The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, headed by Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, MP (Rajya Sabha), presented and laid its 387th to 391st Reports in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively, on Wednesday, 25th March 2026. The Reports were adopted by the Committee on Monday, 23rd March 2026. The details of the Reports are given below:

a) Three Hundred Eighty Seventh Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation;

b) Three Hundred Eighty Eighth Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Culture;

c) Three Hundred Eighty Ninth Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways;

d) Three Hundred Ninetieth Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; and

e) Three Hundred Ninety First Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Tourism.

2. The Committee examined the Demands for Grants of the above five Ministries for the financial year 2026-27, took oral evidence of the representatives of the respective Ministries, and examined detailed written material furnished by them. The Reports were adopted by the Committee. The principal Observations/Recommendations contained in the Reports are enclosed.

PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS — AT A GLANCE

A. Report No. 387: Ministry of Civil Aviation (Demand No. 8; Rs. 2,102.87 crore)

(i) Constitution of an independent High-Level Committee on Aviation Safety: The DGCA audit of 754 aircraft found recurring defects in 377 aircraft (50%). The Ahmedabad crash (260 fatalities), approximately 100 safety lapses in a single year, and 19 safety violation notices indicate a systemic pattern. The Committee recommends the constitution of an independent High-Level Committee on Aviation Safety to conduct a comprehensive safety review and submit a report within six months. (Para 6.6.1–6.6.2)

(ii) Formal impact assessment of the UDAN scheme: The RCS-UDAN has operationalised 657 routes with cumulative expenditure exceeding Rs. 9,200 crore, but the Ministry has acknowledged that there is no structured exit strategy for routes completing the VGF subsidy period. Over 150 awarded routes remain uncommenced. The Committee recommends a formal independent impact assessment covering cost per passenger, route-wise viability, and the proportion of routes that have achieved self-sustainability. (Para 6.2.1–6.2.2)

(iii) DGCA manpower plan: DGCA has 843 incumbents against 1,630 sanctioned posts, a vacancy rate of 48.3%. The Committee recommends that DGCA prepare and submit a comprehensive time-bound recruitment and deputation schedule to address the vacancy position. (Para 6.3.1–6.3.2)

(iv) Passenger Rights Charter: India carried over 350 million passengers annually but has no statutory passenger rights framework. The Committee recommends the development of a formal Passenger Rights Charter under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024, addressing compensation, delay management, and accountability standards. (Para 6.6.5–6.6.6)

(v) Parliamentary visibility of AAI capital investment: AAI reported revenue of Rs. 20,648.25 crore and profit of Rs. 7,233.28 crore in FY 2024-25, but its capital investment of Rs. 4,699.92 crore through I&EBR does not form part of the Demands for Grants. The Committee recommends enhanced parliamentary visibility of AAI’s capital investment programme. (Para 6.2.9–6.2.10)

B. Report No. 388: Ministry of Culture (Demand No. 18; Rs. 3,416.63 crore)

(i) Earmarking of ticketing revenue for monument conservation: Ticketing revenue from centrally protected monuments amounts to approximately Rs. 365 crore annually. This revenue goes to the general exchequer and is not available for reinvestment in conservation. The Committee recommends that a portion be earmarked for conservation, maintenance, and visitor infrastructure through a ring-fenced revenue mechanism. (Para 1.9)

(ii) 16th Finance Commission demand note with institutional capacity assessment: The Ministry’s projected demand of Rs. 5,219.97 crore exceeds the approved allocation of Rs. 3,416.63 crore by Rs. 1,803.34 crore (34.55% shortfall). A proposed infrastructure scheme of Rs. 12,000 crore over five years is under formulation. The Committee recommends that EFC notes be accompanied by implementation roadmaps, State-wise absorption plans, and Centre-State cost-sharing frameworks linked to measurable outcomes. (Para 2.4–2.5)

(iii) AMASR Act amendment and monument staffing: Severe staffing shortages persist across ASI and monuments, with some centrally protected monuments lacking any protective staff. The Committee recommends expeditious passage of the AMASR Act amendment, SOPs for denotification with a 90-day timeline, and a staffing plan for centrally protected monuments. (Para 3.14)

