Subject Preference: GS Paper II (Executive/Governance) | GS Paper III (Infrastructure)
News: The 50th PRAGATI meeting (Dec 2025/Jan 2026) revealed that Land Acquisition causes 35% of all project delays, followed by environment clearances and inter-departmental silos.
Governance Perspective:
- Mechanism: PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation) is a tripartite platform:
- Tier 1: Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
- Tier 2: Union Government Secretaries.
- Tier 3: State Chief Secretaries.
- Technology Stack: It integrates Digital Data Management, Video-Conferencing, and Geo-Spatial (GIS) technology (via PM Gatishakti).
- Impact: In 10 years, it has reviewed projects worth ₹85 lakh crore. Notable "unlocked" projects include the Bogibeel Bridge and Navi Mumbai Airport.
- The Land Acquisition Challenge: Despite being the #1 bottleneck, the government has opted for administrative streamlining over legislative changes to the 2013 Land Act, fearing political sensitivity.
- Mains Value-Add: Exemplifies "Cooperative Federalism" and "Accountability in Bureaucracy."
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
