Secretary, MoHUA chairs 1st meeting of CSMC under PMAY-U 2.0

by InfrastructureLatest Updates

Shri Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) chaired the first meeting of the CSMC under PMAY-U 2.0 on 20th March 2025.

Proposals for construction of over 3.53 lakh houses have been approved at the meeting of Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0) on 20th March 2025.

A total of 3,52,915 lakh houses under Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) and Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) components of PMAY-U 2.0 in 10 States/UTs, namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh has been sanctioned today.

The Scheme promotes women empowerment and among the houses approved on 20 March 2025 under PMAY-U 2.0, more than 2.67 lakh houses have been sanctioned for the women alone, including single women and widows along with 90 houses have been allotted to Transgenders. Out of the total sanctioned houses, 80,850 houses for SC beneficiaries, 15,928 for ST and 2,12,603 for the OBC category have been sanctioned, promoting inclusiveness and equality among different underprivileged groups.

Interestingly, in addition to the State share under PMAY-U 2.0, State Govt. of Uttar Pradesh is providing Rs. 30,000 to each senior citizen beneficiaries (who are more than 70-year-old) and ₹ 20,000 for each unmarried women (more than 40 years age), widow and separated female beneficiary.

PMAY-U 2.0 is currently in the implementation phase with MoAs signed between the Ministry and 31 States/UTs. MoUs have also been signed between the Ministry and Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) for implementation of the scheme. In addition, MoUs with more than 200 Primary Lending institutions have been signed with CNAs. A dedicated web portal has been developed by the Ministry to help beneficiaries apply for the scheme directly: https://pmaymis.gov.in/PMAYMIS2_2024/PmayDefault.aspx.

MoHUA has launched PMAY-U 2.0 ‘Housing for All’ Mission with effect from 01.09.2024 for implementation in urban areas across the country for 1 crore additional eligible beneficiaries. In pursuance to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Housing for All, PMAY-U 2.0, will address the housing needs of 1 crore urban poor and middle-class families in 5 years, ensuring that every citizen leads a better quality of life.

PMAY-U 2.0 is being implemented through four verticals – Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) and Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS). Eligible beneficiaries can avail benefits under any one vertical as per their choice and eligibility. Government Assistance of ₹2.30 lakh crore will be provided under the Scheme with an investment of ₹10 lakh crore. Families belonging to EWS/LIG/MIG segments, having no pucca house anywhere in the country, are eligible to purchase or construct a house under PMAY-U 2.0. Central Assistance of ₹2.50 lakh per housing unit is provided.

Shri Kuldip Narayan, Joint Secretary & Mission Director (JS&MD), Housing for All (HFA), Principal Secretaries from States/UTs, State/UT Mission Directors, senior officials of the Ministry and officers from States/UTs were also present via physical and virtual modes.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban was first launched in June 2015. Under the Scheme, 118.64 Lakh houses have been sanctioned while about 92 lakh houses have already been constructed and delivered to beneficiaries.

PMAY-U 2.0 ensure equity across different segments of population by addressing the housing requirements of slum dwellers, SC/STs, minorities, widows, Persons with Disabilities and other underprivileged sections of the society. Special focus will be given to Safai Karmi, street vendors identified under PMSVANidhi Scheme and different artisans under Pradhan Mantri-Vishwakarma Scheme, anganwadi workers, building and other construction workers, residents of slums/chawls and other groups identified during the operation of Scheme.

Abu Dhabi And Dubai To Be Connected By Rail, Reducing Travel Time To 30 Minu

by InfrastructureLatest Updates

High-speed train project connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai in just 30 minutes was announced by Etihad Rail, the train will travel at speeds of up to 350 km/h, dramatically reducing travel times and enhancing connectivity between the two emirates.

Etihad Rail, which will oversee the development and operation of the project, estimates the initiative will contribute Dh145 billion to the UAE’s GDP over the next 50 years. This new high-speed train is distinct from the previously announced Etihad Rail passenger service, which shares the same network as the UAE’s freight trains.

