UPSC Previous Year Question | Prelims GS | 2026

Consider the following statements with reference to the Sagarmala Programme of the Government of India: I. The Sagarmala Programme seeks to achieve port-led economic growth through cost-effective and sustainable coastal infrastructure. II. The success of the Sagarmala Programme reflected in significant growth in coastal and inland water shipping, along with improved global port rankings. III. Sagarmala 2.0 aims to position India as a global maritime innovation hub aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 visions. Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct? 1. Statement II validates the effectiveness of the strategies envisioned in statement I. 2. Statement III extends the objectives of statement I by embedding them into a future-oriented innovation framework. 3. Statement I contradicts statement III by focusing only on traditional infrastructure instead of modern innovation. Select the answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 only
  2. 1 and 2
  3. 2 and 3
  4. 3 only

Answer

Correct Answer

1 and 2

Explanation

Statement I describes the core port-led development objective of Sagarmala. The reported growth in coastal and inland water transport and improvements in port performance support the effectiveness of this approach, making relationship 1 correct. Sagarmala 2.0 expands the programme toward maritime innovation and future-oriented development in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047, making relationship 2 correct. Statement 3 is incorrect because the original programme does not contradict the innovation-oriented expansion.

Topics: economy, maritime infrastructure, port-led development, sagarmala programme