PIB · Government of India ·

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Launches Challenge Mode Portal for Aerodrome Development Under UDAN

Distilled Policy Brief

  • The Ministry of Civil Aviation, headed by Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, launched the “Challenge Mode” portal for aerodrome development under the next phase of the Udaan scheme and signed MoUs with 21 states/UTs to expand regional air connectivity.
  • To date, the Udaan scheme has operationalised 687 routes and 95 aerodromes, facilitating 3.66 lakh flights that have carried about 1.71 crore passengers; aviation‑related employment rose from ~30 lakh in 2014 to ~77 lakh and is projected to reach 2.5 crore by 2040.
  • The revised Udaan targets addition of 120 new destinations and 4 crore extra passengers over the next ten years, built on four pillars – passenger affordability, operational sustainability, a transparent Challenge Mode framework, and promotion of indigenous manufacturing.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

Udaan (UDAN) scheme – launch of Challenge Mode portal for aerodrome development and MoUs with 21 states/UTs (2026).

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Impact of expanded regional air connectivity on economic growth, employment generation, and indigenous aerospace manufacturing.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

Economy

With reference to the next phase of the regional connectivity scheme, UDAAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), recently in the news, which of the following are identified as the core pillars of the revised framework? 1. Passenger affordability 2. Operational sustainability 3. Transparent Challenge Mode framework 4. Promotion of indigenous manufacturing Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  • [A] 1, 2 and 3 only
  • [B] 2, 3 and 4 only
  • [C] 1 and 4 only
  • [D] 1, 2, 3 and 4
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [D] 1, 2, 3 and 4

The revised UDAAN scheme is built on four core pillars: passenger affordability, operational sustainability, a transparent Challenge Mode framework for aerodrome development, and the promotion of indigenous manufacturing to build a 'Made in India' civil aviation ecosystem. Therefore, all four elements are correct.

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.

📚 Static Syllabus & Constitutional Linkages

Regional Connectivity Scheme (Udaan): NCERT Class XI – India and the World, Chapter on Transport and Communication.
Public‑Private Partnership (PPP) in Infrastructure: Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, Chapter on Infrastructure Financing.