the project and the current status of statutory clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act and other environmental regulations; (c) the details of measures proposed to minimise environmental impact including compensatory afforestation, biodiversity protection and other mitigation strategies; (d) the details of institutional mechanisms in place for monitoring environmental compliance during the project’s execution; and (e) the details of assessments conducted regarding the ecological, social and operational impact of the project including alternative alignments or methods to reduce forest loss? THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW): (a) to (e): Capacity enhancement of railway network has been taken up by Indian Railways in a big way during last 11 years. The details of commissioning/laying of new track across Indian Railways is given below:- Period New track Commissioned Average commissioning of new tracks 2009-14 7,599 Km 4.2 Km/day 2014-25 34,428 Km 8.6 Km/day (more than 2 times) The status of projects situated in Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar 18.03.2026 447 Pradesh are as under: Bihar Railway Budget: Budget allocation for Infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar is as under: Period Outlay 2009-14 `1,132 Cr./year 2025-26 `10,066 Cr. (Nearly 9 times) Track construction: The details of commissioning/laying of new track falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar during 2009-14 and 2014-25 is as under:- Period New Track Commissioned Average Commissioning of new tracks 2009-14 318 Km 63.6 Km/year 2014-25 1,899 Km 172.6 Km/year (More than 2.5 times) Projects sanctioned: As on 01.04.2025, 52 projects (31 New Lines, 01 Gauge Conversions and 20 Doubling), of a total length of 4,663 km, costing ₹86,107 crore, falling fully/partly in Bihar, are sanctioned, out of which 1,014 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of `29,353 crore has been incurred upto 18.03.2026 448 March’ 2025. The summary is as under:- Category No of sanctioned Projects Total Length NL/GC/DL (in Km) Length Commissioned till Mar'25 (in Km) Total Exp upto Mar'25 (` in Crore) New Lines 31 2,691 516 16,814 Gauge Conversion 1 69 52 544 Doubling/Multi- tracking 20 1,904 446 11,995 Total 52 4,663 1,014 29,353 Zonal Railway wise details of Railway projects are made available in public domain on Indian Railway’s website. Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in Bihar are as under:- SN. Project Cost ( in Crore) 1 Patna rail cum road Bridge (28 Km) 3,210 2 Munger rail cum road Bridge (15 km) 3,040 3 Kosi Bridge (22 km) 863 4 Daniawan-Biharsharif New Line (38 km) 354 5 Chandan-Banka New Line (40 km) 496 6 Rampurhat-Mandarhill New Line (130 km) 908 7 Maharajganj-Masrakh New Line (35 km) 412 8 Rajgir-Tilaiya & Natesar-lslampur New Line (67 km) 726 9 Mansi-Saharsa-Purnia Gauge Conversion (141 km) 752 10 Jaynagar-Narkatiaganj Gauge Conversion (260 km) 967 11 Kaptanganj-Chhapra Gauge Conversion ( 234 km) 819 12 Sakri-Nirmali & Saharasa-Forbesganj Gauge Conversion (206 km) 2,113 13 Mansi-Saharsa, Saharsa-Purnia & Banmakhi- Bihariganj Gauge Conversion (169 km) 752 14 Sahibganj-Pirpainti Doubling (23 km) 129 15 Maheshkunt-Thanabihpur Doubling (32 km) 115 18.03.2026 449 SN. Project Cost ( in Crore) 16 Hajipur-Ramdayalu Nagar Doubling (48 km) 367 17 Pirpainti-Bhagalpur Doubling (51 km) 493 18 Bakhtiyarpur-Barh Doubling (19 km) 237 19 Kiul-Gaya Doubling (124 km) 2,462 20 Hajipur-Bachwara Doubling (72 km) 930 21 Darbhanga bypass (9 km) 253 22 Araria-Galgalia (Thakurganj) New Line (110 km) 2,132 23 Saraigarh Byepass Line (5 km) 79 24 Chhapra-Chhapra Kacheri 3rd Line (3 km) 33 Some of the projects falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar which have been taken up are as under: SN. Project Cost ( in Crore) 1 Sakri-Hasanpur new line (76 km) 735 2 Khagaria-Kusheshwarsthan New line (42 km) 1,511 3 Fatuha-lslampur new line (167 km) 2,882 4 Koderma-Tilaiya new line (65 km) 1,980 5 Hajipur-Sagauli new line (151 km) 2,702 6 Araria-Supaul new line (96 km) 1,925 7 Kursela-Bihariganj new line (58 km) 194 8 Bikramshila-Katareah new line (26 km) 2,171 9 Jhajha-Batia new line (20 km) 588 10 Pirpainti-Jassidih new line (97 km) 2,611 11 Chhitauni-Tumkuhi Road new line (59 km) 1,731 18.03.2026 450 SN. Project Cost ( in Crore) 12 Jalalgarh-Kishanganj new line (51 km) 360 13 Jogbani-Biratnagar (Nepal) new line (19 km) 402 14 Darbhanga-Kusheshwarasthan new line (70 km) 367 15 Motihari-Sitamarhi new line (77 km) 1,007 16 Sitamarhi-Nirmali new line (189 km) 2,833 17 Nawada-Laxmipur new line (137 km) 3,121 18 Ara-Bhabua Road new line (150 km) 2,397 19 Gaya-Daltonganj new line (137 km) 2,861 20 Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga new line (69 km) 282 21 Muzaffarpur-Janakpur Road new line (67 km) 228 22 Dehri on Sone-Banjari new line (35 km) 111 23 Chhapra-Muzzafarpur new line (78 km) 1,894 24 Bihta-Aurangabad new line (120 km) 2,995 25 Gaya-Chatra and Gaya-Natesar new line (135 km) 4,543 26 Deogarh-Sultanganj new line incl.Banka-Barahat and Banka-Bhitiah Road (154 km) 665 27 Sultanganj-Katuria new line (77 km) 291 28 Bariarpur-Mananpur new line (68 km) 251 29 Hathua-Bhatni new line (80 km) 318 30 Aurangabad Terminal-Anugrah Narayan Road new line (13 km) 441 18.03.2026 451 SN. Project Cost ( in Crore) 31 Nawadah-Pawapuri New line (25 km) 492 32 Jaynagar-Bijalpura Gauge conversion (69 km) 790 33 Dhanbad-Sonnagar 3rd line (291 km) 7,906 34 Samastipur-Darbhanga Doubling (38 km) 826 35 Rampur Dumra-Tal-Rajendra Pul-Additional bridge and Doubling (14 km) 2,535 36 Sagauli-Valmikinagar Doubling (110 km) 1,456 37 Gaya Bye pass for Manpur (2 km) 30 38 Muzaffarpur-Sugauli Doubling (101 km) 1,586 39 Barauni-Bachwara 3rd & 4th line (32 km) 486 40 Sonenagar bye pass (Chiralapothu to Bagha Bishunpur) (10 km) 224 41 Narkatiaganj-Darbhanga & Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur Doubling (256 km) 4,080 42 Chhapra-Ballia Patch