UDAN Scheme Celebrates Eight Years of Success
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme on its eighth anniversary, highlighting its success in connecting underserved regions and promoting affordable air travel. Shah stated that the initiative, driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, has connected underserved regions and boosted India’s ambitions.
Prime Minister Modi’s Vision
Prime Minister Modi emphasized the scheme’s impact at the NDTV World Summit, noting that it has made air travel affordable and expanded the air network in smaller cities. Since its launch on October 21, 2016, the UDAN scheme has facilitated over 3 lakh flights, carrying around 1.5 crore passengers.
Affordable Air Travel
The UDAN scheme aims to make air travel affordable for ordinary people, with airfare for a one-hour journey capped at Rs. 2,500. It is part of the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, focusing on connecting underserved airports and supporting airlines in less profitable regions.
Expanding Connectivity
The first UDAN flight took off in April 2017, linking Shimla to Delhi. Since then, 86 airports have become operational, and over 600 routes have been launched, including helicopter services. The scheme has boosted tourism in regions like the Northeast and religious destinations.
Future Goals
The government aims to increase the number of operational airports from 157 to 350-400 by 2047, continuing to expand affordable flying for all.
Doubts Revealed
Amit Shah -: Amit Shah is a senior leader in India and the Union Home Minister. He is responsible for the country’s internal security and law enforcement.
UDAN Scheme -: UDAN stands for ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik’, which means ‘Let the common citizen of the country fly’. It is a government initiative to make air travel affordable and connect smaller cities in India.
Prime Minister Modi -: Prime Minister Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. He leads the government and makes important decisions for the country.
Underserved regions -: Underserved regions are areas that do not have enough services or facilities, like airports. The UDAN scheme helps these areas by providing more air travel options.
Operational airports -: Operational airports are airports that are currently in use and have flights taking off and landing. The goal is to have more of these airports in India by 2047.
3 lakh flights -: 3 lakh flights mean 300,000 flights. This number shows how many flights have been operated under the UDAN scheme since it started.
1.5 crore passengers -: 1.5 crore passengers mean 15 million passengers. This is the number of people who have traveled using the flights provided by the UDAN scheme.