As part of the announcement, UAE leaders reviewed the country’s first passenger train fleet, which will operate at speeds of up to 200 km/h. The first four passenger stations will be located in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah, strategically improving access to rail services for residents and visitors. These stations will be integrated with metro and bus lines, creating a seamless and interconnected transport network.

The stations will also feature business-class lounges, retail outlets, and family-friendly amenities, with designs inspired by Emirati heritage. While the project’s cost and launch date remain undisclosed, significant progress has been made with the issuance of tenders and the approval of network designs. Subsequent phases of development are planned in the coming years.The train route will connect key strategic destinations and tourist attractions, reflecting the UAE’s vision for advancing national infrastructure.

Secretary, MeitY, Shri S Krishnan lays Foundation Stone for EMI and EMC Testing Facility for Strategic Electronic Systems in Navi Mumbai

by InfrastructureLatest Updates

Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) , Shri S Krishnan laid the foundation stone for the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Test Facility at Navi Mumbai today. The laboratory to be established by the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER), a research institution under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, is designedto cater to the growing demand for testing, qualification, and compliance of indigenously developed defense and strategic electronic systems. Group Coordinator, MeitY, Shri SK Marwaha, and Director General, SAMEER, Dr. P Hanumantha Rao were also present at the event.

Speaking at the event, Secretary, MeitY Shri S Krishnan said that MeitY is aggressively pursuing the electronic manufacturing in India. He further highlighted that, to meet the requirements of EMC compliance testing and certification, a dedicated laboratory for strategic electronics system is being established at SAMEER. This facility will cater to the fast-growing Indian market in strategic electronics for defence, civilian and automotive related electronic equipment.

Director General of SAMEER, Dr. P. Hanumantha Rao, stated that the proposed and upcoming military standards EMC certification laboratory at SAMEER Navi Mumbai is being established with an outlay of around INR 4000 Lakhs. This facility will provide complete EMC testing/research and compliance certification for defence, consumer and medical electronic systems manufacturers in the western zone of India as well as across India.

The facility, which is fully funded by MeitY under the project titled ‘Establishment of EMC Test Facility for Testing of Strategic Electronics Systems’ will play a critical role in supporting India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. It aims to enable the indigenous defense and aerospace sectors to meet both military and civilian standards for electromagnetic compatibility before deploying these systems in mission-critical operations.

SAMEER has been actively pursuing R&D to address the mitigation of EMI at the design level so as to improve the system performance.The Government of India has been promoting indigenous ecosystem for the development and manufacturing of defence, aerospace, automotive products and medical equipment in the country. It is mandatory that all these systems should qualify for both the Military Standards (MIL STD) and civilian standards before deployment. This Project will cater to Military, Navy, Air force and indigenous commercial/industrial equipment manufacturers for testing, qualification and EMI/EMC compliance demands of western zone and pan India. SAMEER’s services will be utilized by industry to qualify for MIL-STD, CE and FCC certification for domestic and international market. In the coming years, it is expected that large number of defence products will be built and manufactured indigenously and the proposed laboratory will propel the initiative of ‘Make in India’.

The proposed National level EMI/EMC testing facility as per MIL-STD-461 F and IEC 61000-5commercial standards will be beneficial to the industry in Maharashtra as well as in the country due to the presence of defence manufacturing hub, western naval command and the proliferation of industry in this region.

About SAMEER

SAMEER is as an autonomous Research and Development laboratory at Mumbai under the then Department of Electronics, Government of India with a broad mandate to undertake Research and

Development work in the areas of Microwave Engineering and Electromagnetic Engineering Technology. It is an offshoot of the special microwave products unit (SMPU).SAMEER has been contributing towards self-reliance and indigenous solutions for the country in the areas of Microwaves, millimeter waves and advanced communication technologies.