Polity & Governance GS 2 In the news 5 times

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

NHAI is the statutory body responsible for the development, maintenance, and management of national highways in India. It was established under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988, and functions under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

Key details

Established: 1988 (operationally became active in 1995)
India's national highway network: approximately 1,46,000 km as of 2025 — the third largest in the world
Bharatmala Pariyojana (Phase I): A flagship centrally-sponsored highway construction programme launched in 2017, targeting 34,800 km of corridors
Road accidents in India: Approximately 1.5 lakh deaths annually — India accounts for nearly 11% of global road accident deaths despite having 1% of the world's vehicles (WHO estimates)
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 increased penalties significantly to deter traffic violations

In the news

● Tracked since February 21, 2026 · last seen June 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

18 Jun '26

NHAI goes AI way: In-house system deployed to flag faults in highway project reports, track road defects

Science & Technology

22 Apr '26

2 accidents, 34 deaths, a suo motu case: Why SC used its ‘complete justice’ powers to fix the highways

Polity & Governance

07 Apr '26

No cash at toll plazas from April 10; UPI payments to cost 1.25 times more

Economics

16 Mar '26