Government may slow down declaring more state highways as National Highways
Representative Image
NEW DELHI: In a major policy change, the Centre is preparing a model to provide financial assistance to state govts for one-time improvement of state highways rather than declaring more of these as NHs.
The road transport ministry will instead focus on building more new greenfield highways and expressways.
This comes after PM Narendra Modi's direction to the ministry to come up with a model by July end for the purpose. State govts will maintain the upgraded state highways. TOI has learnt that in the last infrastructure review meeting, Modi had asked the ministry to come up with innovative models for supporting state highway projects and connecting non-major ports under state govts.
This change in approach gains importance considering that in the last 11 years, govt has notified conversion of 55,000 km of state highways to NHs and now, the total length of NHs stands at 1.46 lakh km. This has been highlighted as one of the biggest achievements of govt.
Sources said that after expanding the NH network, now there is a need to focus more on widening them and maintaining them. Data shows that till March, India has more than 63 lakh km of road network.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Yoga provides the much-needed pause button in stress-filled society: PM Modi
On the 11th International Yoga Day, Prime Minister Modi advocated yoga as a crucial 'pause button' for humanity amidst global tensions, emphasizing its role in fostering peace and balance. He urged the world to embrace 'Yoga for Humanity 2.0,' integrating yoga into lifestyle and policy for a peaceful, balanced world. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads On the 11th International Yoga Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that this form of exercise is the much needed 'pause button' that humanity needs to deal with the increasing tensions, unrest and instability in the world. Yoga gives one the way to peace and helps create the balance to become whole joined thousands of people at Visakhapatnam on Saturday to celebrate International Yoga Day. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and others were present on the the people gathered at Visakhapatnam, Modi said, 'Unfortunately, today the entire world is going through some kind of tension. Unrest and instability are increasing in many areas. In such a situation, yoga gives us direction to peace. Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe, to balance, to become whole gain.'He urged the world community to mark this year's Yoga Day as the start of 'Yoga for Humanity 2.O' where attaining inner peace would become a Global Policy.'Under this policy, yoga would not just be a personal practice but become a medium of global partnership. Where every country, every society makes yoga a part of lifestyle and public policy. Where we together give impetus to a peaceful, balanced and sustainable world. Where yoga takes the world from conflict to cooperation, and from tension to solution,' Modi theme of 11th International Day of Yoga was ' Yoga for One Earth, One Health '.'This theme reflects a deep truth. The health of every entity on Earth is interconnected. Human well-being depends on the health of the soil that grows our food, on the rivers that give us water, on the health of the animals that share our eco-systems, on the plants that nourish us. Yoga awakens us to this inter-connected-ness. Yoga leads us on a journey towards oneness with the world. It teaches us that we are not isolated individuals but part of nature. Initially we learn to take good care of our own health and wellness. Gradually, our care and concern extend to our environment, society and planet. Yoga is a great personal discipline. At the same time, it is a system that takes us from Me to We,' the prime minister sentiment of 'Me to we' and treating the welfare of all as a duty is the essence of prime minister expressed happiness that in the last 11 years Yoga has become a lifestyle choice of millions of people around the world.'I feel proud when I see that our Divyang friends read Yoga Shastras in Braille, scientists do yoga in space, young friends in villages participate in Yoga Olympiad. A very wonderful yoga program is going on in all the Navy ships. Be it the steps of the Sydney Opera House, or the peak of Everest, or the expanse of the ocean, the message everywhere is the same – Yoga belongs to all and is for all. Yoga is for everyone, beyond boundaries, beyond backgrounds, beyond age or ability,' he prime minister maintained that India is promoting the science of yoga through modern research and medical institutions, including AIIMS, Delhi, are conducting research on it.'It is our endeavour to ensure that the scientific nature of yoga finds a place in the modern medical system… AIIMS research has revealed that yoga plays an important role in the treatment of cardiac and neurological disorders and in women's health and mental well-being,' he said.