Doubling (65 km) 1,046 43 Gorakhpur-Valmikinagar Doubling (96 km) 1,121 44 Katihar-Kumedpur and Katihar-Mukuria Doubling (65 km) 943 45 Bhadaura Station and Karma Station Surface Triangle Line (11 km) 200 46 ROR at Sasaram connecting GC to Ara-Sasaram Line (9 km) 470 47 Ara Bye pass Line to be connected from Jagjivan Halt to existing ARA- Sasaram line through link cabin (Y-Connectivity at Ara) (3 km) 119 48 Son Nagar-Andal Multitracking (749 km) 12,334 18.03.2026 452 SN. Project Cost ( in Crore) 49 Bulb line at Nabinagar (Ankorha) (17 km) 612 50 Punarakh- Barh-Bhaktiyarpur New 4th line & balance 3rd line (28 km) 422 51 Sanjaygram to Dhachna By Pass line (2 km) 34 52 Aluabari Road-Thakurganj Doubling (20 km) 327 53 Aluabari Road-New Jalpaiguri 3rd & 4th Line (57 km) 1,630 54 Bhagalpur-Jamalpur 3rd Line (53 km) 1,156 55 Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurh at Doubling (177 km) 3,169 56 Bakhtiyarpur-Rajgir-Tilaiya Doubling (104 km) 2,192 57 Bakthiyarpur-Fatuha 3rd and 4th line (24 km) 931 Gujarat Railway Budget: Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Gujarat is as under: Period Outlay 2009-14 ₹ 589 crore/year 2025-26 ₹ 17,155 crore (More than 29 times) Track construction: The details of commissioning/laying of new track falling fully/partly in the State 18.03.2026 453 of Gujarat during 2009-14 and 2014-25 is as under: Projects sanctioned: As on 01.04.2025, 36 Railway projects (6 New Lines, 17 Gauge Conversion and 13 Doubling), of a total length of 2,564 Km, costing ₹30,275 crore, falling fully/partly in the State of Gujarat have been sanctioned. The summary is as under:- Category No. of sanctioned projects Total length (Km) Length commissioned upto Mar'25 (Km) Total Expenditure upto Mar'25 (₹ in Crore) New Lines 6 532 105 5,494 Gauge Conversion 17 1,379 718 6,213 Doubling / Multitracking 13 653 40 1,158 Total 36 2,564 863 12,865 Zonal Railway wise details of Railway projects are made available in public domain on Indian Railway’s website. Details of some of the completed projects falling fully/partly in the State of Gujarat are as under: Period New Track Commissioned Average Commissioning of new tracks 2009-14 660 Km 132 Km/year 2014-25 2,764 Km 251 Km/yr (nearly 2 times) 18.03.2026 454 S.No. Name of Project Cost (₹ in Crore) 1 Mahesana-Taranga Hill Gauge Conversion (210 Km) 891 2 Himmatnagar-Khedbrahma Gauge Conversion (55 Km) 482 3 Ahmedabad-Botad Gauge Conversion (170 Km) 1,810 4 Dhasa-Jetalsar Gauge Conversion (104 Km) 1,024 5 Ahmedabad-Mahesana Gauge Conversion (69 Km) 874 6 Katosan-Chanasma Gauge Conversion (38 Km) 484 7 Kalol-Kadi-Katosan Gauge Conversion (37 Km) 347 8 Vijapur-Ambliyasan Gauge Conversion (42 Km) 415 9 Dabhoi-Chandod with extension up to Kevadiya Gauge Conversion (50 Km) 1,018 10 Viramgam-Samakhiali Doubling (182 Km) 1,492 11 Palanpur-Samakhayali Doubling (247 Km) 2,538 12 Mahesana-PalanpurDoubling (65 Km) 537 13 Surendranagar-Rajkot Doubling (116 Km) 1,425 14 Anand-GodharaDoubling (79 Km) 692 15 Vatva-Ahmedabad 3rd Line (8 Km) 61 16 Viramgram-Surendranagar Doubling (65 Km) 382 17 Udhna-Jalgaon Doubling (307 Km) 2,448 Details of some of the projects falling fully/partly in the State of Gujarat which have been taken up are as under: S. No. Project Cost (₹ in Crore) 1 Naliya-Jakhau Port New Line (25 Km) 410 2 Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Malsar Gauge Conversion (37 Km) 450 3 Jambusar-Kavi Gauge Conversion (26 Km) 318 4 Kosamba-Umarpada Gauge Conversion (70 Km) 468 5 Khijadiya-Amreli Gauge Conversion (17 Km) 178 6 Barejadi-Nandej (Geratpur)- Sanand 4th Line (38 Km) 962 7 Samakhiali-Gandhidham Quadrupling (53 Km) 1,430 8 Vishvamitri-Dabhoi Doubling (33 Km) 394 9 Taranga Hill- Ambaji-Abu Road New Line (116 Km) 2,798 10 Sabarmati D Cabin- Sarkhej Doubling (21 Km) 323 11 Deshalpar-Hajipir-Luna and Vayor-Lakhpat New Line (145 2526 18.03.2026 455 S. No. Project Cost (₹ in Crore) Km) 12 Vadodara-Ratlam 3rd & 4th Line (259 Km) 8,387 13 Rajkot-Kanalus Doubling (111 Km) 1,081 Bullet Train project: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project (508 km) is the only HSR Project under execution. The Project is passing through the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. Entire land (1,389.5 Ha.) for MAHSR project has been acquired. All Statutory Clearances have been obtained. All 1,651 utilities have been shifted. The delay in land acquisition in the State of Maharashtra has impacted the project till 2021. The land acquisition picked up in 2022 in Maharashtra. The progress of various major items so far is as under: Gujarat (352 KM): Item Progress Foundation 352 kms. Piers 352 kms. Girder Casting 342 kms. Girder Launching 331 kms. Track Bed Construction 152 kms. 18.03.2026 456 OHE Masts Erection 121 kms. Maharashtra (156KM): Item Progress Foundation 84 kms. Piers 75 kms. Girder Casting 12 kms. Girder Launching 5 kms. Out of total 12 stations, foundation works has been completed at 8 stations (Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati). In Maharashtra section, foundation work is in progress at 3 stations (Thane, Virar, Boisar) and excavation work at BKC station is near completion and Casting of base slab started. 