UDAN Scheme Celebrates 8th Anniversary
The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN, launched in 2016, is celebrating its 8th anniversary. Asangba Chuba Ao, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, highlighted the scheme’s success, noting that 1.44 crore people have benefited and 601 routes are operational.
Prime Minister Modi’s Inaugurations
To mark the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for new airports in Varanasi, including Saharanpur, Rewa, and Ambikapur. Airports in Agra and Darbhanga also began operations with UDAN flights.
Development Projects in Varanasi
During his visit to Varanasi, PM Modi inaugurated projects worth Rs 6,100 crores, including multiple airport projects. He emphasized the importance of these projects in enhancing facilities and creating employment opportunities for the youth.
PM Modi stated, “Today is a very auspicious day for Kashi,” highlighting the launch of projects across various sectors such as education, health, and tourism.
Doubts Revealed
UDAN Scheme -: UDAN stands for ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik’, which means ‘Let the common citizen of the country fly’. It is a government scheme in India to make flying affordable and improve air connectivity to smaller towns.
8th Anniversary -: An anniversary is a date on which an event took place in a previous year. The UDAN scheme was launched in 2016, so it is celebrating its 8th year in 2023.
Prime Minister Modi -: Prime Minister Modi refers to Narendra Modi, who is the current Prime Minister of India. He is the leader of the country and makes important decisions for the nation.
Varanasi -: Varanasi is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is considered a holy city by Hindus.
Foundation stones -: Laying foundation stones is a ceremony to mark the beginning of construction for a building or project. It symbolizes the start of a new development.
Rs 6,100 crores -: Rs 6,100 crores is a large amount of money, where ‘Rs’ stands for Indian Rupees, the currency of India. One crore is equal to ten million, so this is a significant investment in development projects.