Bharat Nirman

Bharat Nirman was a time-bound, flagship business plan launched by the Government of India in 2005. The program aimed to build rural infrastructure across the country through a partnership between the Central Government, State Governments, and Panchayati Raj Institutions. The initial implementation period was set for four years, from 2005 to 2009.

Six Components of Bharat Nirman

The program focused on six core areas of rural infrastructure development to bridge the rural-urban divide.

1. Rural Housing

This component targeted the construction of affordable housing for the rural poor. The implementation was mapped under the Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY). The primary objective was to provide financial assistance to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in rural areas to construct permanent (pucca) houses.

2. Rural Roads

Infrastructure development for rural roads was executed through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The target was to connect all habitations with a population of 1,000 or more (500 or more in hilly, tribal, or desert areas) with all-weather roads.

3. Rural Water Supply

This component aimed to provide clean drinking water to all uncovered habitations. It focused on addressing water quality issues, such as contamination by arsenic, fluoride, and iron, and reviving dysfunctional water sources under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).

4. Rural Electrification

The scheme aimed to provide electricity to all remaining un-electrified villages and offer free electricity connections to BPL households. This target was integrated with the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY).

5. Rural Telephony

The goal was to connect every village with a Village Public Telephone (VPT). The funding for this component was supported through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to ensure communication access in remote areas.

6. Irrigation

This component aimed to create additional irrigation potential of 10 million hectares. The target was addressed through the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), focusing on the completion of lingering major and medium irrigation projects.

Target Matrix and Schemes

Institutional Architecture and Funding

The Central Government provided the budgetary allocation and policy framework. State Governments executed the projects on the ground. Panchayati Raj Institutions played a critical role in identifying beneficiaries for housing, monitoring local water supply schemes, and managing village-level infrastructure. Funding was also mobilized through institutional credit, internal resources of public sector undertakings, and external aid from agencies like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank for specific road and irrigation projects.

GKToday Star Facts for UPSC

• Launch Date: Bharat Nirman was officially launched on December 16, 2005, under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA-I) government.
• The Funding Mechanism of PMGSY: The rural roads component under PMGSY received dedicated funding from the central road cess levied on high-speed diesel.
• The USOF Role: The Universal Service Obligation Fund used for the telephony component is a non-lapsable fund derived from a Universal Service Levy on the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of telecom operators.
• Transition of Schemes: Many schemes under Bharat Nirman evolved later. Indira Awaas Yojana became Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) in 2016. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana was subsumed into Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) in 2014, and later into the Saubhagya Scheme.
• Irrigation Shift: The Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) was later integrated into the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) as one of its core components.