Daily News Analysis

“PM-eBus Sewa”

stylish_lining
  1. Cabinet approves “PM-eBus Sewa” for augmenting city bus operations; priority to cities having no organized bus service
  2. 10,000 e-Buses to be deployed on PPP model in 169 cities; Infrastructure to be upgraded in 181 cities under Green Urban Mobility Initiatives
  3. Total estimated cost of the scheme to be Rs.57,613 crore
  4. Expected direct employment generation over 45,000

PM-eBus Sewa Scheme

  • Under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, 10,000 e-buses will be deployed across cities in the country.
  • The scheme was introduced to give a push to the slow adoption of e-buses in public transport.

Support for Operation:

    • Under this scheme, city bus operations will be done on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
    • This scheme will support bus operations for 10 years.
    • States/Cities shall be responsible for running the bus services and making payments to the bus operators.
    • The Central Government will support these bus operations by providing subsidies to the extent specified in the proposed scheme.

Funding:

    • It has been allocated a total funding of Rs 57,613 crore.
    • Out of this financial provision, the central government will contribute Rs 20,000 crore, while the remaining portion will be covered by the state governments.

Coverage: It will cover cities with a population of 300,000 and above and will include all the capital cities of the ‘Union Territories, North Eastern Region, and Hill States’.

There are two segments of the scheme: Augmenting the city bus services and Associated Infrastructure, and Green Urban Mobility initiatives.

    • Augmenting the city bus services and Associated Infrastructure: Under this segment, the scheme will augment city electric bus operations by extending Central Assistance (CA) for 10,000 electric bus operation on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, bus depots and behind-the-meter power infrastructure.
    • Green Urban Mobility Initiatives (GUMI): Under this segment, the scheme will support the implementation of GUMI projects for complementing bus services and demonstrating a reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in urban areas.

The segment will include support for implementing the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)-based Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS), bus priority infrastructure, etc.

National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)?

This one card will give integrated access to the commuters wherever they travel, whichever public transport they take. The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). NCMC is an automatic fare collection system. It will turn smartphones into an inter-operable transport card that commuters can use eventually to pay for Metro, bus and suburban railways services.

Inclusivity of People with Disabilities in STEM Education

Current Situation: India has nearly 63 million people with disabilities (NFHS-5), but their representation in STEM fields is very low. Despite strong laws like the Right to Educat
Share It

National Handloom Day and the Swadeshi Movement

National Handloom Day Date: Celebrated every year on 7th August in India. Significance: Marks the launch of the Swadeshi Movement on 7 August 1905, which promoted indigenous indus
Share It

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Why in the News? India recently called for significant reforms at the World Trade Organization (WTO) during a high-level mini-ministerial meeting in Paris ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conferen
Share It

Israel-US-Iran Conflict

Recently, tensions in the Middle East escalated dramatically as Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion”, a significant military strike aimed at Iranian nuclear infrastructure and balli
Share It

Philippines President’s Visit to India (2025)

In 2025, during the Philippines President's state visit to India, both nations elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. The visit reaffirmed the 1952 Treaty of Friends
Share It

India's Participation in the 51st G7 Summit

India participated as an Outreach Country in the 51st G7 Summit held in Kananaskis, Canada in 2025. Key Outcomes of the 51st G7 Summit (2025): Kananaskis Wildfire Charter:
Share It

Quit India Movement (QIM)

India commemorates 8th August every year as Quit India Movement Day (also known as August Kranti Diwas) to honor the historic movement that demanded the immediate end of British colonial rule in I
Share It

National Waterway-57 (Kopili River)

The National Waterway-57 (NW 57), running through the Kopili River in Assam, has been officially operationalised, marking a significant step in India’s development of Inland Water Transport
Share It

Union Cabinet Approves National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025, aiming to address long-standing challenges and transform India into a global sportin
Share It

CIMMYT’s Financial Crisis

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), a pivotal institution in the development of agricultural research for maize, wheat, and related crops, is facing significant financia
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS