On 25 March 2026, the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, chaired by Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, tabled five critical reports (387th to 391st) evaluating the 2026-27 Demands for Grants.
The Committee conducted a rigorous examination of five union ministries, flagging a concerning pattern of systemic safety lapses in aviation and a chronic backlog of 13,228 km in highway construction. The findings highlight that 50% of DGCA-audited aircraft currently exhibit recurring defects, while flagship maritime and tourism schemes continue to struggle with execution, with only 33% of Sagarmala projects completed after a decade of implementation.
To bridge these governance gaps, the Committee has recommended the statutory creation of an independent High-Level Committee on Aviation Safety and a mandatory Passenger Rights Charter under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024. Additionally, to address fiscal volatility, the Committee has recommended a transition to Zero-Based Maintenance Budgeting for highways.
Sectoral Observations and Bottlenecks
Aviation Safety and Human Resources: The DGCA audit of 754 aircraft revealed recurring defects in 377 units, signaling a breakdown in maintenance oversight exacerbated by a 48.3% vacancy rate (843 incumbents against 1,630 sanctioned posts). The Committee noted that approximately 100 safety lapses and 19 violation notices in a single year necessitate a time-bound recruitment schedule and a comprehensive safety review within six months.
Road Transport and NHAI Backlog: India recorded 1.70 lakh fatalities in 2024, yet the MoRTH Outcome Budget for 2026-27 persists with "unquantified placeholders" for accident reduction targets. NHAI is currently managing 27,597 km of projects with a capital cost of ₹7.72 lakh crore, but a massive WIP backlog remains; consequently, the Committee recommends a "Completion First" protocol where new contract awards are conditioned on the liquidation of existing construction backlogs.
Maritime Resilience and Capacity: While cargo handling capacity at Major Ports reached 1,681 MTPA, actual throughput stands at only 854.86 MMT, indicating a 50–60% capacity utilization bottleneck caused primarily by the absence of DFC connectivity to ports like JNPA. Furthermore, with only 5% of EXIM cargo moving on Indian-flagged vessels, the Committee has called for a Maritime Resilience and Trade Diversification Framework (MRTDF) to counter global shipping disruptions.
Tourism and Culture Fiscal Discipline: The Ministry of Tourism utilized only 6.6% of its Budget Estimates(₹164.07 crore against ₹2,479.62 crore) in 2024-25, marking a three-year streak of chronic underutilization. In the Culture sector, a 34.55% funding shortfall persists, leading to the recommendation of a ring-fenced revenue mechanism that would allow a portion of the ₹365 crore annual ticketing revenue from monuments to be reinvested directly into conservation and visitor infrastructure.
What is "Zero-Based Maintenance Budgeting"? Zero-Based Maintenance Budgeting is a fiscal approach where maintenance funds are allocated based on actual current road conditions and objective technical data (like the International Roughness Index) rather than simply adding a percentage to the previous year's budget. It acts as a catalyst for efficient resource use by preventing reactive spending—notably seen when the road maintenance head required an 86.4% revision in a single year. This mechanism manifests as a transition from "administrative guesswork" to "evidence-based preservation." Implementing this is a primary lever for MoRTH to benchmark a trajectory where the quality of the National Highway network is maintained consistently without sudden, unbudgeted fiscal spikes.
Policy Relevance: Anchoring Infrastructure in Oversight and Resilience
Institutionalises a Framework for Aviation Safety: The recommendation for an independent High-Level Committee on Aviation Safety benchmarks a trajectory toward global safety standards, de-risking the sector from recurring systemic defects.
Bridges the Implementation Gap in Tourism: Proposed quarterly expenditure schedules (e.g., 20% in Q1) signal a paradigm shift toward ending "March madness" spending and ensuring steady physical progress on Swadesh Darshan projects.
De-risks Maritime Trade via Resilience Frameworks: Implementing the Maritime Resilience and Trade Diversification Framework (MRTDF) serves as a cornerstone for India’s EXIM trade, currently vulnerable as only 5% of cargo moves on Indian-flagged vessels.
Signals a Paradigm Shift in Road Safety Enforcement: Real-time API integration between Vahan and Insurance databases acts as a primary lever for automated enforcement, mechanically identifying uninsured vehicles on high-accident corridors.
Solidifies India’s Standing in Heritage Preservation: Ring-fencing ticketing revenue (approx. ₹365 crore) benchmarks a transition where cultural assets generate the very funds required for their own visitor infrastructure and conservation.
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