Current Affairs | Vajirao & Reddy

Key Developments in India's Digital Connectivity:

Telecommunications Growth:
- 5G Rollout:
  - Coverage: Launched in all states and union territories, available in 779 out of 783 districts as of October 31, 2024.
  - Infrastructure: Over 4.6 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) installed across the country.
- Expanding Mobile Coverage:
  - Approved Project: Provide 4G services to 24,680 uncovered villages in remote areas and upgrade 6,279 villages from 2G/3G networks to 4G.
  - Progress: By December 2024, 7,815 sites covering 10,706 villages were commissioned.

EFFORTS FOR CONNECTIVITY IN REMOTE AREAS

Bharat Net Project:
- Aim: Provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats and villages.
- Progress: 6.92 lakh km of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) laid, and 2.14 lakh Gram Panchayats service-ready as of December 2024.
Mobile Coverage in North-East and Border Areas:
- Coverage: 1,358 mobile service sites covering uncovered villages and highways.
- Arunachal Pradesh and Assam: 671 towers covering 1,178 villages.
- Meghalaya: 433 towers covering 622 villages and 3 highways.
Telecom Development in Islands:
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Completed submarine OFC connectivity with 205 Gbps bandwidth and increased satellite bandwidth.
- Lakshadweep Islands: Submarine OFC project (1,869 km) commissioned in January 2024, enabling 5G and FTTH services.
Mobile Services in Remote Villages:
- Border Villages Scheme: 319 villages covered with 4G.
- LWE-Phase I & II: Upgraded 297 towers to 4G, and 1,106 towers commissioned under Phase II, covering 1,162 locations.
Aspirational Districts Scheme:
- Efforts: Cover villages in underserved areas.
- 502-Village Scheme: 215 towers covering 251 villages across 112 districts.
- 7,287-Village Scheme: 2,497 sites covering 3,804 villages in 5 states.
Information Technology (IT) Initiatives:
- GI Cloud (MeghRaj):
  - Aim: Deliver ICT services through cloud computing.
  - Support: As of November 30, 2024, the National Informatics Centre supports 1,917 applications on its cloud.
- Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN):
  - Renamed: Universal Service Obligation Fund renamed Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) in August 2024.
  - Support: Continues to support telecom services, mobile services, broadband connectivity, and infrastructure in rural and remote areas.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation:
- Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
  - Objective: Provide reliable access to safe piped drinking water to rural households, ensuring long-term water security.
  - Progress:
    - Launch: August 2019 with 3.23 crore (17%) rural households having tap water connections.
    - Current: Over 15.30 crore (79.1%) out of approximately 19.34 crore rural households by November 26, 2024.
  - Achievements:
    - States and UTs with 100% Coverage: Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu, Puducherry.
    - Water Quality Laboratories: 2,160 laboratories, with 1,570 accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

IMPACT OF JAL JEEVAN MISSION

Safe Drinking Water: Provided to 69.23 lakh households in quality-affected areas, including 23 lakh in arsenic-affected areas and 11.43 lakh in fluoride-affected areas.
Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs): 618 installed, with 573 in arsenic and fluoride-affected areas.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION (GRAMEEN)

Phase I: Achieved open defecation-free (ODF) status in rural areas.
Phase II (2020-2025): Aims to convert ODF villages into ODF Plus villages.
ODF Plus Progress:
- Categorization: Aspiring, Rising, and Model.
- Goal: Ensure all villages become ODF Plus Model, sustaining ODF status, proper waste management, and visual cleanliness.
Recent Progress: By November 2024, 1.92 lakh villages incrementally declared ODF Plus under the Model category, bringing the total to 3.64 lakh villages.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U):
- SBM-U 2.0:
  - Launch: 2021.
  - Focus: Create garbage-free cities by integrating waste management and sanitation practices, aligning with sustainability and circular economy principles.
- Progress:
  - Individual Household Latrines: 63.7 lakh units constructed.
  - Community and Public Toilets: 6.4 lakh seats constructed.
  - Door-to-Door Solid Waste Collection: Achieved in 93,756 wards.
  - Waste Processing: Significant progress in processing waste generated across cities.

IMPACT

Toilet Access: As per the 78th NSS Report, 97% of households in urban areas have access to toilets.
ODF Certification:
- ODF: 4,576 ULBs certified (complete access to toilets).
- ODF+: 3,913 ULBs certified (clean, hygienic, and functional toilets).
- ODF++: 1,429 ULBs certified (safe faecal sludge management).
- Water+: 64 ULBs achieved status, ensuring proper treatment and reuse of wastewater.
ICT-enabled Governance:
- Swachhata App: 2.08 crore users, resolving 2.39 crore complaints out of 2.55 crore reported.
- Google Toilet Locator: Mapped 67,407 toilets across 3,326 cities, enhancing accessibility.

URBAN HOUSING

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U):
- Launch: 2015.
- Aim: Provide permanent housing in urban areas.
- Achievements (as of November 25, 2024):
  - Sanctioned: 1.18 crore houses.
  - Grounded: 1.14 crore houses.
  - Completed: 89 lakh houses.
- PMAY-U 2.0:
  - Launch: September 2024.
  - Aim: Assist an additional 1 crore households.
  - Progress: 6 lakh houses approved in FY25.

URBAN TRANSPORT

Metro and Rapid Rail Systems:
- Operational or Under Construction: In 29 cities, with 1,010 km operational in 23 cities.
- Underway: An additional 980 km of metro systems.
- Daily Ridership: Reached 10.2 million in FY25.
- Benefits: Contributed to reducing emissions, saving time, and cutting vehicle operating costs.

ATAL MISSION FOR REJUVENATION & URBAN TRANSFORMATION (AMRUT)

Launch: 2015.
Focus: Improve urban water management.
Progress:
- Tap Water Coverage: Reached 70%.
- Sewerage Coverage: At 62%.
- Water Treatment Capacity: Created or augmented 4,649 million litres per day.
- Parks: Developed 2,439 parks, adding 5,070 acres of green space.
AMRUT 2.0:
- Launch: 2021.
- Aim: Expand coverage to all statutory towns and cities.
- Initiated: 8,923 projects worth ?1.89 lakh crore.

SMART CITIES MISSION

Launch: 2015.
Aim: Develop smart cities with essential infrastructure and a sustainable environment.
Progress (as of January 13, 2025):
- Proposed: 8,058 projects worth ?1.64 lakh crore.
- Completed: 7,479 projects worth ?1.50 lakh crore.
Key Achievements:
- Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs): Operational in 100 cities, managing urban services like crime tracking, transport, and disaster management.
- CCTV and Public Safety: Over 83,000 CCTV cameras installed across 1,200+ projects.
- Smart Mobility: 16 lakh solar/LED streetlights and 1,700 km of smart roads built, alongside shared bicycles and electric buses.
- Affordable Housing: Over 35,000 units built in 23 cities.

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CHAPTER 6: INDIA’S INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT & CAPITAL EXPENDITURE from Vajirao & Reddy Institute