17 river bridges have been completed. Work is in advance stage for 4 major river bridges (Narmada, Mahi, Tapti and Sabarmati) in Gujarat & in progress in 4 river bridges in Maharashtra. Work on Depots (Thane, Surat and Sabarmati) is in full swing. Civil works at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) are progressing satisfactorily. Excavation works have achieved about 91% progress, and concreting works are at various stages, with 100% completion of the basement slab at Level-4. The work of the under-sea tunnel (approximately 21 km) has commenced, out of which 4.8 km of tunnel between Ghansoli and Shilphata in 18.03.2026 457 Maharashtra has been completed. To ensure seamless passenger connectivity, the Government has planned multi-modal integration of Bullet Train stations with the existing Mumbai suburban railway network and upcoming metro lines. The integration includes passenger connectivity with Metro Line-2B and Metro Line-3 through convenient pedestrian access at BKC station. Bullet train project is a very complex and technology intensive Project. Exact timelines for the completion of the project can be reasonably ascertained after the completion of all associated works of Civil Structures, Track, Electrical, Signaling & Telecommunication and supply of Trainsets. Madhya Pradesh Railway Budget: Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget allocation for Infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh is as under: Period Outlay 2009-14 ₹632 crore/year 2025-26 ₹14,745 crore (More than 23 times) Track construction: The details of commissioning/laying of new track falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh during 2009-14 and 2014-25 is as under: 18.03.2026 458 Period New Track Commissioned Average Commissioning of new tracks 2009-14 145 Km 29 Km/year 2014-25 2,651 Km 241 Km/year (More than 8 times) Projects sanctioned: As on 01.04.2025, 24 Railway projects (08 New Lines, 02 Gauge Conversion and 14 Doubling), of total length of 4,740 Km costing ₹89,542 crore falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh are sanctioned. The summary is as under: Category No. of projects Total Length (in Km) Length Commissioned (in Km) Total Exp upto Mar'25 (₹ in Cr) New Lines 8 1,914 544 15,069 Gauge Conversion 2 809 430 6,766 Doubling / Multitracking 14 2,017 1,118 19,566 Total 24 4,740 2,093 41,401 Zonal Railway wise details of Railway projects are made available in public domain on Indian Railway’s website. Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh are as under: S.No. Name of Project Cost (₹ in Crores) 1. Anuppur-Katni 3rd line (165 Km) 2,311 2. Pendra Road-Anuppur 3rd line (50 Km) 394 3. Khodri-Anuppur Doubling with flyover at Bilaspur (72 Km) 792 4. Bhopal-Bina 3rd line (145 km) 1,075 18.03.2026 459 S.No. Name of Project Cost (₹ in Crores) 5. Bina-Kota Doubling (283 km) 2,477 6. Jabalpur-Gondia Gauge Conversion including Balaghat- Katangi (300 Km) 2,005 7. Chhindwara-Nagpur Gauge Conversion (150 Km) 1,512 8. Chhindwara-Mandla Fort Gauge Conversion (182 Km) 1,268 9. Ghat Pindari-Balkheda Doubling (6 Km) 29 10. Guna-Ruthiyai Doubling (20 Km) 175 11. Jukhei Chord line, Bye Passing the Katni Yard (2 Km) 12 12. Sontalai-Bagratawa Doubling (7 Km) 110 13. Itarsi-Budhni 3rd line (25 Km) 286 14. Teegaon-Chichonda Ghat Section 3rd line (17 Km) 176 15. Barkhera-Bhopal 3rd line (41 km) 473 16. Nagda-Ujjain Doubling of Gambhir Bridge (2 Km) 28 17. Nimach-Chittaurgarh Doubling (56 Km) 560 18. Budhni-Barkhera 3rd line (27 Km) 1,703 19. Indore-Dewas-Ujjain Doubling (79 Km) 757 20. Powerkheda-Jujharpur Rail flyover (16 Km) 443 21. Guna- Etawah New Line (348 Km) 683 22. Ramna-Singrauli doubling (160 Km) 2,436 23. Karaila Road- ShaktinagarDoubling(32 Km) 763 24. Malkhedi-Mahadeokhedi Doubling (12 Km) 59 Some of the projects falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh which have been taken up are as under: S.No. Project Cost (₹ in Crores) 1. Shahdol-Singhpur 4th Line (6 Km) (passing through Shahdol constituency) 54 2. Katni- Grade separator / Bypass (35 Km) 2,300 3. Katni- Singrauli Doubling (257 Km) 4,377 4. Lalitpur-Satna, Rewa-Singrauli & Mahoba-Khajuraho New Line (541 Km) 8,914 18.03.2026 460 S.No. Project Cost (₹ in Crores) 5. Ramganjmandi-Bhopal New Line (277 Km) 5,073 6. Indore-Budni New Line (198 Km) 7,474 7. Nimach-Badi Sadri New Line (48 Km) 495 8. Gwalior-Sheopurkalan Gauge Conversion with extension to Kota (284 Km) 2,913 9. Itarsi- Nagpur 3rd line (280 Km) 2,450 10. Jhansi-Bina 3rd line (153 Km) 2,002 11. Mathura-Jhansi 3rd line (274 Km) 5,924 12. Jhansi-Kairar-Manikpur&Khirar-Bhimsen Doubling (431 Km) 4,330 13. Satna-Rewa Doubling (50 Km) 590 14. Ruthiyai Bye Pass line (3 Km) 54 15. Guna Bye Pass line (2 Km) 179 16. Ujjain Fly Over (2 Km) 100 17. Manmad - Indore New Line (360 Km) 18,529 18. Bhusawal-Khandwa 3rd & 4th Line (131 Km) 3,285 19. Dahod-Indore New Line (205 Km) 9,746 20. Nimach-Ratlam Doubling (133 Km) 1,096 21. Chhota Udepur-Dhar New Line (147 Km) 1,794 22. Ratlam-Nagda 3rd and 4th line (41 Km) 964 23. Vadodara-Ratlam 3rd and 4th line (259 Km) 8,387 24. Ratlam-Khandwa Gauge Conversion (299 Km) 7,265 25. Bina-Itarsi 4th Line (237 km) 4,329 26. Itarsi-Nagpur 4th Line (297 Km) 5,010 Uttar Pradesh: Railway Budget: Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of Uttar Pradesh is as under: Period Outlay 2009-14 ₹1,109 crore/year 18.03.2026 461 2025-26 ₹19,858 crore (Nearly 18 times) Track construction: The details of constructing new tracks falling fully/partly in the State of Uttar Pradesh during 2009-14 and 2014-25 is as under: Period New Track Commissioned Average Commissioning of new tracks 2009-14 996 Km 199 Km/year 2014-25 5,272 Km 479 Km per year (More than 2 times) Projects sanctioned: As on 01.04.2025, 49 projects (10 New Line, 02 Gauge Conversion and 37 Doubling) of 3,807 Km length, costing ₹62,360 crore falling fully/partly in the State of Uttar Pradesh are sanctioned. The summary is as under:- Category No of Projects Total Length (km) Length Commissioned (km) Exp upto Mar'25 (` in Cr.) New Line 10 1,227 340 10,517 Gauge Conversion 02 67 - 281 Doubling/Multitracking 37 2,513 983 19,813 Total 49 3,807 1,323 30,611 Recently completed projects: Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in the State of Uttar Pradesh are as under: 18.03.2026 462 S. No. Project Cost (` in Cr.) 1 Etawah-Mainpuri New Line (58 Km) 313 2 Bahraich-Nanpara-Nepal Ganj Gauge Conversion (56 Km) 342 3 Ballia-Ghazipur city Doubling (65 Km) 650 4 Ghazipur city-Tarighat New Line (17 Km) 1,766 5 Gonda-Gorakhpur Loop Gauge Conversion (260 Km) 863 6 Gonda-Bahraich Gauge Conversion (60 Km) 318 7 Barabanki-Akbarpur Doubling (161 Km) 1,700 8 Kaptanganj-Thawe-Chhapra Gauge Conversion (234 Km) 819 9 Pilibhit-Shahjahanpur Gauge