Content :
- 2.35 Lakh houses approved under PMAY-Urban 2.0 during 3rd meeting of CSMC
- One Nation, One Time – India’s March Towards Time Sovereignty: Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister
2.35 Lakh houses approved under PMAY-Urban 2.0 during 3rd meeting of CSMC
Scheme Overview
- PMAY-Urban 2.0 is the revamped version of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (launched in 2015).
- Goal: Provide 1 crore pucca houses to urban EWS/LIG/MIG families who do not own any house in India.
- Central assistance: Up to ₹2.5 lakh per unit.
- Focus: Empowerment, inclusiveness, affordability, and urban transformation.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance ,Urbanization)
Key Approvals in the 3rd CSMC Meeting (June 18, 2025)
- 2.35 lakh houses approved across 9 states: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP.
- Brings total PMAY-U 2.0 approvals to 7.10 lakh houses so far.
- Approved under two verticals:
- Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC)
- Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP)
Social Inclusion & Targeted Empowerment
- 1.25 lakh houses sanctioned for women (including single women & widows).
- 44 houses allotted to transgender persons.
- Caste-based allocation:
- SC: 42,400 houses
- ST: 17,574 houses
- OBC: 1,13,414 houses
Policy & Implementation Focus
- MoHUA Secretary directed states to:
- Develop affordable housing policies (suggested Maharashtra’s model for adaptation).
- Link AHP proposals with actual beneficiaries early to avoid future unoccupancy.
- Promote Transit Oriented Development (ToD)—build homes near NAMO Bharat and metro stations.
- States advised to prioritize Special Focus Groups (vulnerable urban sections).
- Verification & digitization of applications urged via PMAY-U’s unified web portal.
Verticals of PMAY-U 2.0
- BLC – House construction by individual beneficiaries
- AHP – Group housing with private/public partnerships
- ARH – Affordable Rental Housing for migrants (not part of this meeting)
- ISS – Interest Subsidy for housing loans up to ₹9 lakh income bracket
Eligibility Criteria
- Must not own a pucca house anywhere in India.
- Income caps:
- BLC & AHP: Up to ₹3 lakh/year
- ISS: Up to ₹9 lakh/year
- Aadhaar-linked verification is mandatory.
Impact & Significance
- Supports urban housing goals under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities).
- Encourages women-led home ownership, social equity, and slum redevelopment.
- Boosts construction sector employment and supports urban migration management.
- Aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat and inclusive development agenda.
One Nation, One Time – India’s March Towards Time Sovereignty: Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister
Context & Vision
- A Round Table Conference on Time Dissemination was held in New Delhi under the theme “One Nation, One Time.”
- Led by Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi, the initiative aims to establish India’s time sovereignty through accurate and secure dissemination of Indian Standard Time (IST).
- Time dissemination seen as strategic infrastructure, critical for national digital integrity, security, and fairness.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance)
Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025
- Upcoming legislation to mandate synchronization of all legal, administrative, and commercial systems with IST.
- Prohibits use of alternative/foreign time references unless specifically authorized.
- Makes IST legally enforceable, digitally secure, and globally benchmarked.
Time Dissemination Project Highlights
- Implemented by the Department of Consumer Affairs in collaboration with:
- CSIR-NPL (timekeeping authority),
- ISRO (satellite infrastructure).
- Establishment of 5 Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) with atomic clocks:
- Locations: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, Guwahati.
- Time accuracy: Millisecond to microsecond level via NTP (Network Time Protocol) and PTP (Precision Time Protocol).
Why This Matters
- Current reliance on foreign time sources like GPS poses cybersecurity risks (e.g., spoofing, jamming).
- Aims to build a trusted, indigenous, verifiable, and secure digital infrastructure.
- Enhances:
- Fair billing in utilities,
- Secure financial transactions,
- Time-synced communications and transport,
- Operational efficiency in governance.
Strategic Sector Relevance
- Sectors impacted:
- Banking, Stock markets (NSE, BSE), Telecom, Power grid, Railways, Digital governance.
- Ensures coordinated enforcement, transparency, and accuracy in public systems.
Institutional Collaboration & Consultation
- Since 2018, over 60 technical and policy meetings held.
- Involvement of: Principal Scientific Adviser, Deputy NSA, NSCS, Cabinet Secretariat.
- Broad support from:
- Ministries: Power, IT, Finance, Railways
- Regulators: SEBI, CERT-In
- Industry: FICCI, CII, COAI
- Private players: Airtel, Jio, Tata, Sify
- Banks: ICICI, BoB, etc.
Broader Significance
- Aligns with Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Cybersecurity goals.
- Embodies “Time Sovereignty” — strategic independence in temporal data infrastructure.
- Sets the foundation for standardized timekeeping in India across sectors.
- Empowers common citizens through fairer, safer digital systems.
