Page 7 - NIS English 16-28 Feb, 2026

‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’: Launch of ‘Bharat Taxi’
In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’,
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched ‘Bharat Taxi’, India’s
first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, in New Delhi on February 5,
2026. Bharat Taxi is India’s first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform
registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
Bharat Taxi is the world’s first and largest cooperative-based
ride-hailing platform. So far, approximately four lakh drivers
have joined the platform, and more than ten lakh users have
registered. An amount of approximately ₹10 crore has already
been distributed directly to the drivers. Bharat Taxi will not only
provide transportation but also a new experience of convenience,
safety, and empowerment. It will also offer a non-AC taxi option
and metro ticket booking facility. Furthermore, 100% of the fare
will go directly to the driver. During the programme, the top six
performing Sarathis (drivers) were felicitated for their outstanding
contributions to the cooperative-based mobility ecosystem. The
Union Minister distributed share certificates to these Sarathis,
further reinforcing the core principle of ‘Sarathi Hi Malik’. Each
Sarathi was provided with a personal accident
insurance cover of ₹5 lakh and a family
health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh,
reflecting Bharat Taxi’s commitment
to driver welfare and long-term
social security.

PMGSY-IV Approves 233-Year-Old Valmiki Ramayana

10,000 km of Road to Be Displayed at the International
Projects Ram Katha Museum
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Professor Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice-Chancellor of the
Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) IV, over Central Sanskrit University, handed over a rare 233-year-old Sanskrit
10,000 kilometres of road projects manuscript of the Valmiki Ramayana (with Tattvadipika commentary)
have been approved for Jammu and to Nripendra Mishra, Chairman of the Executive Council of the
Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Prime Minister’s Museum and Library located at Teen Murti. The
Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and manuscript, authored by Ādi Kavi Vālmīki with a classical commentary
Sikkim. Upon completion, these (tīkā) by Maheshvara Tīrtha, is written in Sanskrit (Devanāgarī
projects will provide connectivity script). It is a historically significant work dating to Vikrama Samvat
and access to essential services for 1849 (1792 CE) and represents a rare preserved textual tradition
approximately 3,270 previously of the Rāmāyana. This manuscript has been permanently gifted to
isolated settlements. These roads, the International Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
stretching from high mountainous Nripendra Mishra said, “The donation of this rare manuscript to the
regions to remote rural communities, Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya is a historic moment.”
are not merely infrastructure
improvements but vital pathways to
progress. The scheme aims to provide
62,500 kilometres of all-weather
roads to settlements that are currently
unconnected. An estimated ₹70,125
crore is expected to be spent on these
projects by the financial year 2028-29.

February 16-28, 2026 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 5