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
India's queer politics isn't about Right vs Left. It's a matter of privilege
For queers on the Left, the very idea defies imagination. We love a good Caitlyn Jenner roast and know that Black Republicans exist because we've attempted to enjoy SNL once or twice, but we draw the line at gay Manuvadis. To be fair, the question holds: The white-picket ideals of conservatism don't really align with technicolour queerness. So, why are some queers Right-wing? In a university hostel room somewhere, a newly minted Left-liberal gay kid has just come across the question and can't quite wrap his head around it. How can you be queer and Right-wing? That's the hottest political question among the Indian queer community. It isn't whether you will vote for Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi. It is: How can you be queer and vote for the BJP? The answer is arrived at rather quickly: the Left is nothing if not efficient, at least when it comes to wokeness. As with everything else riddled with problems, the p-word is guilty here, too. When you have caste and class privilege, there are few things to strive for than the right to marry. (Clearly, the feminist movement hasn't managed to truly touch the gays.) But the vast majority of India's urban, upper caste queers—those who deign to leave the closet, at least—straddle a happy middle. My ex-best friend, for example, doesn't know his Right from his Left anymore. He grew up loving religion, reading Amish Tripathi books, and placing his hopes for a squeaky-clean India on the BJP. Now, he knows capitalism sucks and industries are killing the earth, but doesn't quite see himself as a Leftist: He's not nearly fond enough of tote bags. A few months ago, a bike-loving lesbian said she'd vote for the BJP because it might just fix the Delhi roads. But when asked about the larger politics behind that vote, she offered a humble 'I guess I stopped caring about what was happening out there.' To her, all parties are equally bad, but at least the BJP seems to be doing something. This batch of gays and lesbians has it all. They're politically promiscuous, religiously vague, and free to boo either side as and when required. Also read: Is there an Indian way to be gay? Most of us learn about queerness from American TV Being queer in a Trump world If Right-wing gays and transpersons are a walking contradiction for those on the Left, the latter are far too militant for those on the Right. They're disillusioned with the Left's infighting, its insistence on making labels and language the battleground, and how it has strict rules for how to be queer. 'I am conservative because I think the Left often goes too far with polarising gender issues. India's conservatism is more realistic than the Left,' said a 22-year-old social media executive who identifies as gay. A Delhi-based gay man who works in his family business thinks that the queer narrative in Indian Left is based on Western ideas. 'The whole pronouns game, where you can identify as anything… There are a lot of other ways we can handle these situations, but we cannot let the Western narrative control the conversation. These things are highly influenced by geopolitics—they've created a business out of it. They don't want to actually do anything,' he said. They're not entirely wrong about the self-righteousness and militancy of the Left. Even I've been known to run for the hills at the first sight of a janeu. But is queerness inherently Left? 'If you treat queerness as not just about who you love or sleep with, but rather as a political project, then obviously queerness leans more Left. And I don't think that queerness can ever align right, given its fundamental belief in equal rights,' said Anish Gawande, a national spokesperson for the NCP. 'Again, Right and Left are such vague terminologies in a Trump world,' he added. Gawande also reminded me that queerness in India is not necessarily a Right/Left issue as it is in the West. Mohan Bhagwat, for instance, has said that queer individuals are human beings. At the Hiroshima G7 summit in 2020, PM Modi talked about having made a new law to secure trans rights. One can see how some queer people might find space for themselves in the Indian Right wing. It remains a single-plank bridge, though. While the Left seeks to connect the queer struggle with that of caste and religious minorities, the Right sees it as a futile effort. 'If your goal is to cross a river and you stand on two boats instead of staying in one boat, do you think you can cross this river? You'll just fall in the middle,' said the Delhi-based businessman. India's queer politics isn't about a red pill vs blue pill divide. It plays out in vastly different ways across regions and for communities within the community. Perhaps the question we should be asking isn't 'How can someone be queer and Right-wing', but 'How can a queer political identity emerge in India?' Or better yet, does it need to? Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Modi's ‘no' to Trump isn't about peace or Pakistan. It's narrative warfare
