ASHTALAKSHMI {The North-East at the Heart of India's Growth Story} (UPSC-RAS)

ASHTALAKSHMI
The North-East at the Heart of India's Growth Story

• Ashtalakshmi - the eight North-Eastern states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim), named after the eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi symbolising prosperity.

Nodal Ministry & Policy Architecture –

•   Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER)
•   Delivery mechanism: 5 Central Sector Schemes  3,746 projects sanctioned; 2,730 completed (cost more then ₹27,963 crore).

Act East Policy & Cross-Border Connectivity

• Key pillar of India's external engagement since 2014; positions NE as gateway/bridge to ASEAN (shift from “frontier” to “gateway”).
• Flagship Connectivity Projects

1. India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway: Moreh (Manipur) to  Mae Sot (Thailand) via Myanmar.
2. Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project: Sittwe port (Myanmar) to  Paletwa via inland waterway; benefits Tripura; exports  rice, timber, seafood, petroleum, textiles.
3. Integrated Check Posts (ICPs): e.g., Moreh  customs, immigration, cargo.
4. Border Haats: Kamalasagar (Tripura), Bholaganj (Meghalaya)  local trade & people-to-people ties.

Connectivity Revolution

Road Infrastructure

• National Highways -16,207 km (as on 01 April 2025)
• Bharatmala Pariyojana -focus on economic corridors, border roads, port connectivity
• PMGSY - 50,850 km of rural roads built in NE in last 12 years (all-weather roads)

 Rail Connectivity

1. Annual avg. railway budget for NE ₹11,486 cr(2026–27).
2. 100% rail electrification achieved: Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram (Assam nearing completion).
3. Vande Bharat Express: Guwahati – New Jalpaiguri (first semi-high-speed train in NE).
4. Amrit Bharat Station Scheme - 60 NE stations identified for redevelopment (50 in Assam, 4 in Tripura).

Inland Waterways

1. Brahmaputra (National Waterway-2) -primary inland corridor; linked to mainland via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.
2. Barak River (National Waterway-16) -terminal upgrades at Badarpur & Karimganj.
3. number of National Waterways in NE - 20 (2024).
4. River-cruise tourism terminals - Guwahati, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, Silghat, Guijan.

Water, Sanitation & Urban Transformation

♦ Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)

• Launched: August 2019; target  Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) for every rural home.
• 100% coverage achieved: Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram
• JJM 2.0: Approved March 2026; extended to December 2028; enhanced outlay ₹8.69 lakh crore; shift from infra-building to sustainable service delivery.

♦ Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)

• Launched: October 2014; goal - Open Defecation Free (ODF) India.
• Status: All 8 NE states declared ODF; approx 57 lakh Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs) built (2014–2026).
• ODF Plus solid/liquid waste management , plastic waste management , faecal   sludge treatment plant .
• 100% ODF Plus villages: Sikkim & Tripura (top performers).
• Waste segregation leaders-  Mizoram & Sikkim; Women SHGs in Tripura & Assam manage waste collection.

GI Tagging & NERAMAC

• GI-registered products from NER: 89 (March 2026); 150 more identified for tagging
• Famous GI products: Queen Pineapple, Lakadong Turmeric, King Chilli, Large Cardamom

Health nfrastructure -

•  AIIMS Guwahati: fully functional  region's major tertiary care institution. Medical colleges 12 approved under Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (April 2026) more then 2.43 crore Ayushman cards are created.
• eSanjeevani telemedicine - active in all 8 states, Jan Aushadhi Kendras for affordable medicines.

Education -

• Higher education institutions: 79 universities (incl. 11 Central Universities), Eklavya Model Residential Schools - 48 (tribal/remote districts, 2026) Premier institutes: IIT Guwahati, NIT Sikkim, NIT Nagaland.