(iv) Alternative funding strategy through CSR and MPLAD: Corporate spending on heritage, art and culture stood at approximately Rs. 441 crore in FY 2022-23 under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013. The Committee recommends a dedicated CSR engagement plan for museums, libraries, and heritage conservation, and a proposal for inclusion of cultural heritage as an eligible expenditure category under the MPLAD scheme. (Para 1.14)

(v) GIA Salary reduction for Autonomous Bodies: The GIA Salary head has been reduced from Rs. 429 crore to Rs. 352 crore, a reduction of Rs. 77 crore (17.95%), for 34 Autonomous Bodies that are entirely dependent on Government grants for salary expenditure. The Committee recommends a body-wise break-up of the allocation, current vacancy positions, and an impact assessment of the reduction. (Para 1.16)

C. Report No. 389: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (Demand No. 78; Rs. 5,164.80 crore)

(i) Task force for new shipbuilding schemes: Three newly approved schemes (SBFAS, SbDS, MDF) command Rs. 1,765 crore (34% of net GBS), but their operational guidelines were released only on 26 December 2025 and the National Shipbuilding Mission designated as the nodal coordinating body has yet to be formally constituted. India contributes less than 1% of global shipbuilding capacity. The Committee recommends constituting a dedicated task force with time-bound milestones. (Para 2.3)

(ii) Port Capacity Utilisation Audit and JNPA-DFC rail link: Cargo handling capacity at Major Ports has reached 1,681 MTPA, but actual throughput stands at 854.86 MMT, implying 50–60% capacity utilisation. The absence of DFC connectivity to JNPA has eroded its competitiveness relative to Mundra. The Committee recommends a Port Capacity Utilisation Audit across all 12 Major Ports and fast-tracking of the JNPA-DFC rail link. (Para 3.7)

(iii) Maritime Resilience and Trade Diversification Framework: The West Asia conflict disrupted Red Sea shipping from February 2026, adding 10–14 days to transit times and causing a 58.4% surge in jet fuel prices. Only 5% of India’s EXIM cargo moves on Indian-flagged vessels. The Committee recommends implementing a Maritime Resilience and Trade Diversification Framework (MRTDF). (Para 7.3)

(iv) Independent assessment of Kalughat Intermodal Terminal: The Kalughat Terminal on NW-1, despite an investment of over Rs. 125 crore, has not received a single vessel. Approximately 85% of inland waterway traffic remains concentrated on just five of 32 operational waterways. The Committee recommends an independent assessment of hydrological viability and navigability studies for Brahmaputra tributaries. (Para 5.5)

(v) Review of Sagarmala implementation: After nearly a decade, only 277 of 839 Sagarmala projects (33%) have been completed, with 353 still at the planning stage. The Committee recommends a comprehensive review of execution constraints and a revised implementation roadmap with time-bound milestones. (Para 3.10)

D. Report No. 390: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Demand No. 86; Rs. 2,94,167.45 crore)

(i) Measurable road safety targets and National Highway Safety Patrol: India recorded approximately 4.73 lakh road accidents and 1.70 lakh fatalities in 2024, with National Highways accounting for over 52,600 deaths. The OOMF for 2026-27 lists the targets for reduction in road accidents and fatalities as unquantified placeholders. The Committee recommends specific measurable annual reduction targets within the Outcome Budget framework and the establishment of a dedicated National Highway Safety Patrol on high-accident corridors. (Paras 5.1 and 5.10)

(ii) “Completion First” protocol and WIP Liquidation Plan for NHAI: NHAI is managing the construction of 27,597 km with a capital cost of Rs. 7.72 lakh crore, of which approximately 13,228 km remains under construction. The Committee recommends conditioning the award of new contracts on demonstrated progress in clearing the existing backlog, and a WIP Liquidation Plan identifying stretches at risk of cost escalation from Interest During Construction. (Paras 3.4 and 3.4A)

