Prelims Focus 13th December 2025

13/12/2025

15 2 minutes read

SilverLine Project

In News: Union government has directed Kerala to address significant technical and environmental concerns regarding the SilverLine Project and to ensure its integration with the state’s existing broad-gauge railway network. The Ministry of Railways has rejected the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for SilverLine, citing technical deficiencies and demanding that the project be designed as a broad-gauge system, aligning closely with existing railway lines to avoid unnecessary land acquisition and environmental damage.

Key Technical Concerns

The project must be designed to integrate with the existing broad-gauge lines and cannot independently determine the route alignment.
The use of Kavach safety technology in the coaches is mandated to prevent collisions.
The proposal requires a comprehensive drainage system to be implemented during and after construction to mitigate flood risks.

Environmental Concerns

Environmentalists and experts have raised alarms about the project’s impact on wetlands, forest areas, backwaters, and rice fields, warning that large-scale land acquisition and embankments could disrupt local ecosystems and increase flood vulnerability.
The construction would require significant amounts of granite, sand, and soil, leading to concerns about quarrying in ecologically sensitive regions like the Western Ghats.
Full environmental clearance is required before the project can proceed, and critics argue that proper impact studies have not yet been conducted

Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Yojana

In News: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been renamed as the “Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Yojana,” marking a symbolic shift to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and reinforce the scheme’s focus on rural employment and empowerment. This flagship rural job scheme guarantees 100 days of wage employment per year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Key Points

The scheme aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing employment opportunities and strengthening rural infrastructure.
It covers all rural districts of India and is open to every household with adult members willing to work.
The renaming emphasizes the values of Mahatma Gandhi, promoting self-reliance and dignity of labor in rural communities.
The program is implemented through Gram Panchayats and involves the creation of durable assets like roads, wells, and community assets.
Wage rates are determined by the central and state governments, with periodic revisions to match inflation and local wage standards.
The scheme is a critical social safety net, especially during economic downturns and natural disasters, helping to reduce rural poverty and migration.
The rebranding as “Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Yojana” highlights the scheme’s role in advancing rural development and honoring Gandhi’s vision for self-sufficient villages.