Conversion (83 Km) 589 10 Indara-Dohrighat Gauge Conversion (34 Km) 213 11 Lucknow-Pilibhit Gauge Conversion (263 Km) 1,634 12 Bhadoi-Janghai Doubling (31 Km) 168 13 Lahota-Bhadoi Doubling (39 Km) 184 14 Meerut-Muzaffarnagar Doubling (55 Km) 430 15 Phaphamau-Prayagraj Doubling (14 Km) 212 16 Muzaffarnagar–Tapri Doubling (52 Km) 525 17 Utretia-Raibareilly Doubling (66 Km) 662 18 Raibareilly-Amethi Doubling (60 Km) 668 19 Alamnagar-Utretia Doubling (20 Km) 358 20 Bhimsen—Jhansi Doubling (206 Km) 2,620 21 Domingarh-Gorakhpur-Kusumhi - 3rd Line and Gorakhpur- Nakaha Jungle Doubling (21 Km) 508 22 Malhaur-Daliganj Doubling (13 Km) 183 23 Ruma Chakeri- Chandari 3rd Line (13 Km) 177 24 Bareilly-Pilibhit-Tanakpur Gauge Conversion (102 Km) 313 25 Rosa-Sitapur Cantt-Burhwal Doubling (181 Km) 2,094 26 Jaunpur- Akbarpur (Tanda) Doubling (77 Km) 676 27 Ramna- Renukut-Singrauli Doubling (160 Km) 2,436 28 Janghai- Phaphamau Doubling (47 Km) 414 29 Varanasi-Madhosingh-Prayagraj Doubling (120 Km) 2,018 30 Karaila Road- Shaktinagar Doubling (32 Km) 763 31 Deoband (Muzzafarnagar)-Roorkee (27 Km) 1,289 32 Agra-Etawah New Line(110 Km) 427 33 Phephna-Indara, Mau-Shahganj Doubling (150 Km) 1,778 18.03.2026 463 Ongoing projects: Some of the projects falling fully/partly in the State of Uttar Pradesh which have been taken up are as under: SN. Project Cost (` in Cr.) 1 Barabanki-Burhwal 3rd Line (27 Km) 426 2 Burhwal- Gonda Kacheri 4th line (56 Km) 796 3 Burhwal-Gonda 3rd Line (62 Km) 1,118 4 Bahraich- Khalilabad New Line (240 Km) 4,940 5 Katra-Ayodhya Dham Doubling (10 Km) 466 6 Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya- Prayagraj 3rd Line (150 Km) 2,649 7 Billi-Chunar Doubling (102 Km) 1,424 8 Chhapra-Ballia Doubling (65 km) 1,046 9 Unchhar-Amethi New Line (66 Km) 1,229 10 Etah-Kasganj New Line ( 29 Km) 389 11 Gorakhpur- Valmikinagar Doubling (96 Km) 1,121 12 Varanasi-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya 3rd and 4th Line (15 Km) 2,464 13 Jhansi-Khairar-Manikpur & Khairar-Bhimsen Doubling (431 Km) 4,330 14 Sahjanwa-Dohrighat New Line (81 Km) 1,320 15 Kuberpur-Yamuna Bridge 3rd line (10 Km) 170 16 Prayagraj (Iradatganj)-Manikpur 3rd Line (84 km) 1,508 17 Dilkusha-Malhaur 3rd Line (8 km) 164 18.03.2026 464 SN. Project Cost (` in Cr.) 18 Bypass/Chord line at Ayodhya Cantt. (between Salarpur- Masodha) (6 Km) 97 19 Didarganj - Shahganj - Bilwai Chord line (6 km) 137 20 Varanasi Shivpur 3rd line (6 Km) 76 21 Jaunpur Jn.- Zafarabad Doubling (6 Km) 177 22 Bhatni - Aurnihar Doubling (117 km) 2,529 23 Mathura-Jhansi 3rd line (274 km) 5,924 24 Agra Fort and Bandikui Doubling (150 km) 988 25 Janghai-Pratapgarh- Amethi Doubling (87 km) 1,197 26 Barabanki-Malhaur - 3rd & 4th Line (33 km) 407 27 Phaphamau-Unchahar Doubling (72 km) 971 28 Aunrihar - Varanasi City 3rd Line (31 Km) 76 Railway Infrastructure projects enable socio-economic development of the region including: Better connectivity of the region with other parts of the country Faster movement of goods and services Improving logistics efficiency and reduction in transportation cost. Enhance line capacity Increase in direct and indirect employment opportunities for the people 18.03.2026 465 of the region Reduced operational bottlenecks Development of tourism industry and increase in industrial activities in the region. Railways are environment friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, yielding substantially lower CO2 emissions. Reduction in CO2 emissions in transportation by railways as compared to transportation by road is as under (Ref:- NITI Aayog Report titled “Fast Tracking Freight in India, June 2021”): Mode of transportation CO2 emission for transportation of 1 tonne for 1 Km Road 101 gm Rail 11.5 gm (about 89% less) Shifting of one MT of freight from road to rail reduces the carbon emission by about 5.37 Crore Kg. During the period from 2014 to 2025, about 562 MT freight has shifted to railways which corresponds to reduction in carbon emission amounting to 3,018 crore kg. As per the extant policy guidelines, Railway projects are exempted from environmental clearance. However, forestry/wild life clearances are taken from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), wherever the diversion of forest land is involved. Electric traction is more environment friendly and energy efficient. 18.03.2026 466 Accordingly, electrification of railway network on Indian Railways has been taken up in mission mode. So far, 99.4% of Broad Gauge (BG) network has been electrified. The electrification in remaining network has been taken up. Electrification carried out during 2014-25 and before 2014 is as under: Period Route Kilometre Before 2014 (about 60 years) 21,801 2014-25 46,900 All Railway infrastructure projects requiring diversion of forest land are processed in accordance with the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and approval of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is obtained, wherever required. Further, Indian Railways has instituted several mechanisms to minimize environmental impacts during construction and operation of projects, which inter alia include: Afforestation in coordination with State Forest Departments where forest land is involved, adoption of eco-friendly construction practices, including proper disposal of construction debris, slope stabilization, and protection of natural drainage, provision of wildlife crossings, animal underpasses/overpasses and other mitigation measures in environmentally sensitive areas, wherever required and continuous monitoring of environmental safeguards during project implementation by concerned railway authorities. 