This isn't just about India-Pakistan tensions either. It's about who gets to control the story in a multipolar world. For decades, the US has positioned itself as the global referee, doling out solutions to conflicts it often had a hand in stoking. Modi's blunt rejection of mediation isn't about snubbing peace talks or flexing muscle against Pakistan. It's about narrative warfare. Donald Trump often declares himself a peacemaker or unifier. By refusing to let Washington mediate disputes like Kashmir, Modi is asserting India as a rulemaker. This isn't isolationism—it's strategic autonomy, a declaration that India's future is written in New Delhi, not on Pennsylvania Avenue. Setting the record straight, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed critical global speculations in a telephonic conversation with American President Donald Trump . PM Modi firmly clarified that at no point was there any discussion, at any level, on a trade deal between India and the United States, or any proposal for mediation by the US during the India-Pakistan conflict. He also declined Trump's invitation to visit the US, citing prior engagements. The message was clear: India doesn't need a Western stamp of approval to handle its disputes or define its interests. Trump's team, eager to spin a legacy of peace deals, sees South Asia as a stage for grandstanding. But India's refusal to play along signals a shift: emerging powers are no longer content to be props in Western narratives. Nations are eyeing India's move, wondering if they, too, can rewrite their roles. Modi's no flips the dynamic Ever since India's Independence, the US has treated the subcontinent like a Cold War chessboard. It armed Pakistan to counter Soviet influence, while non-aligned India was cast as the difficult child. Today, America's mediation offers—whether on Kashmir or trade—come with strings. Accepting them means ceding narrative control, letting Washington frame India as a problem that needs fixing. Modi's 'no' flips this dynamic. The US has long dangled mediation, knowing it's a low-risk way to look statesmanlike while keeping India and Pakistan in check. But India sees through the charade. In 2019, when the government of India revoked Jammu & Kashmir's special status, it didn't ask Washington's permission—it acted, and then managed the fallout. The move sparked global chatter, but New Delhi weathered it without leaning on Western goodwill. Modi's latest rebuttal builds on that: Why let a third party referee a game India can play on its own terms? Also read: Turkey's 'Asia Anew' isn't just a slogan—it's a growing strategic surprise for India India won't be arm-twisted The US wants India to open its markets wider, but Modi's stance ties trade to sovereignty. By linking trade talks to non-interference, he's signalling that India won't be arm-twisted into deals that prioritise American interests over its own. India's economy, now the world's fifth-largest, grew 8.2 per cent in 2023-24, according to the World Bank. It's a heavyweight that can afford to set its own rules, not beg for scraps at the global table. This isn't about burning bridges. India still engages the West. Take a look, for instance, at the Quad partnership with the US, Japan, and Australia to counter China. But engagement doesn't mean subservience. The country's 'Make in India' push and tech advancements—like the 5G rollout led by homegrown firms—show that it can compete without playing by someone else's script. Trump's team thrives on spectacle, casting him as the ultimate dealmaker. A 'peace deal' in 'South Asia' would be a feather in his cap, especially with US elections looming. But Modi knows that letting America claim credit risks framing India as a junior partner. Instead, he's betting on India's own story: a rising power that negotiates from strength, not gratitude. This resonates globally—think of African nations sidestepping Western aid conditions, or countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) balancing China and the US without bowing to either. Modi's 'no' isn't just a rejection—it's a manifesto. India isn't fighting Pakistan to prove its strength; it's refusing to be America's prop. In a world where narratives shape power, India is asserting its right to write its own. This isn't diplomacy as usual; it's a declaration that the old script—where Washington called the shots—is obsolete. India's gamble could inspire a rewrite of the world's story, one where emerging powers don't just play the game but set the rules. And that's a plot twist worth watching. Brabim Karki is a Nepal-based businessman, author, and columnist who writes on international affairs. He is the chairman of Mero Tribune media. His X handle is @brabim7. Views are personal. (Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
