In the written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that 629 out of 1,191 ongoing projects of national highways are delayed. He did not mention the specific causes for these delays.

To another query, the minister informed that 103 contractors had been debarred or punished between 2023-24 to 2025-26 due to poor quality of work. For increasing safety and traffic flow in highways, the government is introducing an Advanced Traffic Management System in 52,647 km of highways having four or more lanes.

As per this initiative, command centers and one common software are being developed. In addition to this, 6,358 ‘black corridors’ which are accident-prone areas have been identified between 2023-2025 through AI technology and e-DAR (Detailed Accident Report) data.

A FASTag-based annual pass scheme for non-commercial vehicles (cars, jeeps, vans) was launched on August 15, 2025. This pass can be activated for the year 2026-27 upon payment of ₹3,075 and remains valid for one year or 200 toll plaza crossings, whichever occurs first.

By June 2026, over 7.7 million (77 lakh) annual passes had been issued, facilitating more than 630 million (63 crore) transactions. Currently, this annual pass accounts for approximately 33 percent of the total Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) transactions made by cars, jeeps, and vans.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the use of drones for cross-border drug smuggling has increased rapidly. Punjab has emerged as the most affected border state in this regard. Drug syndicates are utilizing encrypted digital platforms, GPS-equipped consignments, and advanced technologies to conceal their identities and obscure financial transactions.

In 2025, 305 incidents of drone-based smuggling were recorded across the country, with 298 of these cases originating from the Punjab border alone. During this period, approximately 460 kilograms of narcotics were seized-comprising 448 kilograms of heroin, nine kilograms of methamphetamine, and three kilograms of opium-highlighting the growing threat in the state.

In the written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that 629 out of 1,191 ongoing projects of national highways are delayed. He did not mention the specific causes for these delays.

To another query, the minister informed that 103 contractors had been debarred or punished between 2023-24 to 2025-26 due to poor quality of work. For increasing safety and traffic flow in highways, the government is introducing an Advanced Traffic Management System in 52,647 km of highways having four or more lanes.

As per this initiative, command centers and one common software are being developed. In addition to this, 6,358 ‘black corridors’ which are accident-prone areas have been identified between 2023-2025 through AI technology and e-DAR (Detailed Accident Report) data.

A FASTag-based annual pass scheme for non-commercial vehicles (cars, jeeps, vans) was launched on August 15, 2025. This pass can be activated for the year 2026-27 upon payment of ₹3,075 and remains valid for one year or 200 toll plaza crossings, whichever occurs first.

By June 2026, over 7.7 million (77 lakh) annual passes had been issued, facilitating more than 630 million (63 crore) transactions. Currently, this annual pass accounts for approximately 33 percent of the total Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) transactions made by cars, jeeps, and vans.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the use of drones for cross-border drug smuggling has increased rapidly. Punjab has emerged as the most affected border state in this regard. Drug syndicates are utilizing encrypted digital platforms, GPS-equipped consignments, and advanced technologies to conceal their identities and obscure financial transactions.

In 2025, 305 incidents of drone-based smuggling were recorded across the country, with 298 of these cases originating from the Punjab border alone. During this period, approximately 460 kilograms of narcotics were seized-comprising 448 kilograms of heroin, nine kilograms of methamphetamine, and three kilograms of opium-highlighting the growing threat in the state.