18.03.2026 467 REAL-TIME WEATHER UPDATES 4214. SHRI A. RAJA: Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state: (a) the details of measures taken by the Government to improve country's weather forecasting capabilities; (b) whether the Government has adopted any advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence or machine learning to enhance the accuracy of forecasts; (c) the details of measures being taken by the Government to extend real- time weather updates to rural farmers for better crop management; and (d) the details of mobile Apps used to provide location-specific forecasts and advisories and to disseminate information through social media platforms in regional languages for the benefit of farmers? THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPACE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH): (a): To improve India's weather forecasting capabilities, the Government has fully organized an institutional mechanism for strengthening the observational network and adopting new techniques and technology to integrate and 18.03.2026 468 assimilate all types of data through all computational and modelling supports for generating forecasts and warnings at a more granular scale of various severe weather events affecting the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in coordination with other centres under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)-including the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida- has undertaken related research and operational activities through time-bound projects such as the Monsoon Mission and the recently launched Mission Mausam. The main objective of the project is to enhance India's climate and weather observation and monitoring capabilities, which includes the deployment of more radars and other modern monitoring systems in a time- bound manner. Under this project, the Bharat Forecasting System (BharatFS) was launched, along with ensemble forecasting systems and Impact-Based Forecasting (IBF) approaches, to improve forecast accuracy and lead time for events such as heavy rainfall and heat waves. Mithuna-FS is NCMRWF's new-generation global coupled forecasting system for sharper medium-range weather predictions in India. It integrates atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and sea ice with advanced physics and upgraded data assimilation, running at 12-km global resolution. The suite includes a 4-km regional model for monsoons/cyclones and a 330-m hyper- local urban model for Delhi fog/air quality. Mithuna-FS reduces biases in rainfall, temperature, fog visibility; pairs with AI/ML post-processing for district- 18.03.2026 469 level extreme event probabilities (heatwaves, thunderstorms). Developed under Mission Mausam, it boosts severe weather forecast accuracy by 30- 40% over the past decade. IMD has developed indigenous, technology-driven, and citizen-centric weather forecasting systems that strengthen disaster preparedness and improve public safety across India. IMD's in-house developed Decision Support System (DSS) is a major step in the direction of promoting self- reliance under the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative. Developed "Mausamgram" (Har Har Mausam, Har Ghar Mausam), a unique citizen-focused platform providing location-specific, hyperlocal weather forecasts down to the village level. "Mausamgram" delivers hourly forecasts for the next 36 hours, three- hourly forecasts for the next five days, and six-hourly forecasts for up to ten days. Users can conveniently access weather information by searching through PIN code or location name, or by selecting the state, district, block, and gram panchayat. This user-friendly system ensures easy access to hyperlocal forecasts, enabling citizens to obtain accurate and timely weather updates tailored to their specific location. (b): Yes. IMD, in coordination with various centres of MoES institutes, has developed the following: Utilization of the AI/ML-based Advanced Dvorak Technique (AiDT) to estimate the intensity of cyclones. A novel deep learning model (meteoGAN) has been developed for the Delhi-NCR region and successfully tested for rainfall downscale 18.03.2026 470 using ground-based and Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) rainfall analysis at 300 m spatial resolution. A machine learning model based on a decision tree is developed to predict daily rainfall at Delhi during the monsoon season. NCMRWF has developed the multi-scale Mithuna-FS model suite for sharper medium-range forecasts, nowcasting, and district-level extreme event probabilities (rainfall, heatwaves, fog). This system integrates global AI/ML models like Pangu-Weather, GraphCast, and FourCastNet on the Arunika Supercomputer for rapid downscaling to urban scales using GANs and CNNs. (c) and (d): Government has taken various measures to extend real-time weather updates to rural farmers for better crop management. A weather- based crop advisory service is a step towards providing real-time information about weather updates, crop health, and appropriate measures to the farmers, enabling them to make informed decisions about various crop management practices leading to higher yields and increased income. In order to cater to the needs of the farming community, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) runs a scheme, viz. Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) to render weather forecast-based operational Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agriculture Universities (SAUs), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), etc. Under GKMS, 130 Agromet Field Units (AMFUs) covering 127 agroclimatic zones, located at various 18.03.2026 471 SAUs, IITs, ICAR institutes, etc., are operational across the country. IMD provides medium-range weather forecasts for rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, wind speed and direction at district and block levels for the next five days, along with subsequent week rainfall and temperature outlook at the meteorological sub-division level. Based on observed and forecasted weather, AMFUs prepare Agromet Advisories twice in a week (every Tuesday and Friday) in English as well as in Regional languages for their respective districts and communicate to the farmers to make appropriate decisions on day-to-day agricultural operations such as selection of type of crops and varieties, appropriate time for sowing, harvesting, fertilizer application, choosing windows for various intercultural operations e.g., weeding, hoeing, etc., appropriate time and method of irrigation, including water-efficient methods, etc. as per the need of specific agro-climatic regions. Under the GKMS scheme, all agriculturally important districts are covered across the country for providing weather updates, agromet advisories, and early warnings directly to the farmers. Along with the AAS bulletins, daily weather forecast and nowcast information are also issued by Regional Meteorological Centers (RMCs) and Meteorological Centers (MCs) of IMD. Impact-based forecast (IBFs) and appropriate advisories for agriculture are also being prepared by AMFUs based on the severe weather warnings for different districts of various States and UTs across the country issued by the National Weather Forecasting Centre (NWFC), New Delhi, and RMCs and MCs of IMD. 18.03.2026 472 To provide real-time weather updates and early warnings directly to farmers' mobile phones, including the farmers of climate-vulnerable districts, weather forecasts and Agromet Advisories are disseminated through a real- time mechanism or multichannel dissemination system, including print and electronic media, Doordarshan, internet, and SMS under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives. Under the PPP mode, about 5.56 million farmers are getting benefitted with weather forecasts, alerts, and agromet advisories. SMS-based alerts and warnings along with suitable remedial measures are being sent during extreme weather events like cyclones, deep depressions, etc., through the Kisan Portal. Technological advancements have further enhanced accessibility, enabling farmers to receive location-specific forecasts and advisories through mobile apps such as 'Meghdoot' and 'Mausam', and Social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. Additionally, IMD has integrated its services with IT platforms of 21 State Governments, and about 15.6 million farmers are accessing the information in English and regional languages from these State Government IT platforms. IMD, in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), has recently launched Panchayat-level weather forecasts covering nearly all Gram Panchayats in India. These forecasts are accessible through digital platforms such as e-Gramswaraj (https://egramswaraj.gov.in), Meri Panchayat app, e- Manchitra of MoPR, and Mausamgram of IMD, MoES (https:// mausamgram.imd.gov.in). IMD developed an AI/ML-based tool called meteoGAN to give area-specific rainfall information with 300-meter spatial 18.03.2026 473 resolution. IMD is using an AI/ML tool called “Bhashini” to disseminate the weather-related information to all farmers in their regional languages. The Government has taken various measures to extend real-time weather updates to rural farmers for better crop management. A weather-based crop advisory service is a step towards providing real-time information about weather updates, crop health, and appropriate measures to the farmers, enabling them to make informed decisions about various crop management practices leading to higher yields and increased income. BHASHINI 4215. SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) the number of Indian languages supported under BHASHINI and the nature of services provided; (b) the initiatives undertaken to scale up BHASHINI through engagement with startups, academia and State Governments; and (c) the steps taken by the Government to strengthen language datasets and improve accuracy and inclusiveness? THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN 18.03.2026 474 PRASADA): (a) to (c): Government of India’s digital policies follow Prime Minister’s vision of democratising technology to empower citizens. Bhashini is Government’s initiative aimed at building a national digital public infrastructure for Indian languages. At present, the Bhashini platform supports text-to-text translation across 36 Indian languages and speech-to-speech translation across 23 Indian languages. The platform provides various AI-enabled language technology services, including Machine Translation (MT), Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Text-to-Speech (TTS), Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Government has adopted a collaborative and multi-stakeholder approach involving startups, academic institutions, and State Governments. Startups and MSMEs are encouraged to develop innovative multilingual applications and sector-specific solutions using BHASHINI’s open APIs. Academic and research institutions across the country are engaged for research, dataset preparation, linguistic validation, and development of AI models. Further, the Mission collaborates with Central Ministries, State Governments and State Language Missions to identify domain-specific datasets and enable integration of BHASHINI services into citizen-facing government platforms. A national repository of language datasets and AI models has been created through the Unified Language Contribution API (ULCA), which enables 18.03.2026 475 standardised submission, validation and cataloguing of datasets, models and tools. Further, crowdsourcing initiatives such as BhashaDaan and other community participation programmes are undertaken to collect speech and text data from diverse linguistic communities, including speakers of regional and lesser-resourced languages. DIGITAL INDIA LAND RECORDS MODERNISATION PROGRAMME 4216. SHRI ARUN NEHRU: Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) whether dedicated funding is proposed for 4G/5G Saturation Project and BharatNet implementation in blocks of Veppanthattai and Veppur in Perambalur facing unstable mobile connectivity in remote rural areas and if so, the details thereof; (b) the current status of installation of BSNL 4G towers, PM-WANI WiFi hotspots operationality and optical fibre connectivity coverage, block- wise; (c) whether the Perambalur and Musiri is proposed to be included in the next phase of Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) for farmers' benefit; and (d) the funding allocation, implementation timeline and digital literacy centres planned by the year 2027? 