NAKSHA Initiative

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Ministry of Rural Development launched the second phase of the NAKSHA (NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban HAbitations) programme.
  • NAKSHA is implemented under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).

NAKSHA 

• Phase I: Pilot Implementation and Survey Operations
  • About: It was announced in the 2024-25 Budget to standardise record-keeping, simplify processes and bring transparency in land transactions.
  • Coverage: Initiated across 152 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in 26 states and 3 Union Territories, targeting cities with an area less than 35 sq km and a population under 2 lakhs. Cover the entire urban area in the country within a period of 5 years.  
  • Technological Integration: Employed aerial surveys, drone technology, and Web-GIS platforms for high-precision mapping.
• Phase II: Capacity Building and Skill Enhancement
  • Under this training programme, 304 ULB-level and district officers have been nominated from 157 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). 
  • These officers will undergo hands-on training in leveraging modern geospatial technologies for effective urban property surveys.
  • The training aims to equip ULB officers and field staff with the technical and practical skills required to oversee high-accuracy land surveys under the NAKSHA programme. 

Why India Needs a NAKSHA-like Programme for Land Management?

• Fragmented Land Records System: India has a state-specific, inconsistent system of land record-keeping, often using outdated manual records causing ownership disputes, legal uncertainty for buyers, investors, and institutions.
• Land Disputes and Litigation: Over 66% of civil cases in Indian courts are land/property-related. Lack of digitised, tamper-proof land maps is a key cause.
• Urbanisation & Infrastructure Push: As per the 2023-24 Economic Survey, nearly 40% of India’s population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2030. Streamlining land and property record systems is essential for the planned development of cities.
• Boost to Agrarian Reforms: Digitised khasra maps linked with land records can support: easy credit access, crop insurance schemes, PM-KISAN & other DBT initiatives. 
• Disaster Risk and Climate Resilience: A geotagged mapping system helps in climate resilience planning. 

Source: TH