Page 7 - NIS English 16-31 Jan, 2026

A Major Achievement... 50th Meeting of ‘PRAGATI’

The Heaviest Ever PRAGATI Accelerates

Satellite Launched Projects Worth ₹85

The successful launch of LVM3-M6 is a major
achievement in India’s space programme. The LVM3- Lakh Crore
M6-Bluebird Block-2 is a commercial mission. It
successfully placed the heaviest satellite ever launched
from Indian soil – the American ‘Blue Bird Block-2’
communication satellite – into Low Earth Orbit. This
satellite is part of the new generation of Bluebird
Block-2 satellites and can provide mobile broadband
service directly to regular mobile phones from space.
The Indian launch vehicle has a total weight of
approximately 640 tonnes and a height of 43.5 metres.
It is capable of carrying a payload of up to 4,200 kg to
Geostationary Transfer Orbit. This was the sixth flight India has witnessed a transformation in
of the LVM3. In previous missions, the LVM3 has the culture of governance over the last
successfully launched Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, decade. When decisions are taken on time,
and two OneWeb missions. coordination is effective, and accountability
Following the successful launch, Prime Minister is fixed, the pace of government functioning
Narendra Modi tweeted, “The successful launch of naturally increases. This impact is directly
LVM3-M6 is a moment of pride in India’s space visible in the lives of the citizens.
journey. It successfully placed the heaviest satellite ever
launched from Indian soil – America’s Bluebird Block-2 Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
– into its designated orbit. This strengthens India’s
heavy-lift capability and further enhances our role in The new India no longer delays or derails projects
the global commercial launch market. This achievement but completes them ahead of schedule. In this
also reflects our efforts towards an Aatmanirbhar regard, on December 31, Prime Minister Narendra
Bharat. Heartiest congratulations to our hard-working Modi chaired the 50th meeting of PRAGATI, the
space scientists and engineers. India is continuously ICT-enabled multi-modal platform for proactive
scaling new heights in the field of space. governance and timely implementation. The
meeting reviewed five crucial infrastructure projects
spread across five states, with a total cost exceeding
₹40,000 crore. Over the past decade, the PRAGATI
ecosystem has helped accelerate projects worth
more than ₹85 lakh crore. Since its inception in
2014, PRAGATI has reviewed 377 projects. Of
the 3,162 identified issues in these projects, 2,958
(94%) have been resolved, significantly reducing
delays, cost overruns, and coordination failures.
On its importance PM Modi said that as India
moves forward rapidly, the relevance of PRAGATI
has increased even further. PRAGATI is essential
to maintain the pace of reforms and ensure
implementation. PM Modi stated that the PM-
SHRI scheme should become the national standard
for holistic and future-ready school education. Its
implementation should be outcome-orientated,
not infrastructure-centric. He requested all chief
secretaries to closely monitor the PM-SHRI scheme.
For the next phase of PRAGATI, PM Modi gave
the mantra: “Reform to simplify, Perform to deliver,
Transform to impact.” n

January 16-31, 2026 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 5