18.03.2026 476 THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI): (a) and (b): Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) has the mandate to support universal service by promoting access and delivery of telecommunication service in underserved rural, remote and urban areas of the country. BharatNet is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country including 29 GPs of Veppanthattai and 33 GPs of Veppur blocks of Perambalur district. All GPs of these blocks have been connected. Further, BSNL has installed 13 and 9 4G Mobile towers in Veppanthattai and Veppur blocks respectively. Under PM-WANI, 44 Wi-Fi Hotspots have been installed in Perambalur District. (c): Department of Land Resources has informed that Land and Land Revenue, including maintenance of land records is a State subject listed at Sl. No. 18 & 45 of State List (List II) of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution wherein land revenue is governed by State specific Acts/ Rules/ Regulations. The Department of Land Resources is implementing Digital India Land Record Modernization Program (DILRMP) as a Central Sector Scheme with effect from 1st April, 2016 with 100% funding by the Centre which has been extended for the period of five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. As per MIS of DILRMP, the digitization of Land Records has been completed 100% in Perambalur and Musiri- District Tiruchirappalli. (d): Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has informed that the 18.03.2026 477 Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) was initiated to reach digital literacy in 6 crore rural households (one person per household) nationwide. As against 6 crore, 6.39 crore individuals were trained across the country including the State of Tamil Nadu. The Scheme was implemented by CSC e- Governance Services India Limited through 4.39 Lakh Common Service Centres spread across 2.52 Lakh Gram Panchayats in the country. In the State of Tamil Nadu, a total of 17,04,537 candidates from the rural households were enrolled, and 14,07,880 candidates were trained under the Scheme. The Scheme concluded on 31.03.2024. NATIONAL PROGRAMMES THROUGH DST, CSIR AND DBT 4217. SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA: Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is implementing national programmes through Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to promote technology transfer, rural innovation, start-ups and science- driven livelihood generation across regions; (b) whether any technology-demonstration projects, innovation hubs, biotech outreach programmes or CSIR/DST field initiatives have been undertaken in the districts of Katni, Panna and town of Khajuraho in Khajuraho Lok Sabha Constituency; (c) the number of institutions, youth or farmer groups benefitting from such 18.03.2026 478 initiatives and the employment or enterprise outcomes achieved locally; (d) if coverage remains limited in these districts, the reasons therefor and corrective steps taken; and (e) the plan to extend science-based livelihood, incubation and technology- transfer support so that research outcomes translate into local economic growth and employment in this region? THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPACE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH): (a): The Government of India has implemented a range of national programmes through the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to strengthen the country’s research and development (R&D) ecosystem, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and facilitate the translation and dissemination of technologies across the nation. These initiatives focus on technology development, technology transfer, start-up promotion, promotion of rural innovation, and science-based livelihood generation, thereby contributing to inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development. 18.03.2026 479 Department of Science and Technology (DST), through its entrepreneurship programs has extended end-to-end support to start-ups, nurturing them from the ideation stage to commercialization. The entrepreneurship programmes includes several components such as PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators & Startups) which provides prototyping grants to early-stage innovative ideas; hand-holding support to startups through a nationwide network of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs); seed funding to startups; and acceleration support to enable rapid scaling of start-up ventures. DST has established Inclusive Technology Business Incubators (iTBIs) in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, particularly in regions lacking a well-developed innovation ecosystem. These incubators promote inclusive entrepreneurship with special focus on geographic diversity, women entrepreneurs, persons with special abilities, and marginalized communities. DST has supported Technology Enabling Centres (TECs) in universities to promote industry-academia-government collaboration, thereby promoting technology transfer and strengthening the translational ecosystem, leading to regional innovation ecosystems and technological innovations. DST, under its Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) initiatives has supported variety of schemes/programmes for societal development by infusing S&T based interventions, delivery of location specific science-led solutions and appropriate technologies for creation and improvement of sustainable livelihoods. The programs are primarily for 18.03.2026 480 enabling disadvantaged sections of the society viz. SC/ST, Divyangjan, Elderly, Economically weaker sections, and Women, with efforts to reach out to the remote areas, rural and far-reaching corners of the Nation. Major programmes under the SEED initiative include Scheme for Young Scientists and Technologists (SYST), Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE), Science & Technology for Women (STW), Strengthening, Upscaling & Nurturing Innovations for Livelihood (SUNIL), Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Hubs, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Cells in State Science and Technology Councils, and R&D projects for SC & ST beneficiaries. The National Innovation Foundation (NIF), DST, has strengthen grassroots technological innovations and traditional knowledge systems by scouting, supporting and scaling up innovations developed by grassroots innovators. NIF facilitates technology validation, intellectual property protection, and promotes the diffusion of sustainable grassroots innovations to address socio-economic and environmental challenges. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under its National Laboratory Schemes has supported its constituent laboratories for carrying out R&D, including promotion of technology transfer, rural innovation, start-ups and science-driven livelihood generation across regions. Further, a project entitled “Creating livelihood opportunities in rural areas through CSIR technologies using UBA-VIBHA Network” was executed by CSIR in collaboration with Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA). In 18.03.2026 481 this project, various technology showcasing events and training programs based on CSIR technologies were organized across various states of the country. Approximately 3400 participants, including persons from SHGs/NGOs and farmers from various parts of the country, attended these showcasing events and training programmes in offline and online mode. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has implemented the Biotech- KISAN programme, a national farmer-centric mission of DBT to empower farmers through technology transfer and region-specific technology demonstrations. Further, the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT has implemented various schemes and programs of national scale to support startups, innovators, incubation centres, universities, academic institutions, and industry. BIRAC also oversees national programmes aimed at promoting technology transfer, rural innovation, start- ups, and science-driven livelihood generation across regions of the country, thereby enabling inclusive growth of the biotechnology innovation ecosystem. (b) and (c): CSIR–Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR- CIMAP), Lucknow and CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR- IIIM), Jammu implemented a project titled “Demonstration of Cultivation, Processing and Value Addition of Aromatic Crops in Bundelkhand Region” during 2017–2021, covering 14 districts of Bundelkhand, including Panna and Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh). The project was carried out in collaboration with the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj and Bundelkhand University, Jhansi. Under this initiative, over 100 training and 18.03.2026 482 awareness programmes were organized, benefiting more than 8,000 farmers and rural youth. Approximately 2,000 acres were brought under cultivation of aromatic crops such as lemongrass, palmarosa, basil and vetiver, and 25 field distillation units were installed for essential oil production. Additionally, 1,000 rural women were trained in producing incense sticks and fragrance cones from distillation waste. The programme facilitated technology transfer and science-based livelihood generation in the Bundelkhand region and led to the establishment of more than 10 enterprises in the medicinal and aromatic plants ecosystem. Further, CSIR–National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) hosts the Kisan Sabha App in collaboration with its industrial partner. The platform enables farmers, transporters and mandi dealers to connect digitally for the marketing and sale of agricultural produce. Through this platform, 236 farmers from Katni and Panna districts have registered. (d): The schemes and programmes are implemented through nationwide calls for proposals, under which eligible institutions, universities, research organizations and innovators from all regions, including Madhya Pradesh, submit proposals under the respective schemes. The selection of projects is based on the merit and relevance of proposals received from eligible researchers, institutions, innovators and incubators. The Government also encourages institutions from underserved and emerging regions to actively participate in national programmes related to 18.03.2026 483 innovation, incubation and technology translation, with the objective of expanding their geographical reach and strengthening regional innovation ecosystems (e): Through various programs of DST, DBT and CSIR, efforts have been made to enhance technology translation, incubation support and science- based livelihood initiatives across the country. These include support for Inclusive Technology Business Incubators (iTBIs), technology demonstration projects, rural innovation programmes and biotechnology outreach initiatives, along with strengthened collaboration among government agencies, academic institutions and local organizations. These initiatives aim to facilitate the conversion of research outcomes into deployable technologies, enterprises and employment opportunities, thereby contributing to local economic development and livelihood generation in these regions. DIGITAL VOUCHERS IN PDS 4218. SHRIMATI BHARTI PARDHI:
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Atul GargSession ls-18-s7Presentation of 7th and 8th reports of the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled TribesLok Sabha Proceedings