(iii) Zero-Based Maintenance Budgeting: The maintenance head showed an 86.4% upward revision in 2024-25 (from Rs. 2,500 crore to Rs. 4,660 crore), indicating reactive budgeting. A discrepancy exists between the Rs. 6,000 crore reflected in the Demands for Grants and the Rs. 10,000 crore maintenance figure stated during oral evidence. The Committee recommends a shift to Zero-Based Maintenance Budgeting grounded in International Roughness Index data from Network Survey Vehicles, and a detailed reconciliation of the total maintenance expenditure. (Paras 1.11–1.12)

(iv) “Last Mile Task Force” for Bharatmala and Port Connectivity Mission: Against a Phase-I target of 34,800 km, 21,785 km has been completed (63%). Port Connectivity Roads stand at only 45% completion (157 km of 348 km). The current year’s construction achievement of 6,346 km fell short of the 10,000 km target by 36.5%. The Committee recommends a “Last Mile Task Force” for the residual 13,015 km and a joint Port Connectivity Mission with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. (Paras 3.6, 3.6A and 4.4)

(v) Vahan-Insurance API integration and National Calibration Standard: The Vahan database holds over 41 crore vehicle records but operates in isolation from insurance data. The legal admissibility of e-Challans from 25 states implementing ITMS depends on calibration accuracy for which no national standard exists. The Committee recommends Real-Time API Integration between Vahan and the Insurance Information Bureau for automated identification of uninsured vehicles, and notification of a National Calibration Standard for digital enforcement devices under the Legal Metrology Act. (Paras 7.1–7.2)

E. Report No. 391: Ministry of Tourism (Demand No. 99; Rs. 2,438.40 crore)

(i) India Tourism Promotion Board and ring-fenced promotional budget: No funds have been provided for marketing and promotional activities in 2026-27. The entire Rs. 3.50 crore under Overseas Promotion and Publicity is allocated towards mandatory UNWTO contributions. The Committee recommends the setting-up of an India Tourism Promotion Board and ring-fencing of the promotional budget as a committed multi-year line with a minimum floor linked to total tourism infrastructure outlay. (Paras 1.4–1.4A)

(ii) Quarterly expenditure discipline framework: Fund utilisation in 2024-25 was 6.6% of Budget Estimates (Rs. 164.07 crore against Rs. 2,479.62 crore). The same pattern of underutilisation has recurred over three consecutive years. The Committee recommends a mandatory quarterly expenditure schedule (20% in Q1, 25% in Q2, 30% in Q3) and a digitalised Utilisation Certificate submission portal with automatic escalation to State Chief Secretaries upon breach. (Para 1.11)

(iii) Performance-linked project sanctions for Swadesh Darshan and CBDD: 84.6% of 91 active projects under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and CBDD remain below 25% physical completion. Only 7 projects are expected to be completed by 31 March 2026. The Committee recommends formal mechanisms linking future project sanctions to implementing States’ past performance on physical progress, fund utilisation, and maintenance. (Para 2.7)

(iv) Tourism Officers in Indian Embassies and Ayurveda/yoga tourism strategy: Foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings have declined, with India’s global tourism share remaining below 2%. The Committee recommends appointment of designated Tourism Officers within Indian Embassies in key source markets and a dedicated promotion strategy for Ayurveda and yoga tourism in coordination with the Ministry of AYUSH. (Paras 1.4A and 6.3)

(v) Pre-sanction due diligence for PRASHAD projects: The Bom Jesus Basilica, Goa (Rs. 16.46 crore) stalled at approximately 24% after ASI intervention. The Annavaram Temple Town, Andhra Pradesh (Rs. 25.33 crore) was delayed due to late tendering. The Committee recommends clear land titles and inter-agency clearances as non-negotiable prerequisites at the sanction stage for all new PRASHAD projects, with a 30-day SOP for deviation requests. (Para 2.11)

The entire Reports are also available on https://sansad.in/rs → Committees → Department related RS → Